Social media websites can be an effective way to market online

An appeal for bone marrow donors on Facebook has shown how effective marketing on networking websites can be, it has been suggested.

Using social network sites to advertise could be a possible way for companies to send their message out to target audiences as well as using email marketing.

Parents of 22-month-old Iona Stratton made an appeal on Facebook to find a bone marrow donor for her.

Altogether 6,892 members joined the group on the social network site and a donor was found.

Media and PR manager for UK Transplant, Richard Tibenham said: "Individual stories are very powerful stories - and they may act as a spur to register on the Organ Donor Register."

He added that having a Facebook profile is a way to explore as many avenues as possible within resources to access people's attention.

Some of the information that had to be included for this online appeal included a mention of the NHS donor registration, how to join it and encouragement for people to tell their friends about the campaign.

UK Transplant is a NHS organisation which helps make sure that organs are donated in a fair and unbiased way to patients needing a transplant.