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 made inclusion part of our products, right from the design stage. And this philosophy extends to the ads on Pinterest too.

We believe that advertisers can also help people to 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 showcases new ideas that they can incorporate into 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 kick off to those final edits.

Be intentional about your strategy, creative vision and production process. To start with, make sure that your team is aligned with 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 can also be helpful to establish a clear feedback process, so that people feel comfortable coming forward with any concerns.  

2. Ideate for a broad range of audiences  

Think about all the various types of people that 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 such as 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 to ensure that 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 as well. Your audience may live all over the world, in a lot of different settings. Diversifying your visuals allows you to connect with more people and helps them to see themselves in your ads. 

5. Use inclusive language

Putting extra thought into word choice can help people to feel respected and acknowledged. Sometimes, it’s a simple tweak, such as using ‘couple’ instead of ‘bride and groom’ to talk about weddings. Other times, you might want to check with experts to make sure that your language is inclusive and avoids stereotypes or outdated idioms. 

Another facet of inclusive language is 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 to have a better experience with your ads, no matter how they’re experiencing them.  

6. Evolve as you go  

There may be times when 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 to rebuild trust. Have an open mind, and take your learnings into your next campaign.