• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, July 12, 2023

Are your email campaigns accessible—to everyone?

That question is pertinent, given that not all consumers have the same capability to view and read very complicated marketing emails.  

You may be leaving money on the table by not serving their needs, judging by "The State of Marketing", a study by HubSpot. 

Litmus authored the section on email marketing. 

While 77% say accessibility is a priority, only 8% follow best practices in all their campaigns, Litmus found in a study.  

Litmus offers these tips for making your email accessible to all. 

For one, recognize that not everyone “sees colors the same way, so combining colors with icons and text is best to ensure everyone understands your intended message,” Litmus writes.  

Case in point: A “green check mark and a red X are more accessible than a green and red button.” 

It may not seem that marketing emails may have a particular problem with inclusion. But the World Health Organization estimates that there are 2.2 billion people in the world with visual impairments. In addition, 300 million worldwide are affected by color blindness. 

Meanwhile, the aging population is growing, and people age 65+ are expected to constitute 23% of the total population by 2060, versus 16% now. 

That need to simplify applies to both copy and design.  Here are some tips (we quote):

• Use shorter sentences. 
• Avoid jargon. 
• Design for easy skimming--Create a strong hierarchy with text size, color, and placement. 
• Left-justify your copy if it’s more than two lines long. 
• Use a minimum font size of 14px. 
• Keep contrast high. 
• Use screen-reader-friendly email code. That includes real text  (no more all-image emails, please). 
• In addition, create accessible tables with role attributes.
• Also, Litmust advises you to include semantic HTML to identify headers, paragraphs, and buttons. 
• And, pair live text with alt text for images to replicate the look and feel of the design.