Email’s like the measuring tape of your marketing toolkit. It’s not the fanciest or most expensive tool but without it, you’re missing some obvious gaps.  

And just like that pesky little kid who follows any and every statement with “why?” — we live for digging into the details. 

Here’s why email should be at the core of your raffle marketing strategy (and ways to make yours more effective.) 

Your email contacts are people you can count on

Theoretically, anyway. 

Like those people who actually show up after clicking “attend” on the Facebook event.  

Or the friends who send holiday cards year after year even if you're not in touch.

Your email subscribers know you and they want to know more about you. (That’s why they haven’t unsubscribed yet.)

So, talk to them. Encourage them to buy tickets early on. Ask them to share the raffle link on social or to forward your emails to people they think would also care about your cause (or prize.)

Emails help build jackpot hype 

You're post daily re: jackpot on social. You're greeting website visitors with a live jackpot ticker.

Your jackpot is front-and-center, your golden opportunity for attracting new buyers. Don't forget to keep people who already have ticket in the loop, too. They'll want to know how the jackpot's growing (and might want an opportunity to buy more tickets.)

But wait. What do you even say in a jackpot reminder? 

Honestly... Not a whole lot. Shorter is better so is a clear call-to-action (like, "get your tickets!").

Examples of effective marketing emails for raffles 

We know you love real-life examples. We love them too — it supports our belief that visuals are the most inspiring type of content (plus, it’s a chance to brag about the epic marketing content coming from groups using the platform.) 

Meownificent subject lines = woof-worthy open rates 

The Nova Scotia SPCA’s meownificent subject lines help them achieve above average open rates.  

Since implementing custom subject lines (along with a few other marketing tactics), they’ve grown from raising under $10,000 a week to consistently exceeding $13,000 per jackpot. 

If your audience is local, talk to them about locally-relatable things. Like the weather. We're not above it!

Pop culture references, when they suit your audience, make perfect subject line hooks.

If the jackpot's worth hyping up, your subject line is the place to do it.

Everyone links their subject lines to holidays like the first day of spring. Not everyone's putting a unique twist on it though by linking the first day of spring to their JACKPOT, though. No, that's just you.

Effective raffle schedule = easy email strategy 

During Calgary Catholic Education Foundation’s (CCEF) two-month-long raffle in Winter 2024, they sent past ticket buyers two emails a week.

With a 55% average open rate (if you're familiar with average open rates — yeah, we were impressed, too!), their emails were responsible for 32% of total funds raised.

So, why were their emails so effective?

It all starts with their raffle program's overall strategy.

CCEF's raffle has four bi-weekly Early Bird draws, giving them an opportunity to create urgency in their marketing materials and see consistent jackpot jumps throughout the whole two month campaign.

How to tap into the power of email

1. If you’re running a 50/50, make sure automated jackpot reminders are turned on (and if you’re not sure, get in touch with our Support team who can turn them on for you)

2. Download your past ticket buyer list and combine it with any other lists you communicate with through emails (i.e. newsletter subscribers, donor databases, etc.)

3. Build an email calendar that considers best practices, your raffle's unique overall strategy, and any email campaigns that aren't raffle related, but are going out at the same time (if you need guidance, check your Raffle Marketing Guide)

If you know you need an email strategy but don’t have the resources to start, reach out about our custom email services.

If you think there’s an opportunity to optimize your emails and need advice, request a 30-minute call with our marketing team.

(Oh, and if you're not running with Rafflebox yet... Why not? Get in touch and let's set you up for success.)