Communication with donors is crucial for maintaining a steady supply of blood and saving lives. Traditionally, phone outreach has been a cornerstone of donor engagement. However, as preferences change, some donors opt to be on the 'Do Not Call' (DNC) list, and others change their phone numbers, it's essential to explore alternative ways to reach and engage them. This blog post delves into creative strategies for fostering connections with donors who've opted out of phone calls, while respecting their choices and privacy.
First, if blood donors have specifically requested to be put on a "Do Not Contact" (DNC) list, it's essential to respect their wishes. Attempting to call individuals on such a list would not be ethical and would have legal implications. In the absence of marketing to these individuals via a channel outside of their preferences, consider focusing on building positive relationships and engaging with donors in other channels. Here are some alternative strategies to consider:
Engaging Social Media Presence
Social media platforms are excellent tools for reaching a wide audience. Regularly updating your organization's social media pages with visually appealing content, donor stories, facts about blood donation, and upcoming events can be really impactful in general donor engagement.
But to increase the success of your social media outreach specifically with donors that are not accessible by phone, we suggest utilizing paid campaigns targeted at custom audiences. A custom audience is an ad targeting option that lets you find your existing donors among the people on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc., and deliver ads to them. By creating a segment of donors that are not accessible by phone call because they are on a DNC list or you do not have a good phone number for them, your blood center is able to deliver personalized and direct messages to donors that previously were not receiving any marketing via traditional channels.
We launched a custom audience campaign targeted at a small segment of ‘noncallable’ blood donors for our client. In the graph below, you can see the dramatic impact on the donation rate of this segment of donors before and after the campaign launched.
When comparing donations from these targeted lists in the four months before the campaign launched to the first six months of the campaign, average monthly donations increased from 28 to 264.
Targeted Email Campaigns
Email remains to be a powerful communication channel. Your blood center can create targeted email campaigns that deliver value to donors with informative content about the impact of blood donation, success stories, and updates about your organization's activities. Ensure that your emails are well-designed, mobile-friendly, and personalized to resonate with the recipient.
By creating a specific segment of DNC donors that may not have donated in 2+ years, you can hyper-personalize the email messaging in order to create real action - blood donation.
Interactive Website
By optimizing your blood center’s website as an engagement hub, you’re ensuring that donors who might not want to be contacted have the best experience self-scheduling and hopefully gain some additional awareness of the blood center’s needs while they are there. Creating an informative and user-friendly website that provides resources, blood drive information, and ways to get involved make a big impact. Implementing interactive elements such as polls, quizzes, and surveys can help encourage additional donor engagement and feedback.
Personalized Thank-You Notes
Sending personalized thank-you notes to donors who've opted out of phone calls can be a meaningful gesture. Express gratitude for their past donations and outline the impact of their contributions. Such notes can help maintain a positive connection and potentially encourage further engagement.
An intelligent mail campaign based on gratitude and connection is a step even further in recruiting donors who don’t want to be called. We ran a split test for one of our clients that proved the positive impact of thank you’s via intelligent mail:
Mailed donors had a higher donation rate (7.21%) compared to the no-mail group (2.04%), resulting in an increase of 5.17 percentage points.
Moreover, mailed donors yielded more successful donations (208) than the no-mail group (95).
Community Engagement
Organizing events or workshops that focus on health awareness and the importance of blood donation have the ability to reach donors that have opted out of traditional donor outreach via phones. This approach helps to build relationships within the community and encourages voluntary participation without the need for a phone call.
Collaborate with Influencers and Ambassadors
Collaborate with local influencers, celebrities, or community ambassadors who are passionate about blood donation. Social media influencers have become powerful advocates for various causes, and blood donation is no exception. By collaborating with influential personalities, blood banks can amplify their message, reach a broader audience, and encourage engagement among donors, including those who've opted for other forms of communication.
We recently shared a blog post about ‘Harnessing the Power of Influencer for Blood Banks’. Read more here.
Text Messaging
Text messaging can be less intrusive than phone calls and allows for concise yet impactful communication. When you are legally able to, use text reminders about upcoming blood drives, events, and donation success stories. Ensure that recipients have the option to opt out of text messages as well.
Conclusion
While phone outreach has been a traditional method for engaging blood donors, embracing alternative strategies is essential to cater to the changing preferences of donors. By utilizing email campaigns, social media, text messaging, personalized gestures, and community events, your organization can continue to foster connections and inspire donors to participate in saving lives through blood donation. The key lies in respecting their choices and delivering value through various channels.