Email catalogs open at 20–30%. A photo lot-preview text reaches 98% of bidders in minutes.View as Markdown

Auction attendance and bid volume are directly correlated, so low preview attendance means fewer bidders, less competition, and lower hammer prices. Email catalogs open at only 20 to 30% and often arrive too late, and many bidders do not check email but live on their phones.

A multi-stage MMS campaign sent 72, 48, and 24 hours before the preview: one to three high-quality lot photos in the first message, a featured-lot reminder in the second, and an urgency message in the third, segmented by interest category so bidders see only relevant lots, with preview location, hours, and a registration link.

1. A scheduled date (auction minus 72 hours) or a manual broadcast starts the campaign.
2. Send category-segmented MMS with one to three lot photos and the preview details.
3. At 48 hours, send a featured-lot reminder with fresh photos.
4. At 24 hours, send an urgency message before the preview closes.
5. Track which lots get the most clicks and feature them next time.

After close, winning bidders must finalize payment, but phone calls, emailed invoices, and web portals are high-friction. Roughly 10 to 20% of winning bids go unpaid through forgetfulness or hassle, which ties up staff time and capital and can force a re-listing.

An automated workflow triggered within minutes of close that texts the winner the lot details, the final bid plus buyer's premium, a Text-to-Pay link, and pickup details, with reminders at 24 and 72 hours for anything unpaid, and a confirmation that triggers pickup scheduling once payment clears.

1. An auction-platform webhook fires when a lot sells, with the winner and amount.
2. Within minutes, send the win confirmation with the total and a Text-to-Pay link.
3. Wait 24 hours and check payment status.
4. If unpaid, send a reminder, then a 72-hour final notice.
5. On payment, send a receipt and trigger the pickup-scheduling workflow.

Auction houses schedule new sales regularly, and announcing them drives participation, but email open rates are low and social reach is algorithm-dependent. Bidders who are not checking the website miss the announcement and skip the auction, so turnout and catalog fullness swing unpredictably.

A segmented broadcast where bidders opt into specific categories (vehicles, estate, equipment, art, antiques, storage, charity) by keyword at signup, so each new sale texts only the interested bidders with the date, preview window, catalog link, and registration call to action, segmented by geography for local versus multi-state auctions.

1. A new sale is scheduled and the announcement is composed from a template.
2. Segment recipients by category keyword and geography.
3. Broadcast the date, preview window, and catalog link to each segment.
4. Track catalog and registration clicks per segment.
5. Refine category targeting from the click data for the next sale.

Auction success depends on catalog depth, and consignors must submit lots by firm deadlines for catalog inclusion and lot numbering. Emails get lost and calls are time-intensive, so consignors miss submission windows, leaving incomplete catalogs and weaker bidder anticipation.

A multi-touch workflow that texts the consignor list 10 days, 5 days, and 48 hours before the lot-submission cutoff with the deadline, submission method, and contact, with two-way replies for questions on reserves, commissions, or pickup, plus a follow-up to past consignors 30 to 60 days after a sale to solicit the next consignment.

1. The lot-submission deadline schedules the reminder sequence.
2. Send reminders 10 days, 5 days, and 48 hours before the cutoff.
3. Open a two-way line for reserve, commission, and pickup questions.
4. After the sale, wait 30 to 60 days and solicit the next consignment.
5. Tag responsive consignors for priority outreach next time.

Auction participation requires bidder registration, which is often friction-heavy: online forms, phone calls, or in-person ID checks. Many would-be bidders start and abandon, and new bidders do not know how to set category preferences or receive ongoing announcements, so houses lose bidder volume.

A simplified SMS opt-in: bidders text a keyword to register and confirm basic details, an automated welcome explains registration requirements and payment options, then bidders text category keywords to set preferences, and a confirmation lists their choices, cutting registration friction and enabling immediate segmentation.

1. A bidder texts the registration keyword or completes a sign-up form.
2. Send a welcome that explains registration, payment, and category options.
3. The bidder texts category keywords to set preferences.
4. Confirm the selected categories and set communication expectations.
5. Add the bidder to the matching category segments automatically.

Engaged bidders want to track specific lots or categories, but without timely alerts they miss the moments that matter: a competing bid, a reserve being met, or the final minutes of a lot. Missing those moments means lost bids for the bidder and lost competition for the house.

A webhook-driven workflow where bidders register interest in specific lots or categories and receive automatic SMS alerts when a bid is placed, when the reserve is met, and when only a few minutes remain, keeping high-intent bidders engaged right through to the close.

1. A bidder opts into watching a specific lot or category.
2. The auction-platform webhook streams bid and reserve events.
3. Send an alert when a competing bid is placed or the reserve is met.
4. Send a final-minutes alert with a direct bid link.
5. Stop alerts once the lot closes and log the outcome.