4 Event Text Messages to Boost Attendee Engagement & Revenue Generation

Three minutes isn’t much. But OneCause mobile bidding software ensures that three minutes—only 180 seconds—is all you need to grab the attention of the majority of your event attendees and boost fundraising.

90% of text messages are read within three minutes. That’s why OneCause’s event and mobile bidding software offers nonprofits the ability to send unlimited event texts to attendees while their mobile auction is published. It’s a simple way to re-engage your guests and remind them that this is a fundraising event.

All text messages can be customized and scheduled to send from myOneCause Planner whenever you’re ready. So long as the attendee’s mobile phone numbers are registered in OneCause, he or she can receive your text messages, including the One-Click Login (OCL) and text outbid alerts for your event.

OneCause Experts recommend the following four tips for using texting to boost engagement:

1. Donation appeal. If your event program includes a live appeal, send a related text message approximately five minutes before. Ask attendees to focus their attention on the stage/screen and keep out their smartphones. “The donation appeal will begin momentarily. Please turn your attention to the main stage.”
2. Direct attendees to view items without bids. Send this text towards the end of your auction. Items without bids are not necessarily unwanted auction items. They may have simply gone unnoticed by attendees due to location among other items, or they may be priced a bit high for some. The goal is to motivate your guests to bid on these items so the auction does not close without a winner for each package. You can send a generic text about items with no bids or name specific packages to rile supporters. For example, “1 hour left in the silent auction and there are still 8 items without bids!” or “The All-Inclusive Jamaican Vacation package has no bids! Now is your chance to win the trip of a lifetime!”
3. Remaining raffle tickets. If you’re hosting a raffle at your event, send a text message to attendees when the number of remaining tickets gets low. Whether it be a wine pull, bling booth or traditional raffle, a quick reminder is all your guests will need. For example, “Only 10 Bling Booth tickets remain! Purchase yours now and you could be the lucky winner of all this FABULOUS jewelry!”
4. Silent auction countdown. There are many opportunities to send a text message about the expiring time in your auction. We recommend a maximum of two such alerts, to avoid annoying your guests. For example, send the first text approximately 30 minutes before auction close and then a second at t-minus 10 minutes to allow guests enough time to actually submit more bids. It’s best to include the actual auction end time, rather than a countdown time – “The silent auction closes at 10:30pm. This is your last chance to submit final bids!”

Like Twitter posts, OneCause text messages are completely customizable up to 140 characters. They automatically include a personalized link allowing bidders to quickly and easily login the auction from their smartphones. Your OneCause Planner also provides the option to send each text message to all supporters, a select group (e.g. attendees, those checked in, etc.), or chosen individuals.

Happy texting!