Creating engaging content for your auction

Key considerations 

1. Know your audience: Who are you pitching the auction to?
   Understanding your audience—and their level of awareness—is one of the most important aspects of marketing an auction. Are you reaching an existing mailing list of past buyers, or running a social media ad to attract brand-new bidders? Tailor your messaging accordingly.

2. Know your channel: Is the content optimized for the platform?
   Each social media channel favours different formats, from static images to videos in specific dimensions. Plan ahead to ensure your content displays correctly and avoids issues like awkward cropping or unreadable text. Much of your content can be repurposed across multiple channels with only minor adjustments. 

3. Create a schedule
   A marketing schedule helps you plan around key dates (e.g., auction launch and close) and ensures you post consistently across all channels. 

Content suggestions

• Launch Post – Announce that the auction is live and open for bidding.

• Creator Spotlight – Highlight the creator of a lot with a photo, bio, or short interview.

• Lot Spotlight – Showcase a lot, emphasising its unique qualities. 

• Cause Spotlight – Share what the auction is supporting, especially for charity or fundraising auctions. Include specifics, such as which branch of a charity benefits or how donations make an impact (e.g., “£100 supports XX”).

• Pre-event Post – If there’s an accompanying event, announce details and include booking/RSVP info.

• Post-event Post – Share photos or highlights from the event.

• Closing Post – Remind followers the auction is ending soon and encourage last-minute bids.

• Thank You Post – Announce the results, thank bidders, and recognise partners, ambassadors, or sponsors.