Everyone has written an email, but not everyone has written an email asking someone to buy raffle tickets. Even if you have experience emailing donation requests, the template and tone are vastly different.
In a donation request email, persons may be incentivized by helping the cause and gaining recognition. In a raffle request email, persons are offered the opportunity to help a great cause as well as the chance to win an incredible prize. This shifts the messaging to be more sales-driven, as you are offering something to your reader in addition to asking for their support.
With email opening rates at around 15%, it is difficult to get people reading your email, let alone buying raffle tickets for your cause. That is why sales 'copy' is necessary to ensure your emails are opened, read, and they follow your link all the way to the raffle page to buy tickets.
Email blasts have proven to be the most effective method for driving ticket sales, making them a part of your marketing strategy you'll want to get right. That's why we have provided tools for building a strong email and the strategic timing to send them.
We want to help you write an email that can turn your list into tickets.
Composing an Email.
Emails consist of a subject line, headline, intro, body, and a call to action. You have those components to catch attention and convince your reader to take the desired action. Keep it short and punchy, but informative.
Subject:
The subject line will tell you what the email is about and what you can expect inside. The trick is to make it intriguing enough that your receiver will open the message to find out more.
Headline:
The headline is visible in the email preview and will be the first sentence of text shown. We would encourage the use of sales 'copy' to capture attention immediately, as the headline is a big factor in the decision to open the email.
Introduction:
Tell them everything they need to know in the first paragraph. The average person only spends 10-15 seconds on each email they read, so it is imperative that you tell them the important information right at the beginning. This should include your cause, reason for fundraising, your goal, the prize, and the raffle page link.
Body:
Write body paragraphs to be short and to-the-point. Organize them in a way that tells a story and engages the reader.
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Telling a story can be something emotionally charged to compel readers to support your cause financially; whether it be a success story, someone in need, or whatever suits your cause.
- Write short body paragraphs. Reading block text (especially on a cell phone) can be overwhelming and cause your readers to close and delete your email. The rule of thumb is not to go beyond 4 lines for a single paragraph.
Micro-Content:
This is comprised of the short phrases and subheadings that decorate an email. They should be used to highlight your main points and make it easy to scan through the text. It includes headings, subheadings, links, quotes, statistics, and buttons.
Your links should primarily direct people towards the raffle page to purchase tickets. If you are running a specialized program or raffles are new to your cause, direct persons to where they can learn more information about it (if not clearly outlined on raffle page).
Graphics:
- Visuals have become an important part of creating an effective email. As you are directing traffic to donate, it is key to match your email with the design, visuals, and messaging elements of your raffle page.
- The use of images can be a very powerful tool to appeal to both the hearts and minds of your supporters, so use high-quality and relevant images within your email blasts.
Call to Action:
- Make your call to action clear. Ask for a realistic amount that can also make an impact on the overall goal.
- Make it easy as possible for your supporters to donate by adding links to the raffle page in the main body text, sidebars, and in the footer.
- Your call to action will be Buy a Raffle Ticket and Share the Raffle Link.
- Include any alternative methods to purchase (i.e. in person and over telephone)
Footer:
Be sure to include a sign-up option at the bottom to subscribe to additional emails. This will help grow your email audience for your next campaign or raffle.
When to Send.
You will want to send your email blasts at strategic times throughout the raffle. We typically recommend a timeline with milestones such as; before the raffle is launched, when the raffle is launched, when the pot is climbing, when the sales deadline is approaching, when sales are closed, and when the winners have been drawn. This is merely a guideline, as your schedule will be largely dependent on the length of your raffle, the type of raffle, how sales are going, and how active your organization is online.
The reason to strategically space out your emails is to ensure you are not repeating yourself and you are providing new information with each one. Your email schedule will also be used to shape much of your marketing strategy, as the other channels will reinforce your email blast efforts.
Tip:
If you have a large email list, consider using A/B Testing to evaluate which email performs better. Each email could have slight differences; from what image is used, what story is told, or how you ask for ticket purchases. When you discover which email is providing higher ticket sales, use the more effective components in the rest of your email blasts.