How To Promote A Virtual Auction

Online auctions are a great way to raise funds for a good cause. However, they can take a lot of time and effort to organize. Without effective marketing, all these efforts will come to nothing. Taking the trouble to promote a virtual auction is, therefore, just as important as organizing the auction itself. There are many ways to promote your online non-profit auction, but we will take a look at the three most important and effective.

Optimize Social Media

Your social media platforms are the most direct, immediate, and wide-ranging methods of promotion at your disposal. Reach out to supporters, donors, influencers, and brand ambassadors, allowing your communications and hashtags to spread as far and wide as they can. You should also identify top fundraisers and tag them in your posts. Come up with a catchy hashtag for your auction and encourage its use among all your followers.

Remember to keep up your communications with all of your supporters and check your streams and newsfeeds regularly. Choose your social media networks carefully. Some platforms will be more appropriate than others. The audience you reach on LinkedIn will not be the same as that which you might target on Twitter, for example. With a complete understanding of your target audience, you can select the appropriate social media platforms and ensure that your communications are being seen by the right people.

Use Digital Storytelling

Digital storytelling is perhaps the most powerful tool for nonprofits. It involves the use of visual media to tell a compelling story about your cause and the events you use to support it - such as your upcoming auction. You should approach this story with much the same care as would be taken by a screenwriter or advertising creative. Think about your cause and its values, and then encapsulate them in a story that is engaging and moving. Develop a story arc, write a script that traces that arc, and then use visual media to realize that script. Make creative use of visual media - work with professionals if you can - and produce a high-quality video that will showcase your story effectively and impressively. A well-told digital story is sure to win potential buyers and donors over to your cause.

Share the Impact of the Auction

Another way to use visual messaging is to connect your event with the beneficiaries of your cause. Let buyers and potential buyers get a direct understanding of where the proceeds of your auctions go. These impact videos will drive online engagement and boost interest as they make the rounds on your social media networks. Select some of your top ambassadors and influencers and conduct interviews with them. You can then encourage them to share these videos on their networks, ensuring even wider exposure.

There are two ways to approach the use of impact videos: you can demonstrate the future benefits of an upcoming auction, or you can report back on a previous auction, making it clear that the upcoming event will have similar results. Either way, your choice of subject matter and interviewees is the most important factor. As with your visual storytelling, the right people telling the right stories will draw buyers to your auction.

Auctria provides efficient and affordable tools to help nonprofits and other organizations run successful nonprofit auctions. For more information on how to promote a virtual auction, contact Auctria today!