Alt text

What is alt text?

Alt text (alternative text) is a written description of an image that appears in place of the image when it cannot be displayed, or is read by screen readers for users with visual impairments. 

It serves as a text alternative that conveys the essential information and function of an image, making content more accessible to everyone, including people using assistive technologies. 

Alt text also provides contextual information to search engines, contributing to better image indexing and improved SEO performance. This practice is an important part of social media optimization and creating inclusive content.

Why alt text matters for social media marketing?

Alt text has evolved from a basic accessibility requirement to an essential component of effective digital marketing.

The dual purpose of alt text

Well-crafted alt text serves two crucial functions:

• Accessibility: Makes visual content available to users with visual impairments, temporary technical issues, or slow internet connections
• Search engine optimization: Helps search engines understand and properly index image content, improving discoverability and supporting your overall SEO strategy

These complementary benefits make alt text implementation a best practice for all digital marketers, regardless of their primary audience.

Accessibility benefits

Alt text is a fundamental component of inclusive digital marketing:

• Screen reader compatibility: Enables assistive technologies to convey image content to visually impaired users
• Situational accessibility: Helps users in environments where images can't be viewed (poor connectivity, data conservation)
• Legal compliance: Helps meet accessibility standards and requirements in many jurisdictions
• User experience improvement: Creates better experiences for all users, regardless of abilities
• Audience expansion: Reaches the estimated 285 million people worldwide with visual impairments

Creating accessible social media content demonstrates social responsibility while expanding your potential audience. This approach aligns with broader social media etiquette and best practices for digital communication.

SEO advantages

Beyond accessibility, alt text provides significant search benefits:

• Image search visibility: Improves chances of appearing in image search results
• Contextual understanding: Helps search engines interpret image content and relevance
• Keyword opportunities: Provides additional placement for relevant search terms
• Content comprehensiveness: Contributes to overall content quality assessment by search engines
• Ranking factors: Serves as one of many signals search engines use to evaluate content

Proper alt text is particularly valuable for platforms like Pinterest, where image discovery drives significant traffic. This practice complements other technical SEO efforts to improve your content's discoverability.

Alt text best practices across social platforms

Different social networks have unique approaches to alt text implementation.

Platform-specific alt text functionality

Understanding each platform's capabilities helps optimize your approach:

Instagram alt text

Instagram offers both automatic and manual alt text options:

• Access path: Add in advanced settings when creating a post or edit later via the three-dot menu
• Character limit: Approximately 100 characters (though can vary)
• Auto-generation: Instagram creates basic AI-generated descriptions if none provided
• Edit capability: Can be added or modified after posting
• Special considerations: Particularly important for Instagram reach as it affects discoverability

Detailed guidance on implementing Instagram alt text can help maximize both accessibility and engagement. This is especially important when considering Instagram algorithm factors that may use image understanding in content distribution.

X (Twitter) alt text

Twitter provides straightforward alt text functionality:

• Access path: Via the "ALT" button that appears when adding an image
• Character limit: 1,000 characters (though best kept concise)
• Visibility indicator: "ALT" badge appears on images with alt text
• Multi-image support: Can add different alt text for each image in a carousel
• Availability: Supported on mobile apps and web interface

Understanding Twitter best practices helps ensure alt text contributes to overall content performance. When combined with effective Twitter marketing strategy, proper alt text can enhance both accessibility and engagement.

Facebook alt text

Facebook combines automated and manual alt text approaches:

• Access path: Click "Edit" on the photo and find the "Alternative Text" option
• Auto-generation: Automatically creates AI-based descriptions
• Override capability: Manual descriptions replace automated versions
• Business page focus: More robust options available on business versus personal profiles
• Interface variations: Different paths on mobile versus desktop

Effective alt text contributes to overall Facebook engagement strategies and can be an important part of your Facebook marketing strategy. When scheduling posts using a Facebook scheduler, be sure to include alt text as part of your content preparation.

LinkedIn alt text

LinkedIn's professional focus makes clear image descriptions particularly valuable:

• Access path: Click the "Add alt text" option when uploading an image
• Character recommendation: Keep under 120 characters for best results
• Business context: Focus on professional relevance in descriptions
• Article integration: Available for both regular posts and article images
• Profile considerations: Important for profile and banner images

These descriptions support overall LinkedIn content strategy by making content more inclusive and discoverable. They are especially important for B2B social media strategy as accessibility is increasingly a consideration in business relationships.

Pinterest alt text

Pinterest's visual search nature makes alt text especially important:

• Implementation method: Added through the "Add alt text" option when creating pins
• SEO impact: Heavily influences pin discoverability
• Connection to descriptions: Works alongside pin descriptions for context
• Character guidance: Be thorough but concise (typically under 500 characters)
• Keyword relevance: Particularly important for search visibility

Effective alt text is crucial for Pinterest marketing strategies and discoverability. It can significantly impact your ability to make money on Pinterest by improving content reach.

Scheduling tools and alt text

Managing alt text across multiple platforms benefits from specialized tools:

• Bulk scheduling capability: Add alt text while preparing multiple posts
• Cross-platform consistency: Maintain accessibility across all networks
• Workflow integration: Build alt text creation into content development processes
• Team collaboration: Allow multiple contributors to add and review alt text
• Analytics integration: Track performance of posts with well-optimized descriptions

ContentStudio's publishing features support alt text implementation across multiple platforms from a single dashboard. Using a comprehensive social media management tool that supports alt text can streamline implementation while maintaining accessibility standards.

Writing effective alt text

Creating valuable alt text requires understanding both accessibility needs and marketing best practices.

Essential components of good alt text

Focus on these key elements when writing alt text:

• Accurate representation: Truthfully describe what appears in the image
• Core purpose communication: Explain why the image matters in context
• Conciseness: Keep descriptions brief while including essential details
• Front-loading: Put the most important information first
• Context consideration: Reflect how the image relates to surrounding content

These principles ensure alt text serves both accessibility and marketing functions effectively. When creating shareable content, proper alt text increases the potential audience for your material.

What to include in alt text

Prioritize these information types in your descriptions:

• Subject identification: What/who is the primary focus of the image
• Action description: What is happening in the image
• Environmental context: Where the action is taking place, if relevant
• Visual characteristics: Important colors, styles, or arrangements that convey meaning
• Emotional content: Expressions or moods that are central to the message

These elements help screen reader users understand both the content and intent of images. This thoughtful approach to content aligns with broader social media content strategy best practices.

What to avoid in alt text

Steer clear of these common alt text mistakes:

• "Image of" or "Picture of" phrases: Redundant as screen readers already identify it as an image
• Keyword stuffing: Forcing excess keywords harms user experience and can trigger spam filters
• Unnecessary details: Information not relevant to understanding the image's purpose
• Promotional language: Sales copy that doesn't describe the actual image
• Duplicating caption content: Repeating information already available in surrounding text

Avoiding these pitfalls creates more useful descriptions for both users and search engines. These principles also align with general social media etiquette and best practices for creating engaging images for social media.

Alt text for different image types

Adapt your approach based on the specific type of image:

Product images

Focus on key selling points and visual details:

• Product name: Clearly identify the item
• Key features: Highlight distinctive visible features
• Color and design: Describe relevant aesthetic elements
• Context of use: Show how the product appears in use, if applicable
• Perspective: Note if showing specific angle or detail view

These descriptions help potential customers understand products they may not be able to see visually.

Infographics and data visualizations

Communicate the key data insights:

• Chart type: Identify the visualization format
• Primary trend: Highlight the main data story
• Data points: Mention key figures or comparisons
• Time period: Include relevant timeframes
• Data source: Note the source if it adds credibility

Well-crafted alt text makes complex data accessible to all users.

Team and profile photos

Balance personal description with privacy considerations:

• Professional context: Describe the setting and purpose
• Group composition: Note the number of people and general arrangement
• Relevant identifiers: Include names for public figures or with permission
• Professional elements: Mention relevant uniforms or work environments
• Facial expressions: Note if particularly relevant to the context

These descriptions help build connection without overstepping privacy boundaries.

Memes and humor content

Convey both visual elements and intended humor:

• Reference identification: Note if based on a known meme format
• Scene description: Describe the visual elements
• Text content: Include any text overlaid on the image
• Joke context: Briefly explain the humor without over-explaining
• Emotional tone: Indicate if satirical, celebratory, etc.

This approach ensures everyone can participate in lighthearted content.

Conclusion

Overall, alt text is a simple yet powerful tool that enhances both accessibility and SEO, making it an essential component of any social media marketing strategy. 

By implementing well-crafted alt text across platforms, businesses can improve user experience, expand their audience, and boost content discoverability. Consistently using alt text ensures that your content remains inclusive, impactful, and optimized for both users and search engines.