With internet usage growing rapidly in Ghana, more consumers are online than ever before. In fact, the country’s retail sector is now seen as an attractive market for E-Commerce and new brands thanks to the continued expansion of modern retail, according to the Oxford Business Group’s report.
With this expansion, businesses both local and international, have been exploring the use of modern marketing strategies, such as the use of content marketing strategies in business, social media marketing, and most recently, video content marketing. As more businesses jump onto the content marketing strategy, there is a key consideration that is going unnoticed: accessibility to consumers. Accessibility in video content improves user experience and a business’s audience reach. With the disabled community accounting for over 3 percent of the Ghanaian population, ignoring opportunities to create accessible video content could be costing businesses money and customers in the long run.
Visually Impaired Population Represents A Key Market Metric
According to a past research article published in Advances in Opthalmology and Visual System and estimates by the National Age Structure, 18.8 percent of the visually impaired population in Ghana is 15-24 years old, a key market metric for video content appeal. Generation Z was predicted to command 40 percent of consumer buying power by 2020. The demographic has established itself as a must-have when it comes to conquering the marketing world.
However, a key way to market to Generation Z consumers is through video content. According to a study by The Manifest, 89 percent of Generation Zers use Youtube, while 70 percent use Instagram, highlighting just how popular visual content is with them. Failing to improve accessibility for your video content by including closed captions or audio supported content means businesses could still be missing the mark when it comes to a key market. Making visual marketing universally available is also much easier than it has ever been, thanks to a wider range of tools supporting accessibility in content, such as accessible video players and audio description tracks.
Increasing Video Content Accessibility Also Helps To Unlock Diversity
The benefits of diversity in teams and business marketing has been widely documented recently. In addition to boosting the bottom line, embracing diversity as a business improves business reputation and supports consumer trust. One of the simplest ways a business can begin to encourage diversity is in its marketing practices, including during the creation of its video content.
While most of the focus is on creating video content that is inclusive of all tribal, racial, ethnic and gender categories, businesses should also focus on putting out video content that considers the needs of less represented groups, such as the visually impaired (1.5 percent of the Ghanaian population) and hearing impaired. Accepting responsibility and tackling biases as a brand is more important than ever for today’s consumers.
As Ghana Comes Into The International Spotlight, So Does Its Business Practices
A final note on the need to drive accessibility amongst Ghanaian businesses centres on the recent surge in interest that the Ghanaian economy has been receiving. With more international companies and investors taking an interest in the economy, and eCommerce retail growing exponentially in the country, the traditional barriers of trade are quickly fading. Not only are international businesses coming to Ghana, but Ghanaian businesses are marking their mark on the international market.
With the graduation to the international scene, Ghanaian businesses will need to step up their marketing efforts to appeal to the needs of the international market. With video marketing expected to account for 82 percent of consumer internet traffic by 2022, local businesses will be hard-pressed to adapt their video content for a wider audience. This is where improving video content accessibility will play a critical part. With improved accessibility of their video content comes increased global appeal and more consumer traffic for Ghanian businesses.
Videos are everywhere. As more consumers embrace the use of video content, businesses must be ready to create video content that resonates with all parts of their market – not just parts of it. It is no different for Ghanaian businesses. Ensuring that everyone in the Ghanaian market can access the video content your business is putting out is a significant step in getting your brand seen.
Author: Briana Hilton
