Tips & Tricks
Listen to Your Audience
Compassion starts with empathy, which means working to really understand where your audience is coming from. What feelings might they be grappling with… uncertainty? Shame? Insecurity? And how will you know?
Reactively, keep a close eye on comments, direct messages and Google/Trustpilot reviews. Proactively, invite feedback, encourage questions, and always acknowledge your audience’s feelings before jumping into advice or solutions.
Action Tip & Example: When asking people to share feedback — especially when it’s about something personal like endometriosis, for example — it’s important to compensate them for their time and energy. At a prominent period company I worked for, we gave people Deliveroo vouchers or free products in exchange for their feedback. Check out this post I co-created with users about the difference between “cure” and “treatment” in relation to Endometriosis.
Keep Your Language Inclusive
Compassionate content speaks to and includes as many people as possible. Consider opportunities for inclusivity — whether that be language (e.g. ‘people with uteruses’ rather than ‘women’), accessibility (e.g. image descriptions and screen reader compatibility), and more.
Each brand, company, client or charity will have different parameters they’re comfortable with.
Action Tip & Example: Check out my post for a prominent bladder care brand about using nuanced language when speaking about motherhood.
Be Honest About Unknowns
It’s okay not to have all the answers. Many topics related to female healthcare and sexual health are nuanced, complex, and (oftentimes) under-researched. That shouldn’t stop us from creating content, but it should be made explicitly clear when there’s not enough information to speak authoritatively.
Action Tip & Example: If something’s still up for debate or the research isn’t quite there yet, use that uncertainty as a content opportunity. Check out this post I did about the frustrating lack of innovation in PCOS research.
Strike the Right Tone – Warm, Not Clinical
Your content should feel like a conversation with a trusted friend, not a sterile lecture from a doctor’s office, or being scolded by your mum. (Don’t get us wrong, the information must be 100% accurate and research-backed, but tone can be adjusted.)
Warmth, understanding, and relatability are IN ✅. Anything that could be interpreted as shame, judgment or condescension is OUT 🙅🏻♀️
Action Tip: When creating anything related to a sensitive topic, ask a colleague, mentor, or honestly… ChatGPT to give it a read through for tone. Something might sound different to an audience than it did in the writer’s head.
Acknowledge the Emotional Weight
Topics related to reproductive health, mental health, and chronic illness can feel heavy — both to those consuming the content and those writing it (👋). It can be useful to recognise that.
Action Tip: Use disclaimers or trigger warnings where necessary and remind your audience to check in with themselves. This gives people the opportunity to opt out of something they may not be in the headspace to engage with. Conversely, this allows us a pathway to broach sensitive topics such as infertility or child-loss.
These five tips just scratch the surface of how we can use content to create meaningful change. Compassionate content not only makes your audience feel seen, heard, and understood, but also delivers real, tangible results for your brand. By leading with empathy, authenticity, and care, you’ll build lasting connections that inspire trust and loyalty — turning your audience into lifelong advocates.
