This blog comes to us from veteran Conversational Marekting Expert (CME) Jeff Wein.
As a Conversational Marketing™ Expert (CME) here at Incept, something you are undoubtedly familiar with is a blood donation.
One of the main divisions of our company focuses on the recruitment and relationship management of donors for many different community blood centers across the U.S. We know that donors come in all forms and from all walks of life. While each individual is different so is their blood type. The reasons for which that individual actually does donate blood in their community can vary too. The greater majority of individuals donating – that is, the 10% actually providing the blood supply of the 38% eligible – are doing so because they have personally had to receive blood or have had a family member close to them that required a blood product of some kind.
The most common form of donor is the autologous donor, better known as the whole blood donor. This is a volunteer that comes in and donates a standard one-pint donation of “whole blood”, which is blood like you and I know it – the red stuff oozing from cuts and other wounds. This is where an individual finds themselves with a quicker donation process, where they stop by a donor center or blood bus nearest them and roll up a sleeve. Once their bag of blood is collected, it will be set on ice before being sent off to a laboratory for testing. During this stage, the blood will be separated into the three major blood components (platelets, plasma, and red cells) and then shipped to emergency rooms and hospitals nationwide to be used as needed.
Oftentimes a bit more overlooked are the apheresis donors. They come and help with specific donation types like platelets, plasma, or red cells, which are able to fulfill specific orders and help extend a blood center’s supply.
There are many different motivators for donating single components. Donors looking to save time and come by the center less often can double their impact while helping with a red cell donation. This donation can only be made every 16 weeks, which is about half as often as a traditional whole blood donation.
Don’t forget that no matter what type of donation you end up choosing to do, you may always be asked to do something different or even told that another donation type may be more beneficial depending on need or blood type. So next time you donate, ask your local center if there is any way that you can maximize your impact by making a component contribution.