Arugamdays Aug 10–11 · East Del Mar, Arugam Bay · combined paid (Meta MCP) + organic (Windsor.ai) analysis
| # | Campaign | Obj. | Spend | Impr. | Reach | Freq. | CTR | CPC | CPM | Clicks | 3s plays | ThruPlay | Compl.% | React. | Shares | Saves | Cmts |
|---|
↗ Opens Meta Ads Manager — must be logged in · Sorted by CTR · Compl.% = ThruPlay ÷ 3-sec plays (video completion rate) · Freq. = impressions ÷ reach (ad fatigue indicator)
| # | Post | Type | Engagement | Reach | Eng rate | Likes | Shares | Share rate | Saves | Save rate | Date |
|---|
↗ Opens the actual Instagram post · Eng rate = engagement ÷ reach · Share rate = shares ÷ reach · Save rate = saves ÷ reach · Above 5% engagement rate = strong; above 10% = exceptional
Main Trailer: 14.35% CTR, LKR1.19 CPC. Kyoto Video: 25.3% organic completion. Novak crowd Reel: 13.9s avg watch. Raw event footage consistently outperforms polished promos on watch time.
2026 date reveal: 2,042 engagement, 806 shares. Save-the-date Reel: 392 shares. Every major announcement must be its own post, preceded by a teaser.
FB-only campaign: LKR2.24 CPC, 6.44% CTR, 19K video plays. Facebook delivered some of the best results in the entire account in 2025.
Arugam Bay guide: 64 saves. FAQ: 57 saves. Festival map, logistics, accommodation guides all get saved and consulted later — this is your highest-intent organic content.
4 Sales campaigns ran, 0 purchases tracked. Meta spent your budget optimising blind with no signal on who actually buys tickets. This is the single biggest fix for 2026.
"Arugamdays 2nd release — Campaign." One campaign ran at an almost unmeasurably low CTR. Always cap daily budgets until CTR exceeds 2% before scaling any new campaign.
Thousands of warm visitors and video viewers — never followed up with a retargeting ad. Cheapest, highest-converting audience and it was entirely unused.
Tourism/IG only campaign: LKR435 CPM vs LKR28–39 for awareness. International audience needs entirely different creative, not just different targeting on the same ad.
Updated from 2025 data · 16 weeks to Aug 29–30
What Trial Reels is: When posting a Reel, Instagram lets you enable Trial mode. The Reel shows to non-followers first for discovery. If it performs well you push it to your grid. If it does not, you let it expire quietly without it appearing on your profile. One post, two audiences, controlled sequencing. You do not post twice.
If watch time exceeds 50% and shares are strong, push to grid within 24hrs.
Your followers are buyers. Do not delay critical news behind a discovery window.
Enable Trial AND share to feed simultaneously for maximum distribution on your best content.
Every decision below is backed by actual performance numbers
2026 date reveal: 2,042 eng · 806 shares. Coming soon teaser: 1,162 eng · 486 shares. CRFT collab: 1,934 eng. Run a teaser 5–7 days before every reveal. Anticipation drives as much engagement as the announcement itself.
Novak crowd Reel: 13.9s avg watch. Aftermovie Day 1: 12.2s. Openers crowd: 11.7s. Event footage holds 2–3× more viewers than polished promo Reels (avg 4–6s). Post unedited crowd clips from 2025 — they're your highest-performing asset.
Arugam Bay guide: 64 saves. FAQ: 57 saves. Festival map, transport guide, accommodation, local food spots. Add "Save this for later" to every caption. These posts perform for weeks after posting.
Vini.N: 11.6% engagement rate. Shannon Davin: 634 eng. Karo/CRFT: 545 eng. Each reveal: tease 24hrs before → drop the reveal with full bio → tag the artist. Their reposts multiply your reach for free.
Venue change (difficult news): 803 eng · 260 shares. Honest communication about challenges drives sharing. Your audience amplified the hardest post of the campaign. This builds the trust that makes Tier 1 posts perform.
"Packed with passion" crowd carousel: highest engagement rate relative to reach. Throwback Thursday format consistently drove 200–700+ engagement in the off-season. Keep momentum going between event cycles.
Utility + explicit ask: "Complete guide to getting to Arugam Days — save this before you book." Carousel format (multiple slides of useful info) outperforms single images for saves every time. Your top-saving posts all did this.
Posts get shared when they're either (1) big news the audience feels compelled to pass on — date reveals, collab announcements, lineup reveals — or (2) community-first communication. Promotion alone doesn't drive shares.
Every high-watch-time Reel starts with crowd/energy footage in the first 1–2 seconds, not a title card or logo. Real people dancing holds viewers 2–3× longer than text intros. The Novak Reel (13.9s) opens on crowd footage instantly.
Tease 24hr before (cryptic post) → drop name + full bio carousel → tag artist → they share to their audience. Every reveal should follow this sequence. Never announce an artist without a 24-hour tease.
7 campaigns · correct objectives · pixel must be connected before any spend
Connect Meta Pixel or Conversions API to your ticketing platform. Set up a "Purchase" custom conversion firing on the ticket confirmation page. Create 4 custom audiences: website visitors (180d), video viewers 75%+, page engagers (90d), Instagram profile visitors. Running Sales campaigns without this is paying for nothing — as 2025 proved.
Short Arugam Bay footage video. Awareness objective. Target: SL broad. CPM target: LKR28–39 (your 2025 benchmark). Budget: LKR3–5K. Seeds your retargeting pool and warms the algorithm.
Boost your 2026 date reveal post (already 2,042 eng organically). Engagement objective builds social proof and CPM efficiency before Sales campaigns launch. Budget: LKR2–3K.
Your 14.35% CTR creative. Traffic objective. Run on FB + IG — your 2025 FB-only campaign proved LKR2.24 CPC at 6.44% CTR. Cap daily spend until CTR confirmed above 3%. Budget: LKR10–15K.
"Comment ABAY for a discount code." ManyChat DMs everyone who comments. Drives post engagement (algorithm signal) AND captures leads simultaneously. Paid Engagement amplifies the comment reach. Budget: LKR3–5K.
Target: ticketing page visitors who didn't purchase + video viewers 75%+ + page engagers. Main Trailer creative + urgency copy. This campaign didn't exist in 2025. With pixel live, Meta can optimise for actual buyers. Estimated to be your highest-ROAS campaign. Budget: LKR8–12K.
Your FAQ post had the highest save rate (57 saves, LKR4.53 CPC). Run paid traffic on logistics content — transport, accommodation, venue guide — to warm audiences. Links to Carpool WhatsApp + Abay. Budget: LKR2–3K.
7–10 day burst. Conversions objective. If pixel has 100+ purchases, add Lookalike of ticket buyers. "X tickets remaining" urgency. Highest expected ROAS if preceding campaigns are set up correctly. Budget: LKR10–15K.
Lead capture + double-urgency · run 3 waves across the campaign window
Ticketing platform expires codes in 24 hours. ManyChat tells people they have 48 hours. This gap keeps them engaged through the reminder sequence. The 8-hour follow-up converts the fence-sitters who think they have more time.
Story / Reel / paid Engagement ad: "Comment ABAY to unlock an exclusive discount." ManyChat responds instantly to every comment. Simultaneously boosts post engagement (algorithm signal) and captures leads.
"Drop your email so we can send your code + event updates." Also offer WhatsApp as an alternative. This builds your owned list — most valuable asset for future events. Do not skip this step.
"Your code is [CODE] — valid for 48 hours. Act fast." Include ticketing link. Add Abay accommodation as a secondary CTA: "Staying over? We've sorted that too."
"Your discount expires in 8 hours — link below." This single message will convert a significant number of fence-sitters. The 24-hour ticketing expiry makes this urgent without you having to say so explicitly.
"Looks like you missed the discount — tickets are still available at the regular price." Some will still convert at full price. Add everyone to the broadcast list for Wave 2 or 3.
Early bird: "First 100 to comment get an exclusive early bird code." Creates urgency, builds list early, gives demand signal before final push.
Mid-campaign: "70% sold — last discount batch before final pricing." Different keyword. Captures people warming up since Wave 1.
Final wave: "Last call — [X] tickets at this price." Hardest urgency. Segment list so existing ticket holders don't receive this.
Owned channels + 2025 partnerships to extend in 2026
Every touchpoint from cold audience to ticket in hand · Aug 29–30
In 2025 you spent LKR108K and tracked zero ticket purchases. Meta had no signal on who buys, so it couldn't find more of them. With pixel connected in 2026: Conversions campaigns optimise for actual buyers · you can build Lookalike audiences of ticket purchasers · you know your true cost-per-ticket-sold · you can retarget ticketing page visitors who didn't complete. Conservative estimate: 40–60% reduction in cost-per-ticket-sale at the same budget.
Starting now (May 10) · organic + paid mapped week by week
Connect pixel to ticketing platform. Set up ManyChat keyword flows. Create 4 custom audiences in Meta. Build smart link-in-bio. Create TikTok account. Set up Facebook Event page. Export previous attendee list from ticketing platform → segment by year → upload to Meta as Custom Audience → build Lookalike from it.
Post a cryptic Reel (ocean footage + music, no text). Story poll: "Ready for Round 4?" Your 2025 "coming soon" Reel got 1,162 engagement with zero details — anticipation works. Launch Campaign 1 (Awareness video).
Post 2025 highlight carousel. Reel: best crowd footage from 2025. "Can you believe this was last year?" narrative. Cross-post everything to TikTok. Launch Campaign 2 (Engagement boost on date announcement post).
Story sequence: "Location TBC — but we found something special again." Coastal landscape shot with no text. Builds anticipation. Launch Carpool WhatsApp group — announce via Stories.
Location Reveal Reel: 909 engagement + 277 shares in 2025 — replicate this. "Off the map. On the beat." format. Announce Carpool group in the caption. Cross-post to TikTok + YouTube Shorts.
Tease artist 24hrs before → drop artist carousel. Tag artist. Launch Campaign 3 (Main Trailer traffic). ManyChat Wave 1 live. WhatsApp all previous attendees: "Before we go public — your exclusive pre-sale opens in 48 hours." Then drop the ticket link 48hrs later, 24hrs before public sale.
2 artist carousels this week. End week with: "Our headliner is someone you already know…" cliffhanger. Giveaway post to drive comments and follows. Campaign 4 (ManyChat comment-bait Engagement) launches.
Headliner reveal Reel + carousel. Your biggest organic reach week. Collab post with headliner's account. Announce Koko BNPL partnership this week (early enough to matter). Campaign 4 stays live.
FAQ carousel (57 saves in 2025 — replicate this). "Getting there" guide. Abay accommodation content + Uber partnership announcement (8 weeks out — earlier than 2025). Campaign 5 (Retargeting) launches.
Tease Day 2 with "guess the artist" mechanic (drove 26 comments + high engagement in 2025). Drop Day 2 headliner reveal. ManyChat Wave 2 launches. Campaign 6 (FAQ/logistics traffic) starts.
Both day lineups in one post. "Lineup? Stacked." format hit 18,806 reach in 2025. Festival guide carousel (11 saves on similar content). Campaign 7 (Last tickets Conversions) launches this week if pixel has data.
Post local spots guide (64 saves in 2025 — design it for saves). "X% sold" urgency post. Partner venue deals announcement (28 saves in 2025). ManyChat Wave 3 goes live.
Daily Stories from here — polls, Q&A, countdown sticker (followers get notification when it hits zero). Festival map post. Day-of schedule. WhatsApp broadcast: logistics, shuttle info, what to bring.
Day-of: arrival Reel, crowd clips every 2hrs, Stories throughout. Within 24hrs post-event: highlights Reel (your most important single piece of content). Within 48hrs: thank you carousel. Within 60 days: "2027 dates coming" teaser to start the next funnel.
2025 crowd footage carousels. Consistently drove 200–700+ engagement and keep building FOMO for new followers who weren't at 2025.
Max 2–3/week in final 6 weeks. Sequence: tease → reveals → logistics → last call → day-of. Always include the ticketing link.
Every IG Reel → TikTok (watermark removed). Trending audio overlay where relevant. Zero extra effort for new-audience reach.
1–2 per month. Behind-the-scenes and team content. Timed around big announcements to double the audience on reveal days.
500–1,500 contacts · segmented by year (2023 / 2024 / 2025) · email + WhatsApp + names + purchase history · custom ticketing platform
A cold Instagram follower needs to discover the event, trust it, want to go, and finally buy a ticket. A previous attendee already did all of that. They stood on that beach. They already know the event is worth it. They just need a date, a price, and a reason to feel like insiders rather than members of the public. This list will convert at 5–10× the rate of any paid audience you can build — and the outreach costs almost nothing to send.
Give this list 48–72 hours of exclusive ticket access before public sales open. This does four things simultaneously: (1) drives a surge of early sales that creates real momentum, (2) makes past attendees feel valued and loyal rather than just customers, (3) gives you a "sold X% in the first 48 hours" story to post publicly on opening day — which triggers FOMO in the wider audience, and (4) fills your early-bird tier at full price without needing to discount. The pre-sale is the engine that starts the entire sales machine.
WhatsApp open rates: 85–95%. Email open rates: 20–35%. Use WhatsApp for anything where timing matters.
Email allows links, images, and multiple CTAs. Perfect for content people want to save and refer back to.
"You were there for Year 3 — and you stayed when we had to move the venue. That says everything about who you are. Year 4 is going to be something else entirely. Here's your early access."
These people have the freshest memory. Highest likelihood to return. Acknowledge the venue change — it shows you remember what they went through with you.
"Remember the night Crusy played as the sun came up? Or when Tony Romera made the whole beach lose their minds? You were there when we levelled up. We're doing it again — and this year the bar is higher."
Reference specific moments from 2024. Use their purchase history — if they bought VIP, acknowledge it. Make them feel seen.
"You were there before it blew up. Back when it was just a beach, some speakers, and the right crowd. Three years later this has become something we're all proud of. Come back and see what you helped build."
2023 attendees have seen the most growth. Pride of origin is a powerful emotion. Many will have told friends about the event — acknowledge that they're part of why it grew.
"You've been to [X] Arugamdays. That makes you family. Here's your access before anyone else sees it — and a thank you from us for coming back year after year."
If your ticketing platform can identify multi-year buyers, treat them differently. A small loyalty reward here (early access, a discount, a merch credit) pays back many times over in word-of-mouth.
"Hey [Name] — before we announce anything publicly, we wanted you to hear it first. Arugamdays is back. Aug 29–30, 2026. Tickets open for past attendees only in 48 hours. Stay close." No link yet. Just the heads up. This message alone will generate excitement and sharing.
"[Name], your exclusive pre-sale window is open — 48 hours before tickets go public. [Link] We'll see you on the beach." Short, direct, one link. No waffle.
Longer email: what's new for 2026, venue info, ticket tiers, Koko BNPL option, Abay accommodation link. This is the content email that answers every question they might have after the WhatsApp drop.
First artist announcements with full bios. "Here's who's joining us so far." Festival tone, not corporate. Include ticket link at the bottom for anyone who hasn't bought yet.
"Know someone who's never been to Arugamdays? Bring them and get [incentive — early merch access / upgrade / discount]. Forward this link: [referral link]." Use purchase history — if they've brought friends before, acknowledge it.
Full lineup reveal. The Arugam Bay local guide (64 saves in 2025 — this content works). Partner venue deals, Uber discount code, accommodation options. Designed to be saved and referenced.
Segment: everyone who received the pre-sale message but hasn't bought. "Hey [Name] — still thinking about it? Tickets are going fast and we don't want you to miss out. [Link]" Do not send this to people who already bought.
"[Name], last call — X tickets remaining before we close pre-sale pricing. After this it's door price only. [Link]" Again, only to non-buyers. Buyers get a different message (logistics).
Logistics email: how to get there, shuttle service, what to bring, venue map, partner offers, day-of schedule. This reduces day-of friction and makes attendees feel looked after.
"Tomorrow. [Name], we'll see you on the beach. Venue opens at [time]. Shuttle departs from [location] at [time]. QR code: [link]. Let's go." Practical, warm, builds excitement.
Thank you message with photo album link. Ask for a review or testimonial. Soft 2027 mention: "We're already planning the next one — sign up here to be first to know." This starts the 2027 funnel immediately while the memories are fresh.
Each previous attendee gets a unique referral link tied to their ticket purchase. When someone they refer buys a ticket, the referrer gets a reward — early merch access, a small credit, an upgrade, or a carpool group priority slot. Track this through your ticketing platform using UTM parameters or a built-in referral code system. Even a 10% referral rate on 1,500 attendees = 150 additional tickets sold through word-of-mouth from people who already love the event. These referred tickets also tend to bring people who are culturally aligned with the event — they were personally invited by someone who's been before.
Export email addresses and phone numbers from your ticketing platform and upload them to Meta Ads Manager as a Customer List Custom Audience. This lets you: (1) suppress previous attendees from cold-audience prospecting campaigns (don't waste paid budget on people you can reach for free via email/WhatsApp), (2) build a Lookalike Audience of previous attendees — Meta finds people who resemble your actual buyers, which is more precise than interest-based targeting, and (3) run a specific retargeting campaign only to past attendees who haven't bought 2026 tickets yet, with messaging that references their history. This bridges your owned-channel database with your paid strategy.
Sources: Nadine's content calendar · your ideas · AI additions · split into online and offline
The Gemini strategy's central insight: instead of spending budget on digital ads to find audiences, spend it on offline events so compelling that audiences create the content and find you. Physical encounter → content creation → digital amplification → ticket conversion. Each offline stunt is designed to lower digital Cost-Per-Acquisition through organic UGC reach. Target: 10,000+ attendees · 5M+ impressions · 100% sellout.
| # | Idea / Content | Format | Platform | Category | Message pillar | Timing | Source |
|---|
Teal = added/improved by AI · Green = from Nadine's calendar · Orange = from Gemini strategy · Timing: Early (10–12wk) · Mid (5–9wk) · Late (1–4wk) · Evergreen
Physical stunts, signage, OOH and partnership ideas — sourced from your ideas, Gemini strategy and AI additions
Every offline activation is designed to generate UGC that lowers your digital CPA. Physical encounter → content creation → digital amplification → ticket conversion. The offline stunts (Frozen Access, Portal) are projected to generate organic reach that offsets traditional ad spend.
| # | Idea / Activation | Category | Location | How it works | Timing | Source |
|---|
📌 You mentioned you have more offline ideas to add — this table will grow. Share them and they'll be incorporated here.
📌 You have more offline ideas to add — share them and they will be added here.