Blood donation engagement through digital communication: a case study of the national blood center
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59476/mtt2026.v1i22.769Keywords:
blood donation engagement, prosocial behaviour, NGO, case studyAbstract
Blood donation remains an insufficiently sustained and continuous process worldwide, despite its critical importance in saving lives and supporting medical treatment. As blood cannot be artificially produced, blood centers rely entirely on voluntary donors, making effective public engagement a strategic necessity. The blood donation engagement can be defined as a prosocial behaviour.
The aim of this research is to analyze digital communication practices in relation to blood donation engagement, using the National Blood Center (NBC) in Lithuania as a case study. The study approaches blood donation engagement from an organizational (company-centered) perspective.
Several research methods were applied. First, a scientific literature review was conducted to identify the theoretical foundations of engagement and digital communication in the non-profit sector, with particular emphasis on the importance of prosocial engagement. Second, a quantitative and qualitative content analysis of NBC’s social media communication was conducted to identify the most frequently used social media platforms and assess engagement.
The conceptual analysis identified the importance of digital communication for blood donation engagement. Prosocial behaviour, including blood donation, makes it particularly important for blood centres to select appropriate digital channels to reach relevant groups effectively. The quantitative and qualitative content analysis revealed NBC’s commonly used social media channels, engagement metrics, content formats, topics, and post nature. Additional external tools were used to determine the nature of the social media content and audience reach.
The analysis of NBC's social media communication, including mentions in news portals, provided an overview of actual blood donation engagement activities and their real impact.
Digital communication channels have become an indispensable tool for nonprofit organizations to interact with their target audiences and engage them in socially significant initiatives, such as blood donation.
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