How to Encourage Supporters to Get Involved in Your Auction

You may have an exclusive guest list lined up for your charity event, although this does not always translate to quality bidding activity. To maximise audience engagement for your event there are certain steps you can implement to boost the funds raised for your auction:

• Auction item selection. A major factor which hinders bidding interest at auction is the items themself. Selecting auction items that are attractive to your audience is vital, attendees are unlikely to bid in the auction if the lots are not an item they would generally purchase for themselves. If you are struggling to obtain attractive auction lots take a look at our auction lot catalogue: https://fundraising-auctions.co.uk/auction-lots/ 

• Display and visuals. Having an aesthetically pleasing display in the room will draw interest from guests who might have previously ignored the auction. Attendees will often take the time to view the items on the display, and it becomes a topic of conversation between guests which leads to more interest being taken in the auction. 

• Planning your auction services. It can often be beneficial to have simultaneous types of auctions or fundraising activities at your event; however careful planning of these services is crucial. Silent and Live auctions work fantastically well alongside each other at charity events, however if you keep these running at the same time they can cause conflict. If your Silent Auction is still open during the time the Live Auction opens, guests are less likely to bid as they are unsure if they have been successful in the Silent Auction. If you close the Silent Auction prior to the Live Auction, your attendees will be aware of their wins/losses, which will free up funds for the Live Auction.

• Announcements and reminders. At charity events, the MC will usually explain the auction services available and how they operate at the beginning of the evening to guests. Throughout the evening, once other activities have taken place you will often find that the auction is not on the forefront of the audiences’ mind. By making regular announcements throughout the evening in regards to the auction, this will ensure that bidding activity is continued throughout the evening, as doesn’t shortly stagnate. 

• Leaderboards and updates. For interactive auctions, the use of leaderboards displayed around the room can be incredibly beneficial for bidding engagement. Leaderboards give you the ability to feed constant real-time updates of the bidding activity from other guests to your audience, acting as a source of entertainment for your guests and prompting them to join the auction action. 

To speak to one of our consultants for advice on auction services, contact us on 01273 311433.