How to Ensure Your Business is Inclusive Over the Holidays
Ah the holidays: the time so many people look forward to. Cozy atmospheres in shops and restaurants, social media filled with festive content, and for business owners: A great time to promote their brand and offer deals that draw in clients and customers. While the holidays are definitely a great time to get in the cheery spirit, it’s also important to remember that this time of year is different for every person. Different beliefs, the desire not to celebrate, or just a personal choice, not everyone recognizes the same seasonal celebrations as you and your business, and that is okay. In fact: it’s great! This gives you a chance to work on inclusivity and evergreen content that will work no matter the day, month, or year. These types of posts are always good to have in your back pocket, and providing a safe space on your pages and within your brand for everyone will ensure your audience continues to grow and thrive! So let’s talk about how to ensure your business is inclusive over the holidays.
If you’re wondering, “how do I remain inclusive and engaging with my community through the holidays?” We have the answers. The first thing to keep in mind is to keep your messaging neutral, avoiding specific phrases like “Merry Christmas.” Instead, swap this out for phrases like “Happy Holidays, Seasons Greetings, or Warm Wishes.” These convey a festive attitude and mindset without feeling too religion or holiday specific for those who don’t acknowledge or celebrate.
It’s also a good idea to use diverse and inclusive imagery in your posts. In the same vein, you also want to make sure you’re not overdoing it with these: There is such a thing as "Diversity Washing” which is when a business pushes too hard to represent or discuss diversity that falls outside their demographic, too, therefore making the topic more uncomfortable. Find a happy medium where all races, genders, ethnicities, and walks of life are represented as best as possible, but a place where you’re also representing your clientele properly. It sounds a little counterintuitive, but your company more than likely has a great balance, so continue in that mindset.
On the topic of imagery, avoid specific holiday elements like Christmas Trees or Santa if you are trying to be more neutral. Presents and snowy scenes are usually safe, just keep in mind that some people may still feel put off by certain images, but remember you can’t control how everyone feels all the time!
The last thing you can do to try and ensure your brand is inclusive over the holidays (and year round) is to make your settings and pages accessible to everyone. This may mean adding closed captions on videos and reels with sound, and offering alternative text for posts, emails, and newsletters.
The holidays are such an exciting and festive time, but a lot of people can feel isolated or left out during these celebrations, too. Whether they don’t participate or they have different beliefs, big holidays like Christmas can be a big deterrent for some audience members and followers. To avoid excluding anyone when it comes to your social feeds, you can simply shift a few elements to make your posts more inclusive!