Lessons from Managing Socials for Port Macquarie’s Biggest Event ToxTails (That Every Small Business Can Use)
On March 1st, 2025, the Port Macquarie Racecourse came alive. The reason? ToxTails – one of the Port Macquarie’s largest annual charity events.
Led by the ever-inspiring Dr Kristy Kostalas, local GP and founder of Port Medical Aesthetics Clinics, this year's event raised a staggering $62,750 for Liberty Domestic and Family Violence Specialist Services. But behind the gram-worthy set up and flowing cocktails was a carefully crafted digital strategy that made it all feel so effortless.
And that’s where Digital Strangers came in.
We developed the social media content, managed event-day execution and facilitated ToxTails’ first ever major sponsorship partnership with Regional Australia Bank. It was a campaign with a message, a mission and meaningful results: Help bring awareness to the occurrence of domestic violence in the Port Macquarie region and support the services leading the charge against it.
Past the amazing support this event brings to the community, there’s a couple of key takeaways that all small businesses can learn.
Whether you're planning your own event, launching a new product or trying to cut through online, these lessons apply to every small business owner trying to make it in today's noisy digital landscape.
Why Event Marketing Isn't Just for "Big Brands"
The Myth: You Need a Big Budget To Make Impact
It’s easy to think high-impact marketing is reserved for big city galas or corporations with in-house teams. But the truth is, your moment deserves just as much intention. Whether you're planning a:
Grand opening
Product drop
Seasonal sale
Workshop or retreat
Community event
…you have a chance to stop the scroll and show your audience what you stand for.
ToxTails worked because it had a vision, a clear purpose, and a plan to amplify it.
In our role, we focused on creating organic content before, during, and after the event to drive awareness and engagement. We deliberately chose formats based on how audiences behave: Stories became our hero format for event-night coverage because they’re intimate, immersive and perfect for a real-time experience. Reels, on the other hand, were used for mass reach and brand amplification — especially for showcasing the atmosphere, partnerships and overall vibe of the event.
We leaned into trending audio and content styles that boosted our chances of virality and discoverability, making each piece of content work harder for visibility.
What made the strategy even more powerful was the organic creation of user-generated content (UGC). Attendees shared their own experiences, tagging ToxTails and sponsors — effectively turning the event into a ripple effect of local promotion. And all of it? Completely unpaid.
This is what small businesses often overlook: you don't need a huge budget, you need a smart plan.
Your brand can (and should) do the same.
Our Role: Behind the Socials of ToxTails
At Digital Strangers, we were responsible for:
Pre-event strategy and rollout
Content creation
Event-day social media coverage
Post-event wrap-up and reporting
Brand partnership management with Regional Australia Bank
This wasn’t just about good content. It was about aligning every touchpoint with the bigger purpose of the event: community connection and fundraising for a crucial cause.
Pre-Event Planning
Rather than simply creating posts, our role began by helping Dr Kristy shape a holistic digital strategy that would set ToxTails up for long-term visibility and community building.
Together, we:
Identified the need for a dedicated ToxTails website, not just for this year’s event, but as a foundation for future audience capture, discoverability and data collection. HELLO! Cloud Concepts did an amazing job at bringing it to life.
Created a cohesive content plan that introduced the event, its purpose and the people behind it — all while positioning the brand in a premium and approachable way.
Ensured every piece of pre-event content had a purpose: from sponsor shoutouts to hype-building countdowns.
We also worked closely with Kristy’s personal brand to extend reach and add authenticity, using her influence as a strategic amplification channel.
Day-of Execution
Real-time social coverage focused on:
Capturing the atmosphere (stories, reels, UGC)
Highlighting sponsor involvement
Managing resharing
We knew the content needed to feel premium but still authentic. That meant short-form video, close-up moments, crowd reactions and live reposts.
The Regional Australia Bank Partnership
This was a proud moment for us. ToxTails had never had a major brand partnership before. We:
Helped create a seamless working partnership with Regional Australia Bank through planning and execution of deliverables
Integrated their presence organically through social media content and physical branding
Tracked impact through custom analytics and event reporting
With featured visibility in person, on socials and on the ToxTails website, their sponsorship didn’t just feel present — it felt integrated.
Pictured: Jessie Roberts, Dr Kristy Kostalas, Rebecca Judd
What the Numbers Told Us
This campaign wasn’t just a visual success. It delivered a few digital 'wow moments' worth highlighting:
📈 431,000+ total Instagram views, including a Reel by influencer, The Skincare Company ambassador and attendee, Bec Judd, that reached over 325,000 views
🚀 A 1,511% spike in account reach during the event period
These results weren’t accidental, they were the outcome of intentional strategy, real-time execution and thoughtful content.
Lessons Every Small Business Can Use
So what does this mean for you? If you're running a small brand, event or eComm business, here's what we want you to take away:
Start with Strategy
Too many businesses "post to stay active."
Don’t.
Instead, ask:
What are you trying to achieve?
Who are you talking to?
What do you want them to feel, think or do?
Build your content around that, don’t just jump out of the gates with a bunch of content or focus on trends.
Treat Your Launches Like Events
You don’t need a gala. You need a moment.
Whether it’s a new product, collection or service, map your content like an event:
Pre-launch tease
Behind the scenes
Hype-building moments
Launch day live content
Post-launch customer reactions
It’s the same flow we used for ToxTails. And it works.
Think Bigger with Partnerships
You don’t need to be a major influencer to land a sponsor.
If you have a loyal audience or a highly engaged community (online or offline), you have leverage. Use it to:
Partner with suppliers
Trade value with other businesses
Pitch to aligned brands for co-marketing
Just make sure the integration makes sense for both audiences.
Be Intentional With How You Show Up
The data doesn’t lie:
Reels = massive reach
Stories = deeper connection
Try using Reels to get discovered. Use Stories to stay top of mind and build connections.
The Power of UGC (User-Generated Content)
Encourage your audience to create content for you.
Incentivise tagging
Create a branded hashtag
Share other users posts
ToxTails gained so many shared stories without the overhead because people feel connected and proud to attend the event.
Follow Through After the Moment
Most small brands go quiet after their campaign. That’s where momentum dies.
Here’s what to do instead:
Share post-launch wins
Thank collaborators and customers
Repurpose launch content into new formats
Create a highlight reel or recap blog (like this!)
A Word From Dr KK
“Having Noah manage the digital side of things gave me complete peace of mind. I could focus on running the event, knowing everything online was in expert hands and helping build the momentum in real time. Our partnership with Regional Australia Bank was elevated by the way Noah brought them into the story. Honestly, I’m already excited about the content we’ll create together for ToxTails 2026."
- Dr Kristy Kostalas, GP, Founder of ToxTails & Port Medical Aesthetics Clinic.
Final Thoughts
“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe.”
And that’s exactly it.
ToxTails isn’t a success just because it gives people something to do on a Saturday night. It works because it gives people something to become a part of. A purpose, a community cause worth supporting, wrapped in a brand experience that felt intentional and premium.
When that kind of meaning is paired with smart digital amplification, the impact can be astronomical (like raising a record-breaking $63,000 year of donations kinda astranomical).
That’s what we do at Digital Strangers. We help brands shape and share stories that resonate. Strategies that are human, purposeful and actually drive results.
Whether you’re running a local event, launching a new product or just want to finally feel proud of your online presence — let’s talk.
📧 Ready to show up with an impact?
To score yourself an invite to ToxTails 2026
