#BloodDonation: How European Blood Banks Use Social Media to Reach Donors and Non-Donors

In recent years, social media has become increasingly central to the communication strategies of non-profit organizations. While the body of research on social media use in philanthropy is extensive and growing, it predominantly focuses on monetary donations. Studies examining the role of social media in facilitating non-monetary contributions, such as blood product donations, remain fragmented and lack a comprehensive perspective. This study addresses this gap by exploring how European blood product collection institutions (short blood banks) use social media to engage with donors and non-donors. Drawing on 22 interviews with communication specialists from 13 countries, we examine communication objectives, strategies, content types, performance measurement, and emerging trends and practices. We are contextualizing our findings within the broader intersections of non-profit communication, medical communication, and donor behavior, and provide actionable insights for practitioners and a foundation to bridge academic research and practice. These findings are not only useful for blood banks but are broadly generalizable to other non-profit contexts.