Gain Momentum For Your Fundraising Event Through An Online Auction

Posted by Ben Crook on 19 December 2018

Online auctions are a great way to promote and gain momentum for your fundraising event. They provide a platform to market your event, showcase your auction items and provide guests with the opportunity to start bidding on items before the event commences to raise more!

Take a look at these 6 simple ways to help boost your online auction:

1)Spruce up your design!

The design of your online auction is an integral part of the overall user experience. You want guests to enjoy navigating around your website so they continue to interact with your auction.

We would recommend that you work closely with your design team to create bespoke visuals to enhance the look of the website. However, if you don’t have a savvy design team on hand, fear not! We have a great team of developers who can create striking designs based on your event invitation, leaflet or charity logo.

An eye-catching homepage image is also essential as its the first thing that the guest will see when entering your website. Make sure that you have a high-quality image in landscape format that engages guests and gives them an insight into the charity or fundraising event.

2)Showcase your money-cant-buy items!

Ensure that your auction items stand out and encourage guests to start bidding by sourcing a wide variety of items to appeal to all of your guests. Use catchy titles and include images that display your items in their best light! Add a detailed description of the auction item and any terms and conditions so that guests know exactly what they are bidding for. Using categories to organise your auction items can also help guests to navigate their way around the site and quickly find their preferred items. You can also add live auction items to the online auction on a separate tab, giving guests an opportunity to preview the auction items before the main event.

TOP TIP: Consider selling some tickets for your next event in the auction to drive momentum for your next fundraising event!

3)Perfect your pledges!

Pledge options are a great way to boost your fundraising as they give guests another way to participate without having to compete for an auction item. Pledges are often most successful when you include a brief summary of how the money donated will be spent towards the charity’s mission. Offer guests the opportunity to donate several different amounts to support different projects for example, Donate 100 to supply textbooks for 10 children. This will help guests to engage with the charity’s goals and put into perspective how far their money will go. You may also consider adding a Donate any amount option so that guests can make their own decision about the amount they would like to pledge to the charity.

4)Utilise the ‘Additional Info Pages’

If you’re using our platform, you have 3 pages to play with so make the most of them! These can be used to provide details about your event, summarise the programme, display sponsor information or even to share stories about your charity and its cause. This can help to keep guests informed about your event and also raise awareness of the charity and its goals. The additional info pages are also a great place to promote your upcoming events to let guests know how to get involved in your future fundraising campaigns.

5) Use a prize draw feature!

You can also use your online auction site to run your prize draw, this feature is now available on Givergy’s platform. This is similar to a raffle in which people pay to enter with the opportunity of winning an exciting prize. This can act as an incentive to encourage guests on to the website and can have a wider appeal as its more affordable and offers guests the chance of winning an exclusive prize.

6) Share, share, share!

Lastly and most importantly, you need to promote your online auction! Post, tweet, share and use your contacts to spread the word and engage a wider audience.

TOP TIP: Try adding your online auction link to your charity website and also into your email signature to market your event.

To find out more about how teaming an online auction with your next fundraising event could benefit your charity and help you raise more, please get in touch. Wed love to hear from you!

Ben Crook

Chief Operating Officer

Ben is at the forefront of every project in Givergy, listing and actioning constant improvements across the business. With over a decade of experience in the charity and events sector he brings a deep understanding of what the fundraising industry needs to operate effectively and efficiently.