By Marike Carli
A lapsed donor, defined as someone who previously donate blood, but hasn’t done so in a year or more, presents an opportunity for re-engagement. Last year’s lapsed donor campaign yielded remarkable success, prompting us to embark on a similar endeavour once again. In our previous campaign, we reached out to 22,016 donors via email, resulting in 784 donors returning to donate blood, equating to a commendable 3.6% return rate.
On Tuesday, 13 February 2024, we sent out emails to 20,676 donors in the hopes of getting in contact with them. The email contained six different options that could be clicked on each triggering a different reaction.
Of the recipients, 6,295 (30.4%) opened the first email, with 1,660 engaging by clicking on one of the provided options. Subsequently a second and third email were sent and in total 13,453 (65.1%) recipients opened the mails and 2,997 engaged with us. We received valuable feedback:
- 1,285 (6.2%) donors expressed a desire to remain on our database, indicating their intent to donate blood in the future.
- 483 (2.3%) donors sought assistance in locating a convenient blood donation clinic.
- 489 (2.4%) donors expressed uncertainty regarding their eligibility to donate.
- 406 (2.0%) donors updated their personal information, ensuring accurate records.
- 185 (0.89%) donors relocated outside the Western Cape and required updates to their profiles.
- 99 (0.5%) donors reported negative experiences, allowing us to address and resolve any issues.
In the month, after the campaign went live, 338 donors returned to donate blood again. By strategically engaging lapsed donors through targeted email communication and offering various response options, we’ve successfully reignited their passion for blood donation.
