Raffle marketing ideas: 12 ways to sell more tickets the right way
A great raffle site still needs players. The marketing that works best for raffles is mostly about trust: showing real winners, drawing fairly and staying in touch with the people who already play. Here are 12 ideas to sell more tickets, and the rules to follow while you do it.
- Your own audience, on email, text and your own app, is worth more than any one social platform.
- Trust sells tickets: real winners, live draws and reviews.
- Regular players are the heart of a raffle site, so look after them.
- Follow the rules: 18+ only, consent for emails and texts, and honest ads.
12 ways to market your raffle site
1. Build your email list from day one
Ask everyone who signs up whether they'd like to hear about new raffles, and send a welcome email straight away. A regular email with your latest raffles keeps you in front of players without paying for ads.
2. Text your regular players
Texts get read. Keep them short, save them for your biggest raffles and last-chance reminders, and only send them to players who've agreed to hear from you.
3. Go live for your draws
A live draw is your best content. Start before the raffle closes, show the prize, say hello to people by name, and reveal the winner on screen. See how to pick a raffle winner fairly.
4. Show your winners
Post every winner, with a photo or video if they're happy to share it. Real winners are the strongest proof that your raffles are real.
5. Collect reviews
Ask happy players and winners to leave a review, and show your reviews on your site.
6. Get your own app
An app of your own, with push notifications, reaches players directly, even if a social page is restricted.
7. Offer subscriptions
Let regular players subscribe to be entered automatically, or join a club with perks and subscriber-only raffles. You can start subscriptions from your first week.
8. Use bundles and upsells
Multi-buy pricing and a suggested raffle at checkout encourage bigger baskets without discounting every ticket.
9. Run recurring raffles
Daily, weekly or monthly raffles give players a reason to come back on a schedule.
10. Reward loyalty
Site credit, cashback and the occasional free entry for loyal players go a long way. Shopping rewards, where players earn free site credit from their everyday shopping, keep them coming back too. And pay winners quickly: it builds trust.
11. Partner with local businesses
Prizes or vouchers from local businesses give you something different, and they'll often share your raffle with their own customers. See our raffle prize ideas.
12. Advertise once you're approved
Facebook and Instagram ads for raffles need Meta's approval first. Once you have it, keep your ads honest and clear so they stay approved. Our guide explains how to get approved to advertise.
The rules to follow
Only market to adults
The DCMS Code says prize draws should only be available to over-18s, and that advertisements "should not be targeted at anyone below the age of 18".
Get consent for emails and texts
The ICO's guidance is clear: "You must not send marketing emails or texts to individuals without specific consent." There's a limited exception, often called the soft opt-in, for existing customers who bought (or negotiated to buy) a similar product or service from you, but only if you gave them a simple way to opt out when you collected their details and in every message since. Always say who you are, and make it easy to unsubscribe. The ICO's guidance is under review after the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, so check the latest version.
Respect players who take a break
If a player suspends their account, the Code says you shouldn't send them marketing, such as emails, texts or push notifications, while the suspension lasts.
Keep it responsible
The Code says marketing shouldn't suggest that prize draws are an escape from personal problems, or "a solution to financial concerns, an alternative to employment or a way to achieve financial security". Follow the CAP Code in all your advertising, and make sure any affiliates or partners who promote you follow the same rules.
How Reffle helps
Reffle puts your marketing right next to your raffles: email and SMS campaigns, WhatsApp, automated welcome and win-back messages, a social media planner, reviews collected automatically, live streaming to your socials and app, and your own community app with push notifications. Subscriptions, Shopping Rewards, bundles, upsells, coupons and site credit are built in too, and players choose what they hear from you.
Want to see it all in one place? Book a free demo.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Sources: DCMS Voluntary Code of Good Practice for Prize Draw Operators, clauses 1.1, 1.5, 1.11 and 3.2 (gov.uk); ICO guide to PECR, electronic mail marketing (ico.org.uk). Last checked October 2026.
