By Paul Madden
Club lotto can be hit and miss as a form of fundraiser for amateur sports clubs – for some club’s it’s a steady weekly income stream for the club but for others it seems more trouble than it’s worth. The hardest part in getting a successful club lotto off the ground is getting a club lotto licence but even that is a relatively straightforward process. Once you’ve got a licence, it should be a relatively easy to turn it into a regular income and then grow it over time.
Here are four simple tips any club can use to grow their club lotto online.
1. Post Frequently on Social Media Channels
Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter offer a great opportunity to remind people about the lotto – when it takes place, how to enter, details of the last draw and where the next draw takes place etc. Get into the habit of posting just TWICE per week as a starting point – three days in advance of the draw share details of when the draw takes place and link to the online lotto page so a user can play straight away. Then after the draw has taken place, publish the results of the draw on social media and any prizes won and link again to where the reader can play.
This rhythm of posting twice a week creates a habit for people to read about the club lotto when they are browsing on social media. It also makes the club lotto accessible to people who are living overseas or away on holidays – and online players can bulk buy tickets for the club lotto, giving an extra boost of cash to the club bank account.
Club officers and volunteers are likely to have their own social media accounts – so ask them to share / retweet the club’s post to boost visibility of the lotto. This may not be quite as effective as getting someone into the local pub on a busy weekend but many hands make light work and enough shares on social media can reap benefits.
Also, if the draw is to take place in a local pub – ask them to share it on their social networks as well. Every post on social media is a fresh set of eyes looking at your club lotto and a chance to increase lotto ticket sales.
2. Where Does the Money Go?
Let lottery players know how the funds raised are being put to use – is it going towards a capital expenditure like a new clubhouse or is the money going towards paying for new kit, routine maintenance, insurance bills etc. If people know specifically why the club is in need of funds, they are more likely to choose to support it.
3. What Can You Win? Jackpot!
Club lotto jackpots vary greatly but can grow as high as €20,000 which is a considerable sum of money to win for a €2 lotto ticket. Lottos usually also have secondary prizes and sellers prizes – all of which might entice greater participation – so don’t assume that people already know what’s to be won, make it obvious by including it in your draw and results posts on Facebook, Twitter etc.
Larger prize funds are also more likely to catch the eye and including an image with the jackpot value can also attract more attention to your post on social media.
4. Don’t Forget to Link To Where to Play
So many clubs get every step right from 1 to 3 above but then make the mistake of not including the link. The link to the lotto payment page gives anyone who sees the post on social media an opportunity to play. Without the link, they have to go looking for where to play club lotto and if that happens, you’re already losing customers because the likelihood of them remembering to purchase a ticket decreases with every minute that passes after put down their phone or been distracted by something else on social media.
Simply repeating the above steps week after week as part of your club lotto routine will give your club an increasing base of regular lotto players – give it a go!
If your club lotto can’t be played online, your club is missing out on a huge proportion of potential players at home and abroad. Most clubs using Clubforce for online lotto sell tickets both online and offline, maximising the revenue opportunity from lotto.
To learn more about getting you club set up with online lotto, call us today on 091-506048 or fill in the form below to arrange a demo.
