Accessible Social Media Posts

Why social posts need their own attention

Social platforms are fast and informal, which makes it easy to skip accessibility. Yet a post is often the first thing a customer sees from you. A few habits make posts usable for people who rely on screen readers, people with low vision, people with dyslexia, and people scrolling with the sound off.

Platforms change their features often, so check each platform’s current documentation for how to add image descriptions, captions and similar options. The habits below hold up regardless.

Hashtags: capitalise each word

A screen reader reads a hashtag as a single string. If you write a hashtag in all lowercase, such as #digitalmarketingtips, it may be read as one long, garbled word. Writing it in what is often called camel case, #DigitalMarketingTips, marks where each word starts. Screen readers commonly handle this much better, and sighted readers find it easier to parse too.

A few more hashtag habits:

• Put hashtags at the end of the post rather than in the middle of a sentence, so the sentence reads cleanly.
• Use only a few. A pile of hashtags is tiring to hear read aloud and tiring to read.
• Avoid hashtags that use unusual spellings, numbers in place of letters, or decorative characters.

Emoji: use them lightly

Screen readers typically read out the name of each emoji. A single emoji at the end of a sentence is usually fine. A string of ten clapping hands may be read as “clapping hands” ten times.

Some practical guidelines:

• Do not use emoji in place of words. “Call us 📞” is acceptable; “We ❤️ 🍕” forces the listener to guess.
• Put emoji at the end of a sentence or line, not in the middle.
• Avoid repeating the same emoji.
• Do not use emoji as bullet points; the bullet is read out each time.
• Remember that emoji look different across devices, so a joke or sign that relies on a specific appearance may not land.

Text-based faces and symbol art, such as arrows made from punctuation, are often worse than emoji, because they are read out character by character.

Describe images

If an image carries information, people who cannot see it need an equivalent. Most major platforms let you add a text description to an uploaded image, sometimes called alt text. Where there is no such option, you can include a short description in the post itself.

Good descriptions are short, factual and focused on what matters in the context of the post. For an image of a product, mention what it is and any detail the post relies on. For a screenshot of text, include the key text in the description or in the post. If the image is purely decorative, a description may add noise, though on social platforms it is often simpler to describe briefly than to skip. Our dedicated article on alt text covers the detail of what to include and leave out.

Avoid putting important information only inside an image, such as a date and venue on a poster. Repeat the essentials in the post text.

Keep the writing readable

Social copy often compresses ideas, but clarity still counts.

• Lead with the point. Put the main message first, because many readers do not expand long posts.
• Use short sentences and common words. Plain language helps readers with cognitive disabilities and those reading in a second language.
• Break up long posts. Short paragraphs with line breaks are easier to scan than a solid block.
• Avoid fancy fonts made from special characters. Some tools generate “bold” or “italic” text using unusual Unicode characters. Screen readers may read these as strange symbols or skip them. Use the platform’s own formatting if it exists, or leave the text plain.
• Avoid all capitals for whole sentences. It is harder to read and some screen readers treat it oddly.
• Say where a link goes. Give a brief indication of what the reader will find, such as “full guide to checking contrast”, rather than a bare URL with no context.

Video and audio in posts

Short clips are common on social platforms. If your clip has speech, add captions, and make sure any important on-screen text stays on screen long enough to read. Flashing or rapidly strobing visuals can be a risk for people with photosensitive conditions, so avoid them. Video content is covered in more detail in our article on captions and transcripts.

Colour and contrast in graphics

Many posts are graphics with text laid over a photo or coloured background. Make sure the text has strong contrast against what is behind it, and that it is big enough to read on a phone. Do not rely on colour alone to distinguish, for example, “red items are sold out”. A short checkout of your branded template at the design stage saves repeated fixes later.

Make it part of your routine

You can reduce effort by adding a small step to your social media strategy or workflow:

1. Write the post in plain language.
2. Check hashtags are capitalised and few.
3. Add an image description wherever the platform allows it.
4. Add captions to video.
5. Preview the graphic on a phone at actual size.

If you schedule posts in a tool, check that its preview supports image descriptions; some tools do and some do not. Brand voice guidance can also record these choices, such as your standard hashtag format, so that anyone who posts for you follows the same habits.

A note on engagement

It is tempting to justify accessibility by promising better engagement. Results vary and nobody can guarantee them. The more honest argument is that inclusive posts reach and serve more people, and the changes cost very little.