How To Make An Online Auction Entertaining

Online auctions are a vital fundraising tool - an easy way to attract donations to your cause while also providing things of value to your supporters. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced more fundraising auctions into the digital realm, presenting challenges to organizers who want to keep donors interested. However, virtual auctions aren’t always the most exciting events, are they? They can be relatively dry, uninspiring and functional. Since it is becoming more and more challenging to hold people’s attention in the online space, it is essential to make your virtual auction as engaging as possible. Here are a few tried and tested tips that will help you make an online auction entertaining.

Communicate

Communication is key to almost every successful endeavor, online auctions included. As you set up your auction, or make the challenging move of taking a real-world auction into the virtual space, you need to make a point of communicating clearly and regularly with your donor network. Tell them what you are doing and why, how they can continue to participate, and how it will be fun for them to do so. The shift to a virtual platform must be presented as a positive, progressive shift, not a second-choice alternative made in response to worries and restrictions. Tell your donors how the virtual auction can be even more enjoyable than a real-world one. Be sure to keep them posted as the auction develops.

Promote Everything

As you get the auction up and running, you must ensure that your donors are up to date with every bit of development. Every bit of news must be announced via email or social media, with an invitation a call to action so that donors can take a look or take the next step. Whenever new items are posted, when biddings open or close, or when someone makes a new bid that is just begging to be topped by another bidder, post the news, mail it, promote it.

Get creative

Why not think out of the box and turn your auction into an experience for your donors? You could combine the virtual and the real world by, say, sending gift bags to your donors prior to the event, just as you might hand out gift bags as guests arrive at a physical auction. Try creating a private Facebook page where attendees can connect with each other and your staff. You could also send out text and email messages before the event to encourage participation - then continue sending messages throughout the event itself. Get together with your team and brainstorm more ways to encourage and reward participation. There are many ways to turn an online auction into an enjoyable event for all involved.

Auctria provides efficient and affordable tools to help nonprofits and other organizations run successful nonprofit auctions. For more information on how to make an online auction entertaining, as well as other expert virtual auction tips, contact Auctria today!