How to Use Alt Text on Social Media (+ 5 Best Practices)

 How to Use Alt Text on Social Media (+ 5 Best Practices)

Adding alt text to your social media posts not only makes your content more accessible — it taps into an audience of over 7M people. We spoke to social media strategist and accessibility advocate, Alexa Heinrich about five alt text best practices you can implement right now.  

Table of Contents

• What Is Alt Text?
• 5 Best Practices for Using Alt Text on Social Media
• How to Use Later’s Alt Text Tool for Social Media

 

What Is Alt Text?

Alt text (alternative text) is an invisible description that can be read aloud through a screen reader device. This lets users understand what’s happening in your content — without being able to see it. 

Why Is Alt Text Important?

 

Without alt text on your social media posts, it can make your content inaccessible to those who have a vision impairment or experience blindness. And while social media alt text features aren't new, Alexa says that most creators and brands don’t make (proper) use of them.

5 Best Practices for Using Alt Text on Social Media

Here are five alt text must-knows to create quality, accessible social media content: 

1.     Keep It Simple

2.     Avoid Emojis

3.     Don’t Prioritize SEO

4.     List Important Information First

5.     Use Closed Captions & Audio Descriptions

 

#1: Keep It Simple

Alexa’s ultimate alt text tip: keep it simple.

“I've seen posts packed with keywords with no discernible purpose outside of being keywords, photographer credits, hidden messages, links, hashtags — all sorts of stuff,” she recalls. 

#2: Avoid Emojis

For users who have visual impairments or experience blindness, emojis in alt text can become overwhelming — especially when using a screen reader. 

#3: Put SEO on the Back Burner

While alt text does impact discoverability, Alexa says operating with an SEO-first mindset is a big no-no. “It’s worth remembering that the alt text field is for accessibility,” says Alexa. “Think: ‘How can I make this experience better for everyone who’s engaging with my content?’”

 #4: List Important Information First

Like a good news story, disability advocate and creator Higher Priestess urges us to list the most important information first when writing alt text. 

#5: Use Closed Captions & Audio Descriptions

In the age of short-form video content, Alexa says to prioritize accessible video and audio posts in tandem with alt text. Case-in-point: closed captions are more useful than you may think. “From people with learning disabilities to those in noisy environments — captions make video and audio content accessible for everyone,” Alexa explains.  

How to Use Later’s Alt Text Tool for Social Media

Good news: Later just made it easier to add alt text to your Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, and LinkedIn posts.

 Step #1: Select Content From Later’s Media Library

Open Later’s web app and click on the photo and/or video from your Media Library that you want to add alt text to.

Step #2: Access Later’s Alt Text Feature 

Tap “Edit” beside “Alt Text” to describe your chosen image. Click “Update” to save the alt text:

Step #3: Optimize Your Post

If you want to Create a Post now, remember to write your caption, insert hashtags, choose the date and time you’d like the post to go live, and click “Schedule Post”.