Whether you are an individual or a community, a silent auction is a great way to raise funds. If organised correctly, an auction can help hosts generate money to support the cause. Whether you are running an auction for the first time or you are an experienced auction host, it’s always good to keep a few ground rules close to you.
While planning and strategizing an auction, you will need to establish some fundamentals on how to run an auction, and this post will help you gather the required tips and ideas on turning your next auction into a successful one.
When it comes to auctions, the most common image that comes to mind is of a place filled with guests and auction attendees, participating in a live auction, being hosted by an auctioneer who is calling out loudly for bids placed.
As much true-to-life as this scene is, the times have changed. With the pandemic accelerating shift to online-first, digital events, even auctions have been changed to meet the need of the times and trends. Gone are the days of loud, busy and bustling auctions, because these days, silent auctions are the new favourite way of raising funds.
If you are planning to raise funds, now is a good time to get going with a silent auction. Before getting started, here are some must know tips and tricks to turn your auction into a successful fundraising event.
- Form a Committee: As a first time host, it can be overwhelming to run and host an auction. To solve this, form an auction committee of members and volunteers who relate to your cause and are willing to extend help and support towards raising funds.You can allocate specific tasks and activities to members of your silent auction committee, which will help you manage and stay on top of everything.
- Choose Wisely: Whether you are a first time auctioneer or an experienced host, the success of your auction hinges on what auction items you choose. Think before you set up an auction list. Consider the guest list and know their interests to identify the right auction items. You can also reach out to local places, organisations and museums to solicit for donations.
- Use Bid Sheets: To run silent auctions, you need bid sheets. Bid sheets are printed papers where each auction item is listed and using these sheets, guests can place their bids for the desired item silently. Ideally, you should hand over multiple bid sheets, where bid increments can be captured. Speaking of bid increments, you should specify a minimum increment amount which guests can place.
- Promote Extensively: To turn your auction into a successful one, you need to promote it extensively. Use social media platforms to raise awareness about your auction. You can also promote your fundraising event in local areas and communities through posters and flyers. Think of creating a story around your auction cause, and use that as a hook to entice and attract guests for your auction.
- Gentle Reminders: People are busy and it is highly likely that your guest list is also filled with busy people who probably have many auctions and fundraisers to attend. This is why it is important to send reminders to your guests periodically. If you have their email address, then it can be the right medium to remind them before the auction date. If you have the contact details, then ask your guests if they’d be okay receiving notifications via SMS about important auction details.
- Use Technology: In the modern age, technology has simplified every aspect of our lives. Silent auctions have also been transformed for the better with technology. You can easily host, organise and run a virtual auction today with an online auction platform or mobile auctioning app. Tech based auction platforms will help you to organise everything in a single place, and manage your auction from anywhere.
Now that you know the basics of running a silent auction, the next step is to get started with the real work. Remember – you don’t have to do everything on your own, and it helps to have a solid plan and well-defined strategy on how to host your auction.
For those who think hosting an auction can be overwhelming, luckily, there are solutions to help. You can choose to host your next auction virtually with an online auction platform like Charity Auctions Today. But why does it make sense to choose such a platform? Let’s find out the advantages of going fully digital with your next auction event.
With Charity Auctions Today, you get the convenience of hosting your auction, displaying auction items on a virtual storefront, managing guests attendance, sending automatic reminders, managing payments and a lot more in one platform. Isn’t that amazing? Well, if you are ready for hosting silent auctions, then it’s time to check out Charity Auctions Today and take advantage of their simple, seamless and secure online auction platform meant for beginners as well as pro hosts.
