How It Works

Tips for Success

Organization is paramount to the ultimate success of your event

The Committee

Preparation and organization is necessary for a successful online auction. Allow for optimum planning for soliciting auction item donations, effectively advertising the Online Benefit Auction event and entering auction donations to the Auction Frogs Engine before launching the auction. Identify the committee responsibilities very clearly outlining exactly what is expected of each volunteer and time commitment. Here is a basic outline of basic responsibilities for the Online Benefit Auction committee:

Identify the dates of the online auction. Experience has proven that running a live benefit event soon after or before the Online Benefit Auction will increase the fundraising potential as well as increase the co-marketing opportunities.

Business Sponsorships and Advertisement Opportunity

Sponsorships should be explored. Having a business sponsor advertise on your home is a fantastic way to generate additional revenue. The business sponsor can drive traffic to your site adding customers to your auction and your organization will be exposed to the advertisement and likely patronize the establishment. The goal would be to acquire multiple sponsors for added revenue. The opportunity to use the donor and sponsor advertisement space comes to you as an added value with using Auction Frogs without an extra cost!

Auction Items

Just as “location, location, location” is important in real estate, “description, description, description” is important in Online Benefit Auctions. Describing the items in the online auction is vital to the ultimate success of the event and be sure to include expiration dates, specific information such as location restrictions, etc. The more details the better. Unlimited photos can be posted for each auction listing and we recommend you take as many as necessary to showcase the item. Visitors and participants in Online Benefit Auctions like variety, and it will help if you present them with a wide range of categories.

Marketing

Planning also means advertising to everyone within your organization ~volunteers to board members, administration to students, business employees to customers; make sure everyone involved is informed along the way. Remember that you can NEVER promote your auction too much. The most successful online auctions have a life cycle of 14-21 days, and well before then you need to do everything you can to advertise the auction dates and website address. Places to consider is on your organization’s Web site, on sponsors’ Web sites, through a highly aggressive e-mail campaign, Facebook, Linked In, all donor websites that contributed to the auction, fliers within the community, banners, signs, stickers and much more.

Monitor the ongoing progress

You need to be constantly vigilant of your auction’s progress. With the Auction Frogs engine, you can feature and highlight items daily and change up the display features. Automated and customized email messaging will be sent to your registered bidders throughout the Online Benefit Auction bidding period along with outbid messaging to encourage higher bids.

When it’s all over

Survey your guests. Ask them what they liked about the Online Benefit Auction and how they would like to see it improve for next year! Year after year, the auctions online will get easier based on experience and automation with communication. Your business donors will be more likely to donate knowing the benefits they received with the Auction Frogs Online Benefit Auction and your registered bidders will be familiar with the process.