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Social media platforms, whether Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn or even TikTok, give you direct access to billions of users. Social media allows you to develop your brand and connect with potential and existing patients. You can show patient stories and results, demonstrate your practice philosophy and care, and even give users a glimpse into your personal life, and so much more!
People turn to social networking apps for information, advice, and tips from the brands they follow and their social connections. Because of this, the brand attitude people get from your company on social media often has a major impact on their behavior as consumers.
Being inclusive with your social media content demonstrates your business’ dedication to embracing all people, and it can help you reach more users.
Table of Contents
Social Media Marketing for Plastic Surgeons
Why Is Making Social Media Accessible Important?
How to Make Your Social Media More ADA Accessible:
1. Add Closed Captions to Video and Audio
2. Add Alt Text (Descriptions) for Images
3. Use Camel Case for Hashtags
More Social Media Marketing Information
Our Social Media Experts Can Help Build Your Brand and Reach More Patients
Social Media Marketing for Plastic Surgeons
Today, 70% of Americans use some type of social media, whether for socializing, entertainment, or news. When the social media platforms were newer, younger generations made up the majority of users. Now, older generations are increasingly using social media.
Social media marketing is essential for plastic surgery and aesthetic practices, regardless of whether your target demographic is older or younger.
While you may target your social media posts to varying demographics, there is a chance that you are still missing out on connecting with a large portion of your target audience. This can be the case if your social media is not accessible for everyone.
Why Is Making Social Media Accessible Important?
Accessibility deals with how a person with a disability would access internet content. It involves providing information through multiple sensory channels (such as auditory and visual) so those using keyboard controls, a screen reader or voice-based navigation can access it. It’s much more than just adding captioning or subtitles to video content or an image description to a photo.
Accessibility features such as captioning , subtitling , image descriptions, and alternative text can provide a more inclusive experience for all users, allowing them to access content that would otherwise be inaccessible.
Approximately one billion people in the world have some form of disability, and there are millions of disabled internet users over the age of 15. If you are not taking steps to make your social media accessible, these people may have a hard time accessing your content, or they may be unable to access it completely.
Just as making an ADA accessible website is important, accessibility in social media should be a priority to give users with disabilities access to the same content as non-disabled users.
How to Make Your Social Media More ADA Accessible:
1. Add Closed Captions to Video and Audio
Best practices include adding captions which are text transcripts of the information spoken on video or audio files. Putting captions on these types of social media posts makes them accessible to hearing-impaired users.
How to Add Auto-Generated Captions for IGTV Videos:
Instagram’s video application, IGTV, allows for longer videos compared to Instagram. Instagram TV is a standalone app, but it can also be used within the Instagram app and website.
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- Go to your Instagram settings, and tap “Account.”
- Tap “Captions,” and then switch on the button next to “Captions.”
- Upload your Instagram TV video as usual.
- Before publishing, tap on “Advanced Settings.”
- Under “Accessibility,” switch on the button next to “Show Captions.”
- Tap “Done.”
This will auto-generate captions on your IGTV video.
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2. Add Alt Text (Descriptions) for Images
Alternative text (“alt text,” “alt tag, or “alt description”) provides a written description explaining an image. These image descriptions allow screen-reading programs to describe the image to users who may have poor vision or cognitively impaired.
How to Add Alt Text to Instagram Posts
Instagram automatically generates alternative text for the images you post using object recognition technology. However, it does not always create the best description for certain images.
For example, it wouldn’t recognize a character or scene from a TV show and would simply describe the person or setting.
Our Instagram video explains how you can add your own, more descriptive alt text.
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3. Use Camel Case for Hashtags
Camel case means capitalizing the first letter of each word. In hashtags, which don’t have spaces, this makes it easier for people to read your message and makes it accessible to those with disabilities.
Screen readers will be able to distinguish the individual words and read them separately rather than as one incoherent word.
For example: #camelcaseforaccessibility vs. #CamelCaseForAccessibility
See the difference?
More Social Media Marketing Information
If you’re looking for other ways to improve your social media, these apps can help you develop better social posts.
Our Social Media Experts Can Help Build Your Brand and Reach More Patients
If you’d like to improve your social media marketing and accessibility, call Plastic Surgery Studios at (888) 525-6360 or fill out our online contact form.
Be sure to follow us on Instagram for the latest tips!
