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Have you ever heard the term 'actions speak louder than words'? I thought so. I find this term can very often relate to marketing. Your marketing mustn't just 'say' what you're selling and who it's for, but it must show them through your choice of wording, colours, images, placement, etc.
It is important to show that your business is open and welcoming to a diverse range of people, not funnelling down one specific route and excluding people who might love to be a part of your business, but after 'checking you out' feel that maybe it's not the place for them because of their race, gender identity, sexuality etc. No one should be made to feel this way and it can be damaging to your reputation if you portray this image, even if you don't mean to!
I have been speaking with my amazing client, Emma Bright, Owner and Principal of Embody Dance, with her wonderful husband, James. They have been running their dance school for almost 15 years with inclusivity being the driving force behind it, and I'd love to share their message with you.
Emma started the school after feeling that dance could only be fully enjoyed by those with money. Emma was fortunate to attend one dance class a week as a child, but felt dishearten to watch a friend of hers progress her training at prestigious academy's because her families wealth opened doors to endless opportunities.
Their mission is to give EVERYBODY the chance to dance and have built and incredible reputation for Embody as an inclusive dance school, accepting all ages and abilities into their school, with a heavy focus on children and adults with SEND.
Emma tells me how it has been incredibly important to represent their school accurately in their branding and marketing, from including diverse photos on their flyers and banners of different gender identities, race and ethnicities, people sitting as well as standing, and making sure they promote their inclusivity in the same way through photos and videos on their social media platforms. They look carefully at the wording they use, making sure it is open and welcoming to all who read, and even down to the clever creation of their logo and brand name, Embody, so uniquely designed with their passion for inclusivity at the heart of it all.
EleVAte is so happy to be supporting Embody with their automation and admin needs to keep their business running smoothly and professionally so they can continue to focus on the incredible school they have built, and the wonderful human beings they have in it.
How can this blog help you?
I recommend taking a close look at the material you're puting out, reading every sentence, looking at the colours you use and the images you include, evaluate and note down ideas on how you can include diversity across your branding and marketing. This will help you decide if you need to adjust things slightly moving forwards. By making sure you're representing your business as an inclusive environment, you could welcome in an amazing new audience which you've been missing without even realising.