Accessible Storytelling: How Emotional Impact Drives Inclusion | Mike Barton | 320

This episode dives deep into digital accessibility—why it’s more than just ticking a compliance box and how it can unlock business growth, improve user experience, and amplify engagement across your B2B SaaS company.

Jeff Mains chats with Mike Barton, VP at AudioEye, about transforming digital content and experiences to be truly inclusive. Together, they explore practical strategies for simplifying messaging, overcoming the “curse of knowledge,” leveraging AI as a creative partner, and using storytelling to create content that resonates with and includes everyone.

If you’re looking to scale your SaaS, boost SEO, or just build a business of significance, this conversation is full of actionable wisdom.

Key Takeaways

00:00 Inclusive Content Creation Strategies

05:59 Emphasizing Digital Accessibility Awareness

09:36 Unlocking a $13 Trillion Market

10:28 Accessibility: A Revenue Opportunity

15:51 Digital Accessibility for All

19:50 Simplifying Content for Quick Impact

22:29 "Storytelling Enhances Data Impact"

24:30 User Experience Roadblocks Analogy

30:27 Pre-Demo Decision Influencers

33:49 Collaborative Storycrafting in Business

36:40 Creating Unified Brand Narratives

38:29 Engaging Brand Storytelling Techniques

43:56 AI Enhances Content Creation Efficiency

45:39 AI Clarifies Better Than Humans?

48:58 Free Accessibility Site Scan

51:18 Streamlining Growth: AI to Storytelling

Tweetable Quotes

Digital Accessibility Matters: "This isn't about just checking a compliance box. It's unlocking your full audience potential and improving the experience for everyone, not just those with disabilities." — Mike Barton

"But here's the kicker. Simplifying content, ditching jargon, and designing with clarity not only helps users with visual, cognitive or mobility challenges, it boosts your SEO, increases engagement, and actually converts better." — Mike Barton

Viral Topic: The Power of Emotion in B2B Storytelling: "data informs and emotion transforms." — Mike Barton 

Why Simplicity in Web Design Matters for Everyone: "Simplicity sells, simplicity scales." — Jeff Mains

Quote: "Well, the first place it goes wrong is that there is no overarching brand story or narrative. You just have a bunch of content islands that exist across all your channels that are telling different stories." — Jeff Mains 

Quote: "Most people are shocked to find how many issues exist on their site and how difficult it is for a person with a disability." — Jeff Mains

SaaS Leadership Lessons

Empathy-led Leadership:

Lead your content, teams, and company by keeping customer experience at the forefront, especially for those often excluded.

Challenge Default Thinking:

Don’t treat accessibility as a compliance task—see it as strategic growth and innovation opportunity.

Simplify Relentlessly:

Precision beats paragraphs. Prioritize clarity in your messaging for every audience segment.

Make Others the Hero:

Elevate your users’ journey and outcomes, not your brand’s accolades.

Leverage Team and Community Feedback:

Build a creative "brain trust" for testing and refining ideas—it’s never a solo act.

Embrace Technology with Humility:

Use AI not to replace the human touch but to supercharge your team’s abilities and your content’s impact.

Guest Resources

[e-mail]

www.audioeye.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/omnibarton/

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