As consumer prices continue edge up and consumer sentiment edges down, U.S. consumers are weighing their options for their checkbooks. One of those options is donating plasma, a process similar to blood donation, but paid to donors at much higher rates. BioLife is one of the primary companies collecting plasma, and it also serves up a master class in outstanding donor experience using print and digital marketing.

“Donating” plasma isn’t really donation. These companies pay anywhere from $40 to $140 per visit, depending on what promotions are being offered. But the process isn’t quick, and it’s a little tedious and uncomfortable. Plus, the high promotional rates offered to first-time donors expire after the first 30 days, so the dopamine rush of being paid $100 per hour to be tethered to a machine, even to provide a life-saving gift, may not last.

Success Relies on Donor Retention

Success, therefore, relies on keeping donors willing to come back even after the promotion period ends. So BioLife’s donor retention strategy is highly proactive. What does that look like?

It starts in the donation center. The walls are lined with framed posters with the headline: “Share in the gift of giving! Together we make a difference!” Each poster has the same text, but offers images of different families, with a mix of children and parents of different ages and ethnicities.

Above the donation area is a sign saying, “Thank You for Your Donation.” In another area, it says, “This Way to Change a Life!”

One might think, “These people are already giving plasma. Why market so heavily to those who are already bought in?” Because it makes them feel good. People like to feel good. They like to feel as if they are part of something larger than themselves. Hanging lots of posters and signage is just one piece in BioLife’s larger donor retention puzzle.

Puzzle with Many Pieces

The next piece of the puzzle is text and email communications. As marketers, we are trained not to bug people too much. But BioLife donors can get four, five emails per week around setting, confirming, and preparing for appointments.

Here’s how much you can make this week! SCHEDULE NOW!

After donors have scheduled, they receive an immediate confirmation with their donation date, time, and their center’s location, along with a hyperlink for directions if needed. They receive a second email the day before to remind them. Once they have donated, donors get an immediate thank you, with another donation link.

But whether donors are scheduling their first appointment that week or their second (donors can give plasma twice per week), in-between the monetary incentive and the scheduling button is the feel-good piece: Plasma-based therapies are life-saving for those with rare and chronic diseases. But because plasma can’t be made in a lab, we rely on generous donors like you.

Personalized Offers Bring ‘Em Back

At BioLife, all communications are personalized, including pop promotional offers that increase their donation value. Hence it’s hard for donors not to open the emails because they never know how much “extra” might be offered this week.

Your center welcomes you with a special offer. Coupon valid only for [donor]. Offer good until [date].

Marketing psychology 101, and BioLife is very good at it.

BioLife regularly reminds people, too, that donating is about more than money: No matter why you donate, your gift of plasma can make a difference in the lives of so many. Emails regularly include an infographic called “The Plasma Journey” that explains to donors how the process works, where the plasma goes, and how it impacts the lives of those who need it.

Part of donor retention is making sure your donors are healthy and feel good. The process takes a toll on the body, so BioLife includes nutrition guidelines such as what to eat and how much water to drink to make the process to go smoothly.

Don’t Make Me Wait

Part of the effectiveness of BioLife’s donor retention program is immediacy. Whether it’s payment (often made to the donor’s payment card before they are unhooked from the machine), a confirmation email for their appointment, a thank you for donation, or redemption of loyalty points, BioLife rewards donors with a “no wait” experience.

They also strive to make every aspect of the process easy. Each time a donor makes an appointment, they receive an immediate email confirmation with all of the details. Need to change your appointment? There is a giant “Can’t make that time? Manage appointment” button where you can’t miss it.

Even loyalty points are easy to redeem. Just like the SCHEDULE NOW, MANAGE APPOINTMENT buttons, there is a REDEEM NOW button. Click and transfer points for money or as a charitable donation. It’s almost as if they want donors to redeem their points….

If the process could be made easier, it’s hard to see how.

What True Integration Looks Like

One can’t help but be impressed, not just how well each piece is handled, but how everything works together. When we talk about “integrated marketing” in this industry, what is often really happening is that we are sending print, email, and text marketing on the same topic, but not necessarily in a way that makes recipients feel part of the same whole.

BioLife’s communications, on the other hand, reflect what true integration looks like, each piece working together as a piece of the puzzle. There is donor education. There are financial incentives. There is personalization. There is emotional engagement and connection. Each communication has multiple pieces, but not all of the pieces. So whether you are reading the email, getting an update in the app, or reading a text, you are getting more and more pieces of the picture over time. But the picture also keeps changing, so you have to keep coming back to see what’s next.

How do you keep customers and donors coming back? Ask BioLife. The master class is still open.