A marketer’s guide to inclusive content
Inspiration starts with inclusion. When people use our platform, we want them to see ideas and stories that speak to their own identity and lifestyles. That’s why we’ve long designed inclusion into our products. And this philosophy extends to the ads on Pinterest, too.
We believe that advertisers can also help people feel seen and heard in their campaigns. From imagery to messaging, your creative choices can greatly impact how people perceive your brand. You can also inspire people with inclusive content that shows new ideas for their lives.
Based on our experience working across industries and brands, we’ve developed tips to help you create more inclusive content. Here are six recommendations from our team:
1. Build inclusive thinking into your process
Inclusion is more than a finishing touch. We suggest including inclusive thinking in every step of the campaign process, from kickoff to those final edits.
Be intentional about your strategy, creative vision and production process. To start, make sure your team is aligned about your creative goals and approach. You may want to consult with diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) experts—either an internal team or third-party firm—to create official guidelines. It’s helpful to establish a clear feedback process too, so people feel comfortable coming forward with any concerns.
2. Ideate for a broad range of audiences
Think about all the various types of people you plan to reach, and what’s important to them. Remember that diversity extends across a wide spectrum of traits, both visible and not. It can include things like age, body type and much more.
Take a few steps back to consider the people you’re speaking to and how you can best reflect their perspectives or needs. Sometimes, you might choose to work with a creator who represents a specific community or viewpoint to bring an authentic voice into your work. If you’re interested in exploring formal partnerships with Pinterest creators, talk to your Pinterest rep.
3. Use insights to build your understanding
Like all great marketing strategies, strong campaigns are rooted in deep audience empathy and insight. Explore what your company offers for tracking consumer sentiment and audience insights, such as brand trackers, user research or third party market research. It’s always helpful to hear customer feedback too to make sure you’re considering a broad range of perspectives.
4. Diversify your visuals
Choose images or video assets that represent different types of people across cultures, lifestyles and physical appearance. Consider the setting of your assets, too. Your audience may live all over the world, in a lot of different settings. Diversifying your visuals helps you connect with more people, and helps them see themselves in your ads.
5. Use inclusive language
Putting extra thought into word choice can help people feel respected and acknowledged. Sometimes, it’s a simple tweak, like using “couple” instead of “bride and groom” to talk about weddings. Other times, you might want to check with experts to make sure your language is inclusive and avoids stereotypes or outdated idioms.
Another facet of inclusive language means planning for people who engage with content in less common ways. For example, some people might use screen readers to hear a narration of what’s on the screen in front of them. Adding captions and alt text can help people get a better experience with your ads, no matter how they’re experiencing it.
6. Evolve as you go
There might be times you don’t quite get it right. If that happens, acknowledge the feedback, learn from it and apply those insights to your team’s process and approach. Respect differences in opinions and grow from your mistakes. Being transparent about any mishaps can help rebuild trust. Have an open mind, and take your learnings to your next campaign.
