As a non-profit organisation, knowing how to run an online auction can have many benefits when it comes to fundraising. Charity auctions have, for some while, been a popular means of fundraising, with a proven track record as effective fundraising events. And, like a great many things, they’re not immune to digitalisation. Especially following the Covid-19 outbreak, online platforms have become increasingly popular for the auction format, both for bidders and charities.
However, we recognise that for those yet to foray into the field of digital auctions, it can be a daunting prospect, so we’ve put together this guide to help you know how to run an online auction for charity.
Are Online Auctions Worth It?
In short, yes!
Whilst a traditional auction is nice, and the nostalgia is a bonus, online auctions could be a useful feather in your fundraising cap. They reach a wider audience than would be possible with a physical event, and given that supporters can place their bids at any time, from anywhere, they’re far more flexible for both donors and charities. You have the power to extend bidding and add new items, and there are no venue expenses or hassle. It’s a great means of streamlining your auction.
How To Run An Online Auction Fundraiser
There are a few things you’ll need to get started: a range of auction lots, a bidding platform, and a timeline for how long your event will run.
1. Choosing the Right Auction Software
To start putting your auction together, you’ll need to find suitable software. The ideal auction software should be easy to use on all platforms (mobile, tablet, desktop etc.), otherwise, you run the risk of excluding potential bidders from your auction, even if unintentionally.
Another key software feature to consider is real-time notifications. It’s important that you’re able to effectively and efficiently update participants on the progress of the auction, in particular when they’ve been outbid, or if they’ve won when the bidding closes. This is a crucial part of keeping your audience engaged.
A streamlined checkout process and receipt system is also valuable feature to look out for in whatever software you choose for your online auction. This means collecting payment information quickly and conveniently once bidding has closed, the capacity to handle multiple transactions at once, and an automatic invoice facility.
2. Creating a Product Catalogue
Once you’ve chosen your software, it’s important to have your catalogue of items in order. Ensure you provide a range of high-quality images – this is an important component, as bidders won’t be able to see or touch the items up close in the same way they would in a traditional auction. Additionally, detailed descriptions go a long way.
Try to think outside the box when deciding what you will be auctioning. Not all prizes have to be physical items, and all the better if they’re not something readily available to buy elsewhere. You could offer unique experiences, tickets to events, or signed memorabilia. Artwork is always popular, as are travel packages. If you’re unsure how to procure items, reach out to local businesses and major donors. Work on building partnerships – your auction provides unique promotional opportunities and increased corporate social responsibility, so there’s every reason for companies to get involved.
3. Promoting Your Virtual Auction
With the groundwork laid, you can get to the promotional work. Mass email and text campaigns are a great way to raise awareness at the click of a button. It’s also a great way to implement a segmented marketing strategy too – this way, you can send targeted messages to your supporters based on things like engagement history, donation history etc.
Social media is also a great advertising tool. Social platforms are a powerful and effective tool for spreading the word quickly to your following, and have the added benefit of potentially reaching a broader audience.
Whatever your strategy, it’s always a good idea to start promoting before your auction goes live, with relevant communications getting increasingly specific as the auction date approaches. You can introduce auction items one at a time in the days leading up, or link to the entire catalogue. However you choose to do it, it can be a great way to boost anticipation.
Paid advertising is always worth considering too. Google ads can get word out to a broader audience, and if you’re on a limited budget, resources like the Google Ad Grant provides free advertising credits to eligible organisations. Promotion shouldn’t be something you overspend on, but it’s always an excellent idea to have a number of marketing strategies at work at once.
4. Running Your Online Auction
All that’s left is to run your auction. You should already have decided upon a timeline for the duration of your auction – at the least, when you plan to open it, and when you plan to close it. It’s worth continuing to market your auction whilst it’s actively running, perhaps by reminding your audience of the limited time left, or by adding new products to your catalogue partway through and advertising these accordingly.
You also ought to have a solid plan in place for once bidding closes. This means a plan for packaging and shipping items efficiently, and a follow-up strategy, to thank donors for their participation, and informing them of next steps (when they’ll receive their item, who to contact if they have concerns etc.).
Running Your Online Auction
Once you’ve done all of these steps in our how to run an online auction guide, there’s nothing more to it, except to sit back and let the donations come in.
As an additional tip, it’s always a good idea to keep an eye on what works well for your auction, and what you consider lacking, so that come next time you’ll know where to focus your efforts, and what to streamline – it’ll be second nature in no time!For more tips, tricks, and advice, follow our Superstars blog.
