How to Finish Your TapKat Sweepstakes Strong!
Typically, the last month of a TapKat sweepstakes is the most exciting and the lucrative for nonprofits using our platform. It’s a time when donors sit up and pay attention because they know a winner will be drawn soon — and they’ll often make at least one more donation to up their chances of taking home the great prize you’ve selected.
Here are some strategies nonprofits can implement during the final weeks of their sweepstakes to encourage donors to stay engaged all the way until the end. Remember, it’s all about leaning into the fun, excitement, and win-win nature of a fundraising sweepstakes!
Send Emails to Your Donor Base to Promote the Final Weeks of Your TapKat Sweepstakes
One of the most powerful marketing tools a nonprofit has in their arsenal is email. In our experience, the majority of funds raised in a TapKat sweepstakes still come from email: it is more powerful than social media, live events, and website advertising (although all of those methods are important pieces of the puzzle, too!) When you send out an email, keep a few things in mind:
Keep your donor list current. When you’re logged into your TapKat dashboard, you can easily download a .csv with the most current list of donors. Before you send any promotional email, make sure that you’ve added new donors to your master donor list. This way, new donors will stay in the loop with final promotions you may run, and everyone will get an email when you announce the winner.
Create the best emails possible. We recommend using an email provider such as Constant Contact or MailChimp to create beautiful, image-driven email blasts. When you’re designing the email, include an enticing image of your prize at the top, and be sure that it links back to your sweepstakes site. Direct, encouraging text is usually best. Something like, “Last chance to enter to win a luxurious getaway to Cancun! Enter today!”
Send dedicated emails. Rather than including news of your sweepstakes in a newsletter, send an email that is entirely dedicated to promoting your sweepstakes fundraiser. This will keep your recipients focused on the sweepstakes rather than distracting them with other news.
Send multiple emails. Don’t be afraid of a final push via email to your base. Remember, if they entered your sweepstakes, they’re very interested in finding out who won — they want to hear from you! In our experience, the unsubscribe rate will be very low during this time period. Here’s a suggested email schedule for the final month of your sweepstakes:
One month before closing.
Two weeks before closing.
One week before closing.
Three days before closing.
The day before closing.
Make your emails fun, engaging, with beautiful images and lots of links back to your sweepstakes site!
Use Promo Codes to Promote Your TapKat Sweepstakes
Promo codes are a powerful tool to use throughout the duration of your sweepstakes, but they are especially powerful during the final weeks of your sweepstakes. Unlike discount promo codes you may be used to seeing in the retail space, promo codes in the TapKat world will give your donors a percentage more entries for the same donation level.
When you’re logged into your TapKat dashboard, you’ll have the opportunity to create as many promo codes as you want. Each promo code comes with a corresponding link that automatically applies the code to the sweepstakes, so donors won’t have to type in the code. It also comes with a corresponding QR code that is very useful if you decide to print up postcards, flyers, or any kind of banners or print advertising. Learn more about the ins and outs of promo codes in this blog post.
During the final month of your sweepstakes, consider running a special promotion with a bigger promo code than you may have used previously in your sweepstakes. Some nonprofits will offer a promo code for 40% more entries during the final month of their sweepstakes, and they may even kick up that code to 50% during the final week or so.
Donors love promo codes! They are very responsive to getting more chances to win the prize. Be sure to implement promo codes when you have the chance; they are a powerful tool to build buzz and energy around your sweepstakes.
Engage Your Community to Share Your TapKat Sweepstakes
Recruit your community members to help spread the word about your sweepstakes. Here are some ideas:
Engage your board members. Encourage them to reach out to their network regarding the sweepstakes. Here are more fun ideas that can help you get your board members more involved.
Reach out to partners and sponsors. There are many ways that partners and sponsors can make a big difference in whether you finish your sweepstakes strong; take a look at this blog post for some ideas.
Talk up your sweepstakes. In your daily life, be sure to share your sweepstakes with people you encounter, and ask your staff and volunteers to do the same! Word of mouth is a great way to involve folks who might not have been aware of the sweepstakes.
Don’t forget to have fun and keep up the energy with your TapKat sweepstakes. It’s a win-win for everyone!
If you’re ready to get started with your TapKat sweepstakes, click here.
