Rachel Grocott, social media consultant, Happy Social Visit the CharityComms website to view slides from past events, see what events we have coming up and to check out what else we do: www.charitycomms.org.uk

1. BUILDING A
BLOODY GOOD CONTENT
CALENDAR FOR SOCIAL

2. 3 years ago: a personal
Facebook status
Now: a registered charity,
partnered with 40 drop-in
centres

3. WHAT IS BLOODY GOOD PERIOD?
DELIVERY
ACTIVISM
AWARENESS

4. PERIOD POVERTY
A lack of access to period products.
Compounded with a lack of informed choice of products and menstrual
education.
Increasingly we use the term MENSTRUAL EQUITY – describing a society
where everyone can participate fully, regardless of whether they bleed or
not.

5. DELIVERY
We supply menstrual supplies to asylum seekers, refugees and
those who can’t afford them.
Partnered with 40 drop-in centres.
Over 1000 people per month, over 6000 products given each
month.
Asylum Seekers from all over the world.
LGBTQ people living in poverty.
People resettling after prison release.
Homeless shelters and other projects.

6. THE PEOPLE WE WORK
WITH
Most asylum seekers do not have the right to work in the UK and so must rely on state
support (not benefits.)
Cash support is currently £37.75 per person, per week = £5.39 a day for food, sanitation
and clothing.
Many report having irregular and heavy periods due to the stress and trauma of being a
refugee.
Period poverty means people going without appropriate supplies, using
tissues/socks/rags – with a range of emotional, physical and social consequences.

7. ACTIVISM
We use our platform to spread awareness of
“period poverty” within the asylum seeker
community, and to campaign for menstrual
equity for all in the UK.

8. AWARENESS
We talk about periods.
We educate about periods.
We normalise periods.

9. Social media underpins all of
these

10. BLOODY GOOD SOCIAL
All platforms have grown hugely in the last 12-18 months
e.g. Instagram – 33.8K followers, 128% growth vs LY
Twitter and Facebook not as huge but still very strong
Increasing levels of engagement.
All organic.
Most importantly, translates into real-life support.

12. How has this happened?

13. BORN ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Gabby Edlin volunteered at a drop-in
centre for asylum seekers and
realised no period products were
being given out.
She posted on her personal Facebook
page, asking for friends to send her
supplies.
The rest is… ongoing!
Photo: Bronac McNeill

14. AND STILL CENTRAL TO…
… raising our profile
…building a community of supporters
…recruiting volunteers
…normalising periods
…celebrating menstruation
…donations donations donations! (pads and pounds!)

15. KEY BLOODY GOOD THINGS
aka the cornerstones of our
content calendar

16. OBJECTIVES
Build awareness – of the issue, of our work
Build a community of like-minded supporters and volunteers
Get donations.

17. HUMOUR

18. HUMOUR
From euphemisms to
embarrassing stories… periods
can be pretty funny.
Way of relaxing people and
opening up conversation.
(We also use humour for our
flagship fundraiser – Bloody
Funny.)

19. SHARED EXPERIENCE
“Who can relate?”
A shared experience… that’s
typically not talked about.

20. BRAND
We know our brand and we’re not afraid to
use it!
Be bold and unapologetic, in your face –
cut through the noise of social media.
Also down-to-earth, approachable and
relatable.

21. TONE OF VOICE
Swear words are in our brand guidelines
(as being A-OK)… because we need to
grab our (public) audience’s attention, but
also because we are angry.
We don’t have time to mess around and
not talk openly and clearly about periods.
Not without its risks!

22. MOVEMENT BUILDING
The power of giving – especially
tangible products.
Amazing ‘love notes’ – people
connecting to people.
Providing ‘social proof’.
Saying THANK YOU!

23. PERIOD POSITIVE
Celebrating menstruation as
something normal, healthy,
sometimes funny or weird…
but something that can and
should be positive.

24. ARTART

25. ARTART
Pride 2019 by Natalie Byrne

26. ART
Pad party by Jules O’Connor

27. ART
Inclusivity by Natalie Byrne

28. ART
Bleeding by Camilla Nasholm

29. ART
Sponsor a Period by Molly Jameson

30. ART
Creative Network – incredible art by artists who donate their time, passion
and skills to BGP.
Aim: to create bold, passionate, personal, informative art and infographics
which helps us achieve our objectives.
Works through a mix of:
▪ Briefs from BGP plus artists’ own ideas
▪ BGP guidelines plus artists’ creative expression

31. AUTHENTICITY
It’s definitely not Insta-glamour – but it is
(some of) the reality of our work.
Followers love seeing behind the scenes.
Helps to create a community that people
want to be part of.
Also a great way of using functionality such
as Instagram Stories.

32. AUTHENTICITY
Also a way of really bringing the
organisation to life.
We’re currently going ‘behind the
bloody scenes’ by showing what
the tiny BGP office looks like,
who’s on the team, etc.

33. VOLUNTEER-CREATED
CONTENT
I’ve never been to a Safestore shift….
this content is all sent by volunteers (via
WhatsApp) – who know what works on
social.
They’re all equipped to gather the content
(smartphones) - and inspired to do it!

34. MENSTRUATION = WEAK
TABOO
(Sally King)

35. WHAT WE DON’T DO

36. THE PEOPLE WE WORK
WITH
No pictures, no interviews,
no sad women → happy women with a pad
“Even hearing you say the word “period” feels traumatic
to me”

37. …. Making all of the things
above even more important

38. BLOODY PRACTICALITIES
I have, for each platform:
● A high-level monthly plan
● A detailed weekly plan.
Each plan is informed by:
● Optimal posting levels (or what we guess to be optimal!)
● Analytics – when audiences are online and what they’re receptive to
● Our objectives and plans – what we need to say and what’s most
important
● Using all the things I mentioned above in order to create a varied,
genuinely interesting and engaging calendar of content that our followers
want to engage with.

39. PRACTICAL THINGS
My personal rule of thumb: only ask for something once a week. The rest of
the week, give far more than you ask for.
Ad hoc posts, retweets and Insta Stories throughout the week.
Engagement.
FAQS.
All bearing in mind the overarching things that make our social media work –
for our audiences and for BGP.

40. Questions?

41. THE BLOODY PRACTICAL BIT

42. What is the most
authentic/brave/funny/
powerful piece of social
media you could do for your
organisation?

43. What’s the objective?
What would the message
be?
What does it look like?

44. TAKEAWAYS
Know your objectives.
Know your brand.
Define what makes social media work for your organisation and your
audience.
Work out your overarching principles/pillars (my ‘Bloody Good Things’).
Be authentic (e.g. don’t try to be funny if that’s not in your organisation’s
DNA)
Use your people. Are they digital mavens - or could they be inspired?
Translate that into a plan.
Do it!
Keep learning.
Do it again!

45. Thank you,
have a bloody good rest of
the day!

46. Twitter: @bloodygood__ • Instagram: @bloodygoodperiod • www.bloodygoodperiod.com

47. The charity digital
conference
20 November 2019
London
#charitydigital
Sponsored by

48. Visit the CharityComms website to view
slides from past events, see what events
we have coming up and to check out
what else we do:
www.charitycomms.org.uk