SMG Tip Archives | Page 4 of 5 | Solutions Marketing Group

SMG Tip: Use Social Media to Reach Consumers with Disabilities

April 14, 2015

Social media has changed the connectivity landscape for people with disabilities. Why? Because it fosters social relationships, ease in transacting business, the ability to become part of trusted communities that address everything from gaming to health and Social Security. With increased reliance on smartphones, consumers with disabilities are able to effectively use this life-enhancing tool with ease, anytime, anywhere.

For organizations wanting to reach consumers with disabilities, using social media as a platform is very effective. Some of the pros from www.socialmediaexaminer.com have outlined ways to use social media platforms and SMG would like to share a few tips with you, adapting them to the disability market. They are:

1. Go Deep, Not Broad

Rich Brooks says that when it comes to social media, businesses should go deep, not broad. It’s better to become a master of one or two channels than flounder in many.

When you look at social media channels, a good model is to break them into social platforms vs. social networking sites. Social platforms are like soapboxes; they allow you to establish your expertise and credibility, but provide a method for feedback and discussion. Examples include blogging, YouTube, podcasting and SlideShare.

Social networks are more like a real-world networking event. Think about Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and possibly Pinterest. It’s best to research which segments of the disability market are using social platforms v. social networking sites most and develop the strategy to reach them there.

When reaching consumers with disabilities it’s beneficial to choose one platform and one network to focus on initially, and really develop a deep engagement level with your ideal customers there. As you master those channels, you can then start to expand into others.

2. Get the Attention of Influencers

Reaching the influencers of people with disabilities is just as important as reaching consumers themselves. These are parents, therapists, bloggers, disability advocates, caregivers, community based professionals, assistive technology specialists, and others. They are the ones who often times are researching products and services, trying to find ways to make the person/people they serve lives easier. SMG suggests a balanced mix of social platforms and social networking sites.

3. Create Loyalty by Participating in One-on-One Dialog

People with disabilities devour online content since it can often be a lifeline to connect to information on products, services, medical conditions, educational options accessibility, travel destinations – you name it. Consumers want to hear from trusted sources prior to making a purchase and they also rely upon valuable content and insights across your social channels by participating in two-way dialogue on the right channel.

If you find that the Deaf/HOH segment is most active on Twitter, or congregates in a smaller forum, join that platform and be transparent by participating in one-on-one dialog.

You can actually ask your customer directly online how they feel about a particular topic. Learn about their pain points, what they like, don’t like and take those insights and apply them to better your business. Do not pose broad questions to everyone, but home in on specific individuals who will yield a higher response rate.

Perhaps your content can solve some of the issues your customer faces. For example, if you’re a cruise line and you know that a segment of your target audience includes slow walkers, using canes or scooters, for shore excursions, you may want to provide tips to them to help with navigating specific sites at island stops. This will simplify your customers’ vacations and create loyalty.

If you’d like to learn how to understand, penetrate and retain the disability market using social platforms and social networking sites, contact the SMG Team for a 30-minute discovery call to gain further insights. To schedule, send a message to cbeaty@disability-marketing.com.

SMG Tip: The Numbers May Be Bad, but You Can Be an Agent of Change

March 24, 2015

11.2%. That’s the current unemployment rate for Americans with disabilities¹.

If any other demographic group in the U.S. had this unemployment rate, there would be outrage. But that is not the case when it comes to employing people with disabilities.

Many companies say they are equal opportunity employers but their actions around disability employment don’t indicate that they’re doing enough to chip away at this unemployment rate. Further, the numbers don’t indicate that people with disabilities are employed at the same level as the general population. Why is this the case? More than likely there are people with hidden disabilities working in your organization, however many of them haven’t disclosed their disability for fear of being treated differently or limiting their advancement. When there’s a culture of disability inclusion, people are not fearful to disclose they have a disability.

How can your organization take necessary steps to ensure that people with disabilities are a factor in the diversity equation? SMG offers a few insights to help your organization create a culture of disability inclusion.

Be honest: It’s imperative that companies assess what active steps they’ve taken to recruit individuals with disabilities. Does your company have an Employee Resource Group? A senior leader who champions disability inclusion? Do you provide training to HR staff and hiring managers? When your company highlights D&I are people with disabilities included?
Listen: The best way to understand the experience of employees with disabilities, or those impacted by disability with a child or loved one, is to talk openly and honestly with them about their experiences at the company. Conduct internal listening groups of employees impacted by disability. This forum has to be safe for participants to freely share. This valuable input will help inform the overall recruitment plan.
Plan: Creating a disability recruitment plan will provide you with a the road map for your organization to actively recruit people with disabilities. To be successful, it’s imperative to have a budget and staff to support the implementation of the recruitment plan. Additionally, input for developing the recruitment plan should come from cross-functional internal teams, with active engagement from senior leaders.
Publish success: In focus groups completed by SMG, respondents indicated that one of the primary ways companies demonstrate their commitment to people with disabilities was by actively recruiting and hiring them. They also shared that robust employment efforts provided a resounding demonstration of corporate commitment, which strengthened the brand’s equity. SMG suggests that publishing disability employment success in internal communications, as well as externally, will show that the company’s walk and talk align.

Now is the time to galvanize the internal teams within your organization to develop and implement an inclusive disability recruitment plan. If you’d like to learn more about how to create a culture of disability inclusion, contact the SMG Team for a 30-minute discovery call to gain further insights. To schedule, send a message to cbeaty@disability-marketing.com.

¹ U.S. Department of Labor, February 2015

The Value of Partnerships

March 10, 2015

So often disability organizations want to partner with corporations but they’re uncertain about how to create meaningful and substantive relationships with companies. The best they can offer is putting a logo on a program or website. That’s not enough.

In order to get attention from corporate partners, it’s important to talk to them the way they’re used to. And, it’s imperative to add value as much as you can. Here are a few tips to strengthen the relationships with corporate partners:

Ask the right questions. Ask questions to understand their business priorities, what the company is doing to place emphasis on diversity and inclusion, and how it’s building a pipeline of talent.
Understand your value. Many times disability organizations are so focused on getting a program funded or a sponsor for an event, they overlook the opportunity to use assets like their mailing list, an event, or webinar series to help their corporate partners build a relationship with consumers.
Use your expertise to help advance the partner’s goals. Some disability organizations have mastered training, eLearning, or social media. Be prepared to take whatever your organization has mastered, and offer it as a service that furthers business goals.

If you’d like to learn more about how to build relationships with corporate partners, contact the SMG Team for a 30-minute discovery call to gain further insights. To schedule, send a message to cbeaty@disability-marketing.com.

The Power of Family and Friends

March 3, 2015

There are 70 million families in the United States and the Census Bureau indicates that a third of those are impacted by disability. That means that a little more than 20 million families have a loved one with a disability. There are more subtle shifts in these numbers as 1 in 68 children born in our country are on the Autism Spectrum. This requires infrastructure and social supports in our communities at unprecedented levels, which reinforce equity of education and opportunity.

Why is this information important for businesses to know?

It’s important because it can translate to sales. There are an estimated 56.7 million people with disabilities in the U.S., with an aggregate disposable income of $544 billion. Friends and family comprise 105 million people with disposable income at $3.9 trillion. Companies who employ, serve and market to people with disabilities and their families reach a large and powerful market, which is more than 2 times the size of the tween market, with more than 4 times the spending power.

Families and friends witness the lives of people with disabilities and understand what they encounter daily. They often become passionate advocates and are ready to share about the value of the person they love. There is unlimited opportunity for the company looking to reach this market.

There are a number of things your company can do to target family members and friends. Here are just a few:

Go where they are: The quickest and easiest way to find family and friends of people who have disabilities is to go where they are: school systems, disability-specific groups, blogs, and non-profit agencies.
Find out what they need: By completing qualitative and/or quantitative research you will hear not only what is important to this important group of consumers, but what services would enhance and add value to their lives.
Speak to them directly: Build facilities and services to support them well. Walt Disney World has built in several accessibility features into the rides, as well as the property for family members to tend to the personal needs of their loved one in a most discreet manner. Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines has provided value-added for people with mobility disabilities, and has recently been awarded the designation of Autism-Friendly Cruise Lines by the group Autism of the Seas.
Tell it! When your company has made enhancements to provided services and products to people with disabilities and their families, do more than issue a press release. Advertise on disability sites, and reach out to the disability media, establish partnerships with disability organizations. And share what the latest innovation is, repeatedly.

When a company successfully targets families and friends of individuals with disabilities most assuredly they will not only have a lifelong customer, but also an ambassador who will gladly share about their experiences with other families. Word of mouth has more influence that promoting products and services in ads. Receiving an endorsement from a peer, who has managed similar disability circumstances, builds a credible connection that shapes how consumers know, like or trust your company.

To learn more about reaching family and friends of people who have disabilities and the money your company is leaving on the table, contact Celeste Beaty at the Solutions Marketing Group, at cbeaty@disability-marketing.com.

SMG Tip: Communicate Authentically

February 17, 2015

Companies that are champions of multicultural marketing do their homework to understand how to create resonant messaging that inspires consumers to respond by liking a page on social media or purchasing products in the store or online. Their ads tell consumers how the products can be a solution for avoiding pain or deriving pleasure. Messaging to people with disabilities and their families is no different.

In order to effectively connect with consumers with disabilities and their families, what’s conveyed must be clear, inclusive and highlight relevant feature that address barriers. Most importantly, it must be honest and authentic, as consumers are very discerning at identifying companies that lack a sincere commitment to the market. SMG’s clients, that have been the most successful, have used our recommended approach to developing messaging:

Interest/Inspirational – This creative approach is intended to leverage emotions and generally strongly appeals to the general market.
Integrated – Includes messaging that integrates the individual with a disability as just one of the employees/friends/family members. They aren’t ‘special’ or patronized in any manner.
Feature Focused – This approach to creating messaging highlights valuable features that may appeal to the market. Many of SMG’s clients utilize this approach.

Within the past 2 years there’s been a rising trend to include disability themes in commercials, digital and social media, fashion and in print. Follow the leadership of Duracell, who featured Derrick Coleman of the Seattle Seahawks, the first Deaf player in the NFL who was Super Bowl bound. Guinness Beer’s commercial that included a group of able-bodied athletic men playing wheelchair basketball with their friend who used a wheelchair full-time, received millions of YouTube views and critical acclaim. Retail giant, JC Penney included mannequins that were taken from actual molds of people with disabilities as part of its ‘When it fits, you feel it campaign.’ The company received acclaim from the mainstream and fashion media for being inclusive. The key to success is allowing your brand’s essence to connect with the market.

If you are interested in learning how to communicate your company’s commitment to the disability market in an authentic way, leading to building a strong relationship with consumers, contact the Solutions Marketing Group at info@disability-marketing.com.