This is the Digital Strategy I used to sell out author events at Dingle Literary Festival

If you’ve heard of Dingle Literary Festival, you might already know it’s often described as the “best little book festival in the West.” Nestled in the picturesque town of Dingle on the Dingle Peninsula in Kerry, the festival is celebrated for its unique blend of literary charm and small-town magic.

​I joined the team in 2021 to lead their digital marketing, and today, I’m excited to share how we sold out 30 of the 49 events at the 2023 festival and exceeded the target audience by 14%.
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The Setting: Dingle, Kerry
For those who aren’t familiar, Dingle is a small but vibrant town famous for its music, stunning coastline, and friendly community vibes. It's also known for Fungi the dolphin (RIP), who was a beloved local icon for years. Dingle’s rich cultural backdrop provides the perfect setting for a book festival that has quickly become a staple event in the area.

Joining the Festival
​When I joined the Dingle Literary Festival team, I found a well-organized event with great potential. The festival already had solid branding, a functional website, attractive venues, a fantastic lineup, and a proactive committee adept at securing funding and getting the work done. With these strong foundations in place, my role was to take the digital marketing to the next level.

The Digital Marketing Strategy
On the digital marketing front, I had three main channels to work with: social media, a newsletter, and a strategic ad campaign. Here’s a breakdown of the approach:

1. Start the Ads EARLY: Lots of events wait too long to start their advertising and tend to boost the ones with the least attendance. But audiences recognise this when they see it and will shy from purchasing no matter how much budget is put behind the ad. And why? Because yes- audiences are there to see the author/performer -BUT they are also there to be amongst other PEOPLE. The audience is as part of the experience as the author is. So don't signal to your audience that an event is will be poorly attended. I used caruosels and mixed well -performing events with slower ones early on- as it was clear which ones would be harder to sell from week three.
2. Tracking Ticket Sales: I religiously tracked the tickets sales each week and made sure to adjust the adverts to reflect what was selling and what was not. 
3. Weekend & Day Passes: I advised the Dingle Lit team to think about weekend and day passes for 2023 and pushed these hard on ads and the newsletter. 100% of these passes sold and accounted for 1/3 of the sales. Bonus: these proved to have the best ROI as one purchase was worth 30-90€ whereas a single ticket was only worth 10-12€.
4. Eye-Catching Graphics: We created graphics that adhered strictly to the festival’s branding while also catching people’s attention. Visual consistency was key to making sure the festival stood out online.
5. Engaging Copy: Whether it was social media posts or newsletter content, the copy was crafted to excite people not just about the events, but also about the idea of visiting Dingle itself. We wanted potential attendees to feel the pull of both the festival and the town.
6. Consistency: One of the simplest but most effective tactics was consistent messaging across all platforms. By frequently reminding our audience about the festival, we kept it top of mind.
7. Adding a little poetry: It's a literary festival, people love literature, poetry and prose. I made sure to sprinkle just the right amount of metaphor and creativity into the content. And it always resonated. Why? Because audiences who are super INTO the subject of the event expect the people selling it to them to also be super into it. So make sure you let people know just how passionate you are, it will be a differentiatng factor.​

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​Check out the Dingle Lit Instagram here.

​Strategic Tweaks and Adaptations
Early on, we launched ads to build momentum and gauge which events were drawing the most interest. As ticket sales rolled in, we adjusted our approach, pivoting to segmentation and interest-based promotions. This allowed us to target specific audiences more effectively and maximize ticket sales.

In 2022, I also recommended the introduction of day and weekend passes to simplify the purchasing process and increase buy-in. This was implemented in 2023 and proved to be a game-changer, contributing significantly to the overall sales success.

The Results
By the end of the 2023 festival, we had exceeded our ticket sales target by 14%, with 30 out of 49 events sold out. Over half of the events, as well as all weekend and day passes, were completely sold out. This success was bolstered by a robust PR campaign, local signage, an eye-catching leaflet, and an incredible lineup of authors and speakers.
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The Secret Sauce
One of the most crucial aspects of event marketing—and something that often gets overlooked—is what you do after the event is over. Follow-up, feedback collection, and planning for the next year are essential steps that lay the groundwork for future success. But that’s a topic for another day!

Final Thoughts
Selling out events isn’t just about flashy ads or clever copy; it’s about understanding your audience, staying adaptable, and consistently delivering a message that resonates. The Dingle Literary Festival’s success is a testament to the power of strategic marketing combined with a strong, well-organised committee. If you’re planning your own festival or event, take a page from the Dingle Lit playbook and focus on building a solid foundation, crafting engaging content, and staying flexible with your strategy.

And if you have those things already in place, well, you know where I am! Stay tuned for more insights on how to take your event marketing to the next level!