Running a raffle program isn’t just about how big your jackpots get — it’s an opportunity to build a community of loyal, consistent supporters who say “I do” week-after-week. 💍
Every raffle running on Rafflebox has a past ticket buyer list in their Dashboard, but not everyone’s using it to its full potential.
What about you? are you ready to say “I do” to leveling up not only your raffle’s marketing strategy, but your overall fundraising strategy, too?
Here are five ways we see top charitable raffle programs use their past ticket buyer list to their full potential.
1️⃣ Download it regularly
And don't just let it sit in your downloads folder catching dust, either. Put that list to work.
After every major draw, export your past ticket buyer list from the Rafflebox Dashboard via the Customers tab.
With this list, you can gain insights into how many new ticket buyers you're pulling in raffle-over-raffle, and even which ticket buyers come back every time (and which could use retargeting.)
For example, here's a *real* 12 month ticket buyer list growth report by an organization with a monthly 50/50 program:
It's nice to know when you're seeing the most new ticket buyers come in (then you can re-allocate marketing efforts if they lag during one month, or feel empowered to keep doing what you're doing if they're growing consistently.)
Plus, downloading your past ticket buyer list ensures your raffle marketing strategy always leverages the most current supporter information available.
Looking for data beyond contact information (i.e. packages purchased, amount spent)? Export your successful orders report for a specific raffle, or get a full picture of purchasing history on the Orders tab in the Rafflebox Dashboard.
Your order reports are full of data to help answer questions like these (and guide your marketing efforts):
Does anyone purchase tickets more than once for my raffle?
How many returning ticket buyers raffle-over-raffle do I have? How many are net-new?
What percent of ticket buyers buy tickets for both my main raffle and add-on?
Who has been purchasing tickets for my raffles since the beginning?
2️⃣ Add it to your owned audience
They’ve shown interest in your organization, so use your past ticket buyer list to grow your organization's owned audiences and build even stronger donor profiles.
Uploading your past ticket buyer list into your donor CRM helps you connect the dots that turn raffle supporters into donors, too. Then, you can add those contacts to any relevant email and newsletter lists (where compliant) to keep them in the loop. Who knows, maybe your top donor is also your top raffle supporter, too (and that would be a fun engagement moment?)
3️⃣ Send it jackpot reminders and raffle engagement emails
Three out of four raffle admins say email is their top raffle marketing tactic. Are you sending emails to your past ticket buyer list all campaign long?
If you're running a 50/50 jackpot (either as the grand prize or as an add-on to your prize draw), send jackpot reminders to your past ticket buyer list frequently* throughout the campaign so they know how the prize is growing (and can decide if they want more tickets.) And honestly, 30% of tickets get sold in the last 48 hours of a raffle anyway — so don't feel like you're overdoing it or bugging your supporters with those reminders, most of 'em need it.
If you're running a standard 50/50 (no combos, no add-ons) and have raffled with us before, you may be eligible for automated, scheduled jackpot reminder emails straight to your past ticket buyer list's inboxes. To get set up, contact your account manager or email help@rafflebox.ca.
If you're running a raffle outside of the standard 50/50 (like a prize draw or Goldrush draw), you can take email marketing into your own hands by exporting your past ticket buyer list and sending reminders via your own email marketing platform.
Prefer we do the heavy lifting? Rafflebox offers email marketing services for eligible raffles — reach out to marketing@rafflebox.ca to learn more.
*How frequently you send raffle reminders depends on your raffle format, list size, and campaign length, so get a free copy of the State of Raffling Report with a free monthly email schedule template to help you land on the right email cadence.
4️⃣ Send it storytelling content
It’s not just about reminding them to buy again — it’s about giving them a reason to care.
Use your past ticket buyer list to send updates that show supporters how supporting your raffle made a difference.
Spotlight real impact stories, photos, purchases, and other milestones to help turn those one-time ticket buyers into recurring supporters through storytelling.
If you're taking time to tell your story, it's an opportunity to build it once and distribute it everywhere, too, like how the Nova Scotia Firefighters 50/50 (shown above) spreads their message with Facebook posts, emails, and more.
5️⃣ Make sure it gets "last call" communications
We said it before and we'll say it again (pretty sure we already said it in this blog post...) — it's typical to see over 30% of jackpot sales happen in the final 48 hours of a raffle (maybe that's why users in the Facebook comments think people who buy tickets last minute are more likely to win?)
That last-minute rush? It’s real — and it’s exactly where last call messaging makes the biggest impact. Whether your past ticket buyers are just procrastinators, or they already got tickets but might want to up their chances with more, last chance emails, SMS blasts, and social media posts are some of the most engaging and click-worthy of your raffle campaign.
The best-performing last chance messages are short and sweet. They thank recurring buyers for their support, reinforce the urgency, and follow a consistent format week-over-week so your audience knows what to expect — and acts on it.
SMS marketing is fast, direct, and helps organizations cut through the noise and reach people where they're most likely to engage — ideal for last call reminders on draw day.
SMS marketing is fast, direct, and helps organizations cut through the noise and reach people where they're most likely to engage — ideal for last call reminders on draw day. Want to give it a try? Rafflebox offers SMS marketing services for eligible raffles — email marketing@rafflebox.ca for details.
It’s time to level up the rest of your raffle strategy. Get a copy of the State of Raffling Report and start using data to grow your raffle program.