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SMS For Bidders

 We talk a lot about the different resources you need to put on a perfect silent auction, or in other words, a great online event where you can sell items to the highest bidder. 

We also recognize there are a lot of different scenarios where this type of information is helpful. You might be organizing a charity-based event around a silent auction that gets attention for a given cause. Or you might be a department head at some business trying to generate an event that will drive interest in that company and its products and services. 

In some cases, there might be a more general goal and objective to put on a silent auction to eliminate items that are no longer needed, for instance, around an estate sale or some other kind of life change.

Resources and Work 

In any of these above cases, it takes work to put on a great silent auction. The silent auction is different from the traditional auction in how it works. You need to have a certain online infrastructure to make it work well. 

That’s where we come in with domain registration and more. We give you a way to start thinking about your silent auction and its digital context and putting all the puzzle pieces together.

The SMS system 

With our top package, you get access to SMS services for bidders. 

Why is this important? 

Well, because your bidders are busy people, they will be anywhere and everywhere as the silent auction goes on. 

So they want to see easy updates and notifications related to their bids and items they have bid on. 

That brings the auction to them, so to speak. 

With the top package, you still get all the other helpful extras in the other packages, and this kind of text communication is very convenient for your bidding audience. 

That’s a start on some of the help we offer: look at what we have available. 

SMS and Convenience 

When you think about it, it makes sense – meeting people where they are makes everything work better. 

That’s true for anything, but it’s especially true for any kind of enterprise. And although you might not be a company or a business, even a silent auction is still a form of enterprise. It’s also a form of people coming together to make decisions around a central event, so optimizing the planning around that makes sense. 

By easily clicking into some of our resources and services, you can reach your goal of establishing a great silent auction for your audience. That’s true no matter how many items you have, what kind of sponsorship you have, and what else is in place. Be confident about your auction event. 

 

How To Choose The Right Items For Your Online Silent Auction

Silent auctions are a popular way for organizations to raise funds for a cause while allowing donors to bid on unique and valuable items. However, selecting the right ones for your online silent auction can be challenging with so many items.

Here are seven tips to help you choose the right items for your online silent auction.

Know Your Audience

The first step in selecting the right items for your silent auction is to know your audience. Consider your supporters’ demographics and what items they would like to bid on.

For example, if your organization caters to families, consider offering items such as family-friendly vacations or tickets to amusement parks.

On the other hand, if your supporters are primarily business professionals, consider offering items such as luxury office supplies or executive retreat packages.

Offer a Range of Items

It’s important to offer a range of items to appeal to different tastes and budgets. Include items that are affordable and accessible to most bidders, as well as high-end items that will attract bigger spenders. A good mix of items will ensure that everyone has a chance to participate and bid on something they like.

Theme the Items

Another way to make your online silent auction stand out is to theme your items. Consider offering items related to a particular interest or hobby, such as sports memorabilia, art, or travel. Offering a themed auction will be more appealing to those with a specific interest and could also help you attract more bidders.

Consider the Donors

Don’t forget to consider the donors when selecting items for your silent auction. Contact local businesses and ask for donations that align with their brand and target audience. This will help you acquire unique and valuable items for your auction, promote local businesses, and foster community engagement.

Set Reasonable Minimum Bids

Setting a minimum bid amount for each item is essential to ensure you receive a fair value for the auction items. However, it’s important to set reasonable minimum bids to encourage participation from as many bidders as possible. Setting the minimum bid too high may deter some bidders from participating, and you may miss out on potential revenue.

Offer Inclusive Items

A wide range of people can enjoy inclusive items. For example, if you’re offering a vacation package, consider including options for different types of travelers, such as families, couples, or solo travelers. This will make your auction more accessible and increase the chances of attracting diverse bidders.

Provide Detailed Descriptions

Lastly, make sure to provide detailed descriptions of each item being auctioned. This will help bidders make informed decisions and know exactly what they’re bidding on. Include information such as the item’s condition, value, and applicable restrictions or expiration dates. Clear and detailed descriptions will also reduce the likelihood of any misunderstandings or disputes.

Successful Silent Auctions Through Strategic Item Selection

Selecting the right items for your online silent auction requires considering several factors. Following these tips ensures your silent auction succeeds and raises the funds necessary to support your cause.

 

 

 

4 Things Your Charity Auction Website Needs To Be Successful

Organizing a charity auction can be a great way to raise money for your cause. But, to make it successful, you need more than just good items up for bid. You also need an effective and user-friendly website that will attract potential buyers and enable them to participate in the auction easily.

As you create your own auction website, ensure it has an easy-to-use user interface, a secure payment system and clear product descriptions. Search engine optimization (SEO) elements that help people find the site quickly are also important.

Keep reading to learn more about creating a successful website for your charity auction.

 

A User-Friendly Design

An easy-to-use website is essential for a successful charity auction. Your website design should include the following features to ensure potential buyers can easily participate in the auction: 

 

  • A streamlined registration process requiring minimal steps for buyers to create an account. This makes it easier for them to participate in the auction, increasing their chances of bidding on items.

 

  • An intuitive navigation system that helps users find what they’re looking for quickly and easily. This should include a search bar to help potential buyers locate specific items more quickly.

 

  • A visually appealing design that is easy to read and encourages visitors to take action. A modern and attractive design will also help generate more interest in the auction and encourage people to participate.

Considering these factors when you create your own auction website will make it easier for people to learn about your charity auction, find the items they’re interested in, and participate without any difficulty.

 

Clear and Concise Item Descriptions

Providing clear and concise item descriptions for your charity auction website is important because it helps potential buyers understand the items and what they need to know before bidding. Include relevant photos of the items and any necessary information regarding condition or size. 

Creating your own auction website with concise item descriptions allows you to meet your fundraising goals quickly.

 

The Ability To Accept Online Bids

An important feature of any charity auction website is the ability to accept online bids. This helps. potential buyers participate in the auction even if they cannot attend in person. 

An online bidding system also allows bidders worldwide to contribute, significantly increasing the money raised for your cause. The best online bidding systems also provide real-time updates on recent bids, allowing bidders to stay up to date with the current status of the auction.

 

Secure Payment System

A secure payment system is essential for any successful charity auction website. Potential buyers need to know that their data and personal information will be safe when they purchase. 

Use a PCI-compliant payment processor that encrypts all data for added security. You should also include multiple payment options so buyers can choose what works best.

 

Ready To Create Your Own Auction Website?

We give you the tools needed to create your own auction website. Once you have this website, you can start advertising your charity auction.

 

The Value of the Four Things in Our Intermediate Package

 

 

You get a lot of good stuff with our starter package – and we’ve talked about that in the past: for example, the capability of accepting online bids in real-time, automatic receipts, being able to add your auction items or select consignment items, etc.

 

But let’s talk about the add-ons in the intermediate package that help our event planners to put together the best silent auctions they can! Because for a lot of people, this is where the rubber meets the road. We want to be one of the top places to go for this kind of assistance and to give our people peace of mind as they move forward.

 

Intermediate Package: Unlimited Items and Bids

 

It’s easy to see how you would want this feature for a good silent auction. Being limited on the number of items gives your event a hard cap that, in some cases, doesn’t work out for people. You want to get the most out of the one event you’re planning at the time so that you don’t have to go back to the drawing board and do it repeatedly!

 

Free Domain Registration

 

It’s also key to have a domain registration for your silent auction. This piece of Internet real estate is critical for any of these types of setups, and getting one for free helps with the value of what you’re putting together.

 

Customized Top Banner

 

With the intermediate package, our graphic design team will go to work for you, creating a banner that fits your theme and style.

 

This gives you a visual element and a digital interaction that you can use to build engagement and participation in your event. It’s not just a bargain-basement kind of feature, either. We put work into offering these specially curated resources for event planners to use!

 

Credit Card Processing

 

In these days of convenient payment facilitators, people want options. We’ve heard about that quite a bit from people trying to put these events together. So by offering that in the intermediate package, we’re helping you to get what you need as a one-stop shop for putting on your event.

 

That’s a little bit about what you can expect with the intermediate package for our silent auction service. Take a look at some of the existing websites for style and format tips. You can also get more information on the blog about everything that goes into your event and how people have done these in the past. 

That’s a big resource for people who are looking to get involved for the first time and build something positive. There’s simply a lot to do when you are in charge, and you wear a lot of hats! We get that – and we want to help. Take a look and be in touch.

 

 

 

Creative Ways To Promote Your Online Silent Charity Auction

Are you looking for creative ways to promote your online silent charity auction? Whether raising money for a local cause or a global one, getting the word out about your event can be challenging. Fortunately, plenty of digital marketing tactics can help you spread the word and maximize donations.

 

Last year, over $326 billion was donated to worthy charities across the United States. If you want to reach the fundraising goal you’ve set for an upcoming online silent auction, you must realize the importance of promoting this event.

 

Read on as we explore different methods for promoting your online silent charity auction!

Develop a Website To Promote the Silent Auction

Creating your own website to promote your online silent charity auction can effectively build interest and drive donations. A website will allow you to showcase the various items up for grabs and their estimated values and help build excitement around the event itself.

 

If you build your own auction website, you should create detailed pages for each item in the auction and include photos. You should also provide an overview of the cause your money will support and a list of ways donors can contribute.

 

You can also build out content pages focusing on stories related to how donations have been used in the past or what impact they had on and their purpose. This will help build an emotional bond with potential donors. You should also include an FAQ page to answer any questions that may arise during the bidding process.

Use Social Media Platforms

Social media is a powerful tool for getting the word out about your online silent charity auction. With over 3 billion active users across all social media platforms, you can build an engaged audience of potential donors and increase awareness about your event.

 

When creating a social media strategy for your online silent charity auction, it’s important to focus on the platforms that your target audience is most likely to use. Share updates about the items up for grabs, post compelling stories about the cause you’re supporting and build excitement leading up to the auction date.

 

You can also use social media ads and targeted campaigns to build brand awareness around your event.

Email Marketing is a Great Promotional Tool

Email marketing is a highly effective and efficient way to promote an online silent charity auction. It is an excellent method for reaching potential bidders and inspiring them to participate in the event. Email campaigns are also great for conveying information about the auction, such as its purpose, the items up for grabs, and how the proceeds will benefit a worthy cause.

 

To build an email marketing campaign, start by designing a catchy and informative newsletter that showcases the items up for grabs in the auction and how the proceeds will be used. Consider including images of each item and links to more detailed descriptions.

Put These Tips To Use!

Promoting an online silent charity auction can seem daunting, but with the right digital marketing tactics, you can build awareness and drive donations. Whether creating a website to showcase the items up for grabs or leveraging social media platforms and email campaigns, there are plenty of ways to get people excited about your event.

 

Your Auction: Proper Use Of Reminders And Price Settings

At Perfect Silent Auction, we think a lot about how to have the best online silent auction possible. We talk to a lot of people who are responsible for setting up these events, and maximizing what they get out of them for a cause or an organization. So we think about this process a great deal. What comes out of that is some of the best resources for people who are needing to optimize a silent auction process. 

 

Setting up and implementing an event like this can be a complex task – there are lots of details to think about and significant logistics to deal with.

 

Some people have a committee to deal with all of these issues, and others have a ‘committee of one.’

 

Either way, we can help to crowdsource ideas for silent auctions that will return the best value. Take a look, and you’ll see how easy it can be to go above and beyond with a silent auction plan. 

 

Bidding Reminders

 

So what’s the proper use of a bidding reminder?

 

We talk about this a little bit in our associated resources on the site. The idea is that you want to be able to set bid reminders so that people who have bid on objects know when they have been outbid.

 

This is the way to generate higher prices in an online auction scenario. In a real-life auction, people see that process happening in real time. However, if they’re online, they won’t see it unless they get a timely bid reminder. You only need to look at how this works on generic auction sites to see that bidding reminders are ultimately important!

 

So build that into your event footprint and think logically about how that’s going to work. Try it out – or brainstorm with a workflow chart or visualization of some kind. Then you will have a better window into what’s happening for your bidders and buyers. 

 

Price Setting

 

We also help with hints around price setting.

 

For instance, you hear us talking about how consignment items should be started 20% above any applicable cost so that there is a built-in profit.

 

Then as you use things like bid reminders to maximize price, you’re starting from a solid starting point.

 

We can also help you to think about revenue and expense templates and advertising and domains and everything that goes along with an online auction. Instead of decking out a physical sale space for a live auction event, you are investing in a digital experience for your bidders. Think and plan accordingly! Ask about what we can do to help your auction be the best it can be and if you have to do this again in the future, you’re likely to come back here for more useful ideas. 

Key Aspects Of A Successful Fundraiser

Fundraising is essential to the success of non-profit groups and organizations. From national entities raising money and awareness for causes to local sports teams and clubs raising funds for equipment and necessities, fundraising can be tricky. People are inundated with financial obligations, so hosting exciting fundraising events that are easily accessible to a range of potential donors is necessary to ensure fundraising goals are met. The key is to make your event accessible, determine your donor base and incentives for participation, and tap into your community partners for donations and marketing. 

 

When choosing the fundraising event for your club, organization, or non-profit, here’s what to consider for creating an event that will draw the most participation.

 

1) Accessibility 

For your event to produce enough funds to reach your goals, it must be accessible to a large potential donor base. Consider events that allow people to participate outside your local community, such as online silent auctions. In an online silent auction, people can join without having to be located in a particular proximity to your organization or club. For example, school fundraisers work best when students can access their loved ones and family outside the community. In this scenario, an online silent auction is accessible to anyone who may want to participate.

 

2) Donor Incentives

People often give to fundraisers without expecting to receive goods or services in return. However, to generate excitement in your cause and increase the donations you receive, consider an event that will incentivize donors to participate. You may want to have a raffle where people purchase tickets to win prizes. Raffles work well as fundraising events and take little effort or upfront cost to promote. You can have as many items as prizes or offer one excellent service or entity as the focus of your event. For best results, ask local businesses to donate goods or services to be raffled or auctioned off as prizes for your fundraiser. 

 

3) Keep The Community Involved

The more you can incorporate your community partners, the more successful your fundraiser will be. Not only can community businesses and organizations supply you with items and services for your event, but they also can be your event’s best advertisers. Each time you partner with a local business, restaurant, medical office, or service provider, you can give them materials to promote your fundraiser in their business and to their customers. Cross-promotion is a top component of a successful fundraiser, as it helps you spread the word about your cause with little to no advertising expenses. Make sure you promote the companies participating in your event on all of your marketing materials to ensure your supporters are also benefiting from their participation.

 

Final Thoughts

Fundraising for your group or organization can be fun and fruitful when considering the factors that create success. Keep your event accessible to a large potential donor base, incentivize your event for donors, and encourage cross-promotion among community partners to generate excitement for your cause and solidify community engagement. 

Silent Auctions – A Product Of Our Times

Why do people like silent auctions?

 

The answer has to do with the way business gets done these days, and how people like to approach fundraisers or projects for special causes. When you really think about it, the trends illustrate how we have developed commerce in specific ways that have an impact on our lives. 

 

First of all, take the classical auction, where the auctioneer is up on the auction block chanting away. Everybody in the audience has one of those cards or boards, and they signal their interest in real time.

 

That was a signature way to sell in the 1900s. Auction houses were all the rage, the thing of the day, and you would see them everywhere in American communities.

 

Fast forward to this century and this millennium, and you see a radically different reality. People are buying and selling online. They’re getting products shipped to them through the power of mobile commerce and responsive design – just by touching buttons on their phones. 

 

The Power of E-Commerce – and Online Auctions

 

We saw e-commerce continue to take a bite out of brick and mortar store market share over the last few decades. And as we ushered in the new millennium, we saw the Internet start to mature. All of a sudden it was possible to really see objects for sale on the Internet – to interact with sellers, and to perform more robust transactions with verifiable payment data. It wasn’t just “mail order business” anymore – remote commerce models started to look like the preferred avenue for most buyers!

 

So all of that got applied to auctions, too. All of a sudden you didn’t need to be in a room with the auctioneer. You didn’t even need to hire an auctioneer. You just used the power of the web to set up digital displays, and let the thing run. That’s pretty much where we are today – and it has unlocked a lot of potential for sellers. 

 

Tips for Modern Silent Auctions

 

We have some of the best tips on how to arrange a silent auction and implement one in your community.

 

We have tips about sponsors and donors, and tips about where to find items to auction. We have tips about collaborative work and how to brand build for this type of event. All of this helps our customers who want to promote a specific cause or idea through a perfect silent auction.

 

Really, at the end of the day, that’s what you need from a project like this. You need it to be perfect. But if you’ve never put on this sort of auction before, how do you know the ways to get to the result that you want? 

 

Take a look at all of the resources that we have available to make your silent auction all it can be. 

 

 

How To Boost Participation In Your School Fundraiser Event

Today, many parents shudder at the words school fundraiser. Unfortunately, the stress associated with school fundraisers can prompt many parents only partially to participate. A lot has changed through the years that have caused parents and communities to dread school fundraising season, making it increasingly difficult for schools, clubs, and athletic organizations to raise the funds necessary for their programs. 

 

Fundraising is more important than ever as governments and school boards continue to cut funding to our local schools. Special activities, field trips, celebrations, and other events are unfortunately cut from schools. To ensure that our students and children get the most out of their educational experience, we must understand the motivation behind the lack of participation in fundraising events and how to bring parents and donors back to the drawing board. 

 

A Tough Economy Means Less To Donate

The volatility of our economy has made it much tougher to ask friends and family for their financial support for school fundraisers. Considering that students’ primary donors for fundraisers are their parents, tighter family budgets mean less spending on items and products that are not essential. 

 

Hectic Family Schedules

Parents and caregivers are stretched thin with hectic schedules. With so many single parents as heads of households, parents often don’t have time to go door-to-door with their children or make phone calls asking for support. Schools must consider the type of fundraising event that will work best for their school community.

 

Fundraising Fatigue

Parents often have more than one child in a school system, so they have to double down on the number of fundraising events to which they donate their time and money. While most parents, teachers, and community members understand the need for school fundraisers, they get burned out with fundraising fatigue. To boost fundraising efforts, schools must find new ways to encourage participation and excite their base. 

 

Value For Donations

With the increased amount of inexpensive shopping options today, it is hard to ask family and friends to purchase more expensive items for fundraisers. Schools must consider options that are of value to their potential donors, whether it is selling products, services, or experiences.

 

Bringing The Community Together 

If schools approach fundraising events as ways to bring the community together, they will likely see positive results. More than simply selling products, schools can plan events that parents, teachers, and community members can participate in that raise funds and promotes the school, club, or athletic team. 

 

Silent auctions are popular school fundraisers as they engage the students with community partners like local stores, restaurants, and service providers who give items to be auctioned. Not only will the businesses be promoted within the community for their involvement, but community members will be more likely to participate if they see exciting services and goods for them to bid. 

 

Planning a school fundraising event that benefits the students, school, and community is one way to keep people engaged in your cause and eager to help next time. 

 

Accessible, Virtual And Successful

 

There are three words that we like to associate with our Perfect silent auction platform.

 

They are as follows – (and as mentioned in the title) – accessible, virtual and successful.

 

We even have an interesting graphic on the landing page where we see these three words substituted for one another.

 

That’s because they’re important to us in the design and engineering of our auction website, and showing people how auctions have changed in the age of new technologies.

 

Accessible Auctions

 

Simply speaking, you want people to be able to reach your auction from wherever they are.

 

In some ways, it’s sort of similar to the GoFundMe phenomenon, or to crowdsourcing a startup – being able to bring people in digitally is a major achievement for some kind of cause or organization. That’s where the silent auction comes in. Many of these event planners are working off of a sort of vague goal and idea and wondering how to achieve the kinds of results they need for an auction.

 

The features and formats that we put in the auction site lead to accessibility for a wider audience, and that really delivers value to people who need to put these kinds of auctions together!

 

Virtual

 

As mentioned, this vaults your auction into a virtual space in a real way that you’re going to experience when thigs get going. 

 

People aren’t really attuned to the global metaverse yet, but experts suggest we might be going there with web3 and a decentralized Internet and all the rest. For now, though, transformative platforms are the vanguard of a virtual experience, and we’re pleased to be in that category.

 

You’ll see when you browse the site the kinds of virtual tools that we provide to make your auction more of a virtual experience.

 

Successful

 

Of course we want our auctions to be successful. Why not?

 

But there are a number of components to this.

 

You can see a lot of this on display as you browse the site – in addition to notes on how to set up the digital auction itself, we have abundant resources on how to get items to auction, and how to attract sponsors and much more. Every step of the way you need these logistics to work well for you to make your auction all that it can be.

 

Thinking about all of this, you might get inspired to build your own auction on our platform. Use the resources we have available and get connected to a professional partner that can help you to do what you want with a silent auction. By setting up a kind of one-stop shop, we have allowed lots of newbies to get seasoned on how to conduct a silent auction well, and how to support their chosen cause or company.