Publishing inclusive content is a must if you want to appeal to a large group of people. People who differ in age, gender, religion and background. Do you fail to use inclusive language? Then some people may feel excluded. And what if these people belong to your target group? Then you significantly limit your recruiting process.
On top of that, using inclusive language is an important step toward being a diverse and inclusive organization. You need it to reach your diversity and inclusion goals. It must be part of all the content you publish—especially your job descriptions. This is where a more diverse and inclusive workforce begins.
The importance of inclusive content
Do you want to reach almost every single person in your target group? And be an inclusive company? Then you need to publish inclusive content. It’s as simple as that. Using inclusive language means you acknowledge that your target group consists of different kinds of people. People of different ages, genders, religions and backgrounds. Do you successfully do so? Then no-one will feel excluded by the content you have written for your target audience.
For inclusive language, the following rules are very important:
- Write in a human-centered, gender-neutral way, rather than using only he/she.
- Address the reader directly, using “you”.
- Do not distinguish based on age.
- Avoid stereotypical words and/or associations. You use these more often than you think. Pink for women, blue for men.
- Apply the WCAG guidelines.
Textmetrics – the augmented writing platform for inclusive content
An augmented writing platform is a technology that serves as a writing coach. This is also what the Textmetrics platform is. It is available in 12 different languages, and it gives you suggestions on the language used while you’re writing.
The rules for inclusive language are quite a list to remember. The Textmetrics augmented writing platform, but can implement these rules for you through the suggestions you receive. You use the D&I module for this. This is just one of the different modules the Textmetrics augmented writing platform offers. It gives suggestions on inclusion and gender bias for example. Leaving you with inclusive content that will appeal to everyone in your target group. Perfect for your D&I goals!