BLOGCATALOG.COM ENCOURAGES DIALOGUE PROMOTING DONATION

Appealing to Bloggers
BLOGCATALOG.COM ENCOURAGES DIALOGUE PROMOTING DONATION

24 UNOS Update January–February 2008 BY MANDY CLAGGETT

In today’s high-tech world, so many things are being achieved through the Internet. Politicians are using social networking sites to gain popularity and get their message out. Online yard sales are the norm, and bills are paid with the click of a mouse.

The transplant community also has a presence online; OPOs, transplant centers, advocacy organizations and others have informational websites. A few have sponsored vigorous online campaigns promoting donation. But blogging? Not so much.

Exchanging opinions
A “blog” (short for “web log”) is basically a journal or newsletter that is available on the web, updated frequently (sometimes daily) using software that allows people with little or no technical background to update and maintain the information.

Visitors to a blog can read the content and offer their own commentary, which frequently begins a dialogue. (The activity of updating a blog is “blogging” and someone who keeps a blog is a “blogger.”)

Last summer, BlogCatalog.com, a social blog directory, launched a social- awareness campaign challenging its members to blog about the importance of organ donation.

Bloggers were asked to post a blog explaining how organ donation is the gift of life and then ask all of their readers to register as a donor.

Almost immediately after the appeal was made, bloggers all over the world began writing about the numbers of transplants needed and how the black market should be stopped. Some shared personal stories about how loved ones had benefited. Others simply included general information about donation and transplantation, which in turn got their blog buddies talking about the subject.

Not everyone, however, was so eager, to promote the cause. The decision to register as a donor —or not to register —is personal, even emotional, they said. Some bloggers felt they didn’t know how to start the discussion.

Encouraging the dialogue
Not wanting the campaign to be derailed, BlogCatalog then posted various story ideas to help bloggers understand why organ donation is important, additionally offering several story lines they could consider.

This extra push helped members warm up to the idea, and the campaign took off (see “What They Said,” right).

“We continue to be amazed by the outpouring of support our members extend toward social-awareness issues, especially this one, because the choice is so extremely personal,” said Antony Berkman, president of BlogCatalog.

“Since the very first post on the topic, we have seen a number of discussions come out of the dialogue,” Berkman said.
As bloggers, blogger buddies and others began to write about donation, media coverage followed.

According to Copywrite Ink. a strategic communication and writing services firm, in the days following BlogCatalog’s campaign, organ donation stories on the Internet appeared to increase by 10 times the average number. In addition, organ donation stories in daily and weekly newspapers all over the world increased from an average of one of two stories per day to more than 30 stories per day. *

Although there is no authentic way to evaluate the success of the campaign, the buzz generated by bloggers and media alike spread the word about donation across the globe.

Those involved hope that all of the efforts and hard work that BlogCatalog and their members put into the campaign will help to motivate people to sign up to be an organ donor.

“And all proving,” BlogCatalog president Berkman said, “that social media can be used for good.”

Mandy Claggett is the media specialist at UNOS and a contributing writer.
*Copywrite Ink. explained that it uses various search engines to track media coverage

The following are a few (unedited) excerpts from discussions on blogs following BlogCatalog’s campaign. “I would without question donate. I don’t know, it is kind of like the last great thing you can do.” —Denny, Bolt, W.Va. “I had absolutely no idea about the additional steps required to be an organ donor, thinking that the SA drivers’ license would be enough. I’ve signed on now, though!” —Kath, South Australia “I, for one, am a great believer of the power of blogging as a tool for creating awareness campaign for any sort of advocacy activities for development.” —Dessie, Kuwait “Organ donation is a choice, of course it is, but it is the RIGHT choice. Anything I could do to help make it known, do count me in.” —Fritz, Manila, Philippines