Six Tips for a Successful Auction
By Whit Hunter
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1. Engage your network
It’s hard to do it alone! Leverage your network at each stage of the process from securing items to spreading the word and even bidding when the auction goes live. Task board members, colleagues, family members, volunteers etc. with specific ways they can help and you will see great results. People often want to help, but just need to be engaged with specific requests.
2. Gather High-Impact Items
The best auctions have a healthy mix of quality and quantity. You want to have enough items that everyone could find something to bid on, while also making sure the items you have are desirable. The better the items, the more money you will raise! We’ve put together a list of item ideas to help get you started.
3. Use clear imagery and descriptions
Help your items pop off the screen with enticing imagery and engaging descriptions. When possible, use imagery to sell the experience, not just the item. For example, if you have a gift certificate to a fly-fishing shop, choose images of people fly-fishing, not just the logo of the shop.
4. Set the right timeframe
When setting the timeframe of your auction, you want to provide enough time for your network to really engage but not so much that it drags on. While we’ve seen successful auctions with various durations, we have found that somewhere between 7-14 days is typically a sweet spot for the highest performing auctions.
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5. Start the bidding low
It might be scary to start the bidding for a $1,000 item at $100, but it really pays off. When you start the bidding low, you maximize the number of people who will bid on the item. As competition and consumer psychology kicks in, people end up bidding over the item’s value because they want to win! You also maximize the sheer number of people participating – which is great for donor engagement!
6. Spread the word (and then do it again)
One of the benefits of an online auction is that anyone can participate! Get the word out to your community, both near and far, to draw the most eyes to your auction. Use email, social media and your website to build interest and then follow up when the auction starts, at the midpoint and when it is ending, while featuring different hot items on social media along the way. The more you communicate, the better your auction will perform!

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