How to Put Together a Successful Email Marketing Campaign for Your TapKat Sweepstakes

Your TapKat sweepstakes will only be as successful as your marketing plan. And the key to a great organic marketing plan really lies in one word: consistency. 

When you and your team have a vision of sharing the sweepstakes with as many people as possible and a solid plan for making that vision a reality, chances are, you’ll be very happy with the outcome of your TapKat sweepstakes.

So let’s talk about email marketing: in this post, we’ll explore specific, actionable steps you can take to hit the ground running, quickly gain momentum, and sprint all the way to the finish line with your sweepstakes. 

Sweepstakes Fundraising Results in Regular Cashflow for Your Nonprofit

Unlike a one-night fundraising gala or live auction, a TapKat sweepstakes takes place over the course of months. This is a really good thing for your nonprofit: it means that, if you do a good job of marketing the sweepstakes (which you will), your organization will receive ongoing cash flow as people make donations to enter the sweepstakes. 

There’s nothing quite as rewarding as seeing money flow into your nonprofit on a regular basis! 

Not to mention that, because most of these transactions will occur online, you open yourself up to donors who may not have been aware of your nonprofit or able to travel to live, in-person events. Virtually every nonprofit we work with has seen an increase in their donor base as a direct result of running a TapKat sweepstakes.

The long-term nature of your sweepstakes also means that it needs consistent, nurturing attention from you and your team.

The long-term nature of your sweepstakes drawing also means that it needs consistent, nurturing attention from you and your team — meaning, a team member should be tasked with spending a few hours on the sweepstakes each week. Once you get into a rhythm with your marketing, it will start to feel like an easy routine.

So, what exactly does that routine look like? 

Regular Email Marketing

Hands down, email marketing has proven to be the most effective method for generating donations in a TapKat sweepstakes.

We recommend sending out a dedicated e-blast to your donor base at least once per month over the course of your sweepstakes drawing. Your base should include anyone on your member list, as well as new people who donate to the sweepstakes (you will receive the contact information for all donors on an ongoing basis from the TapKat platform). 

What NOT to do. 

You’ve likely received e-newsletters from other organizations or businesses you follow. Ever noticed that when the newsletter is too long, you don’t even bother to scroll below the fold? If something is buried at the bottom, you might not even realize it’s there. 

That’s an example of an unfocused e-blast, and it’s the opposite of what works. 

The worst way to email your list about the sweepstakes is to bury it in a long email that contains any other ask. People make this mistake all the time. If your readers are hit with too many asks at the same time, they are most likely to take no action. 

Instead, send a solo email to promote the sweepstakes.

What is a “dedicated”e-blast? 

A dedicated e-blast is an email to your donor base that solely promotes the sweepstakes  and nothing else. The email should be chock-full of links back to the sweepstakes page and include stunning images of the prize and enticing language to get the reader excited and motivated to enter. 

Check out the image, to the right, to see an example of a solo e-blast The Shelby American Collection did in 2021 to promote their sweepstakes. 

Plan out your emails ahead of time. Have a member of your team write the copy, collect enticing images of your prize, and be sure to send several test emails to your colleagues in order to check links, look for typos, and make sure that the email is clear and concise. 
Key elements of a great solo e-blast include: 

• Stellar images of the prize that make your member base want to participate in the sweepstakes.

• Clear language that communicates what the prize is, how easy it is to donate, and any special information like promo codes or how many days are left to enter. 

• Links galore! The header, images and text should link back to your TapKat sweepstakes drawing page.

Email your list on a monthly basis throughout the sweepstakes. The duration of your sweepstakes will depend on the prize and how much money you’re trying to raise, but generally TapKat sweepstakes can last anywhere from a few months to up to a year in duration. 

During the week leading up to drawing your winner, email your list at least three times. If you feel like this is a lot, don’t worry — across the board, we see very few unsubscribes during this period of time. 

Generally speaking, people are excited about the end of a drawing. In fact, it’s typical for nonprofits to see a major spike in donations during the final week of their campaign because donors who are excited about the prize will enter again to increase their odds of winning.

Don’t be shy about emailing your base! 

How to Use Promo Codes in Your Email Marketing Campaign

An effective way to track the success of your email marketing (aside from checking the open rate on Constant Contact, MailChimp or other email marketing service) is to include promo codes in each email. 

Here’s How it Works for You: 

Once your TapKat sweepstakes page is live, you’ll have the option of creating promo codes. When you send out your e-blast, include a code within the email and prompt your donor base to use it when they enter for “30% more entries, free!” or similar (you choose exactly what the promo code offer will be). 

Then, when you log into your TapKat dashboard, you’ll be able to see who used a promo code and how much that promotion raised. 

Here’s How it Works for Your Donors: 

When your donors receive your email, they’ll get excited when they read something like, “Use promo code 30MORE to receive 30% more entries!” When they click over to your sweepstakes page, they’ll have the option to enter the promo code when they check out. The TapKat software will automatically add 30% more entries to their purchase.

Now, the promo code is connected to their donation, so when you view your TapKat dashboard to track progress, you’ll be able to see which promo codes are connected to which donations. This is how you can track the success of a particular email: if you see a lot of donations connected to one promo code, that’s a good sign that the email blast was a success.

Promo codes aren’t just limited to email marketing: you can use them anywhere you’re promoting the sweepstakes. Create a special promo code for social media, print ads, targeted e-blasts to other organizations and much more. In our next post, I’ll go more in-depth into other forms of marketing that are crucial to the success of a TapKat sweepstakes. 

What Happens After the Email Goes Out? 

Once you’ve sent an e-blast, all you have to do is sit back and watch what happens. In most cases, you’ll see an uptick in donations for 24 hours and even up to a few days — sometimes, a large uptick in donations! 

Easily track your sweepstakes progress from your TapKat dashboard, and rest easy knowing that all post-purchase emails (including receipts for tax purposes) will be sent out by TapKat. You’ll receive the donors’ email addresses immediately, so you can add new donors to your mailing list and include them in the next e-blast.

Donations made will hit your bank account according to the schedule you set (daily, weekly, monthly, or something else). Now your job is to kick back for a moment and enjoy the success… before you start planning the next big marketing push!

If you’re ready to set up your TapKat sweepstakes, let’s talk. Fill out this form to get started today.