Around 8 in 10 Americans play the lottery, including raffles, which shows how popular it is.
Hosting the ultimate raffle is essential for engaging potential clients and raising brand awareness. But, if you’re new to hosting raffles, it’s overwhelming figuring out where to start. Perhaps that’s why you’re here; you want to learn the basics and are searching for inspiration.
Hit the nail on the head? No worries, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s how to run a raffle.
Check Local Laws and Regulations
Before learning how to fundraise, familiarize yourself with local laws and regulations. This will determine whether you can legally host a raffle; otherwise, you may suffer a penalty or fine. In some states, raffles fall under the lottery category, which means you’ll need a specific license or permit to run.
Assemble a Team
A team is essential when running a raffle because you’ll need help spreading the word. Reach out to reliable people in your network as it will reduce the risk of theft and ensure your raffle is successful. It’s important to note that if you’re hosting a virtual event, you’ll only need two or three volunteers as the site does the heavy lifting.
Once you’ve got your crew, decide how many raffles you want to sell. You should also know how much to sell each ticket and create a realistic timeline so that participants have enough time to buy their tickets.
Brainstorm Gift Ideas
Every successful raffle competition has great prizes up for grabs.
Figure out whether you’d rather treat participants to an experience or a tingle prize. Ideally, you’ll choose a prize that’s relevant to your client base. For instance, if your audience loves music, give out a free instrument or tickets to a local gig.
Get the Prizes
Once you’ve decided on the prize, create a list of potential contributors where you’ll get it. Reach out to vendors, businesses, and board members, so you can land a dream raffle prize. Also, during the planning stage, figure out how many prizes you’ll need to prevent any disappointment.
So, for example, if you’re giving away 10 prizes, compile a list of 30 vendors to contact. Although that sounds like a high number, you don’t want to advertise your raffle without any prizes secured.
Print Raffle Tickets
Next, it’s time to print your raffle tickets. Make sure you know how many to print and come equipped with a design so that you create a great first impression. Note, you can save a fortune when you buy printed tickets in bulk.
And don’t worry if you have little design experience, simply reach out to a professional graphic designer and they’ll create custom-made tickets.
Create a Raffle Web Page
One of the top fundraising tips is creating a robust web page. Contact a developer who has experience with competition web design and they’ll do the heavy lifting. During the designing stage, it’s important to mention why you’ll host the raffle, the prizes, and how participants can join.
You should also add plenty of images of the prizes and test that the site is easy to use so that viewers stay on the page.
Distribute and Track Ticket Sales
Designate a manager who will oversee the distribution as it will streamline the selling process. Arrange a meeting where you figure out how to track raffle ticket sales to prevent overselling tickets. If you’re relying on multiple people to sell tickets, remind them of the deadline and check in to ensure they’re successful.
Encourage Your Team
A good rule of thumb is to connect with your team once a week. This will keep everyone excited and determined to shift raffle tickets. You can even offer a prize to the person who sells the most as an incentive.
Generally, individuals should sell 25 tickets each and this should be considered the bare minimum.
Advertise Your Raffle
Prioritize advertising methods to raise awareness of your raffle. Leverage your social media presence by giving followers regular updates and generating a buzz by posting attractive images of the prizes. You should also add a ticket sales widget so it’s easier for buyers to get involved.
Hosts should also leverage local events to reach a larger audience. This could be a children’s sporting event or a community meeting where you’re guaranteed, interested participants. Also, not everyone will want a prize, so allow them to donate to your cause instead.
Hold the Draw
When the deadline finally arrives, bring everyone together and hold the draw. You should have a large box for the ticket stubs and mix them thoroughly once a prize has been won. If you’ve got a range of items, start with the cheapest and work your way up.
Once drawn, ask your team to award the prizes. You should also keep hold of the pile of ticket stubs and compile these into an email mailing list.
Follow-Up With the Participants
A week after the raffle, send a thank-you note to everyone who participated. You should also send one to the vendors as it shows you appreciate their contribution. Then, evaluate how the raffle went, including how many tickets were sold and if there were any major issues.
Keeping hold of this data is essential for the next raffle so that you can aim for even more participation.
How to Run a Raffle Today
Now you know how to run a raffle, it’s time to get started.
There are many great ways to host a raffle, such as having a productive team and advertising your raffle. You should also track sales and evaluate the event for future reference. Good luck!
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