Facebook wants blood, but not because they are dressing up as vampires for Halloween. Instead, the company is helping blood donors in India match with those in need. Starting Oct. 1, which is India’s National Blood Donor Day, Facebook will start asking its users to sign up as blood donors. Users can sign up, tag themselves as donors in their profiles, and share with friends to encourage them to do the same. Facebook will then work to connect donors to hospitals and blood banks and those in need.
According to Facebook’s post about the new feature, when individuals or organizations are in need of blood, they’ll be able to create “a special type of post with all the information donors need.” Then, Facebook will automatically notify blood donors who may be nearby to help spread the word. Donors who want to help can get in touch via WhatsApp, Messenger, or a phone call.
The move comes in response to what Facebook realized was a dire need in the nation for blood donations. “People are using Facebook literally thousands of times a week to look for blood donors,” Hema Budaraju, a Facebook product manager, told CNN. In response to that need, Facebook decided to help raise awareness about the important issue and hopefully get more people in India to donate blood. “[W]e want to make it easier for people and organizations to give and receive blood,” Facebook wrote.
Recognize your brand’s excellence by applying to this year’s Brands That Matter Awards before the early-rate deadline, May 3.
