8 Raffle Mistakes to Avoid

If you've read through some of our marketing resources and have a strategy in place, you should already be in pretty good shape to make this raffle a success.   

Even if you have your strategy, a content calendar, and your checklist completed, there are still mistakes that could happen.   

The best way to avoid them, is to know what they are.   

1. Not completing the raffle page  

Throughout the raffle, you are directing all of your traffic to this page. It is the place to tell people why they should purchase a ticket to support your cause. If you've brought someone to the raffle page, you still have to convince someone to make the purchase, so treat it as a landing page. 

2. Not telling people about the RAFFLE 

This may seem like a no-brainer, but it happens! If you inform people about a raffle in a newsletter or by putting something small up on your website, no one will know about it! You have to tell everyone you know and MORE about the raffle.  

3. Not telling people about the cause 

People are purchasing a ticket to support the cause or a chance to win a prize (or both!). Failing to inform people about where their money is going will certainly deter people. Fill in this information on your website and raffle page.  

4. Not telling people about the prize(s) 

As we said before, people are purchasing a ticket to support the cause or a chance to win a prize. In many cases, people need something to be 'in it for them' when making a decision to donate their money. If you don't motivate people with what they can win, then you will have a harder time convincing them to make the ticket purchase.  

5. Not sending emails 

Email marketing is the most powerful way to drive ticket sales. When you launch your raffle, it is important to send an email focusing on JUST the raffle (meaning the raffle announcement is not buried in a newsletter). This helps establish credibility for the raffle and generate excitement about this new way to raise money.  

6. Not making the link accessible 

Even if you have done a good job of letting people know about your raffle, if they can't find the link, it doesn't result in ticket sales. You must attach the link in your posts, emails, and have a button on your website. It should be attached to your cover photo, pinned to the top of your pages, and in the links in your bios. The easier it is to find, the more likely it is someone will go there to buy tickets.  

7. Posting the same content on repeat 

It is great to have a nice promotional image for your raffle, but you need more than that. If you attach that same piece of content with all of your posts, people will tune it out and your feed will look awful. Outline the points in your raffle you will want to capitalize on and plan out the content you will need accordingly.  

8. Thinking an online raffle sells itself 

An online raffle certainly makes it easier to raise money compared to traditional raffles, but it still requires promotional work. If you took the time to read this, you are probably prepared to put in that work.  Refer to our additional marketing resources to help you prepare for it. 

We wish you the best of luck with your raffle and remember to have fun with it.