Case Study • Social Media + Influencer Relations

Wordfest:
Bookstagrammer-In-Residence Program

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Wordfest connects Calgarians through extraordinary ideas and their weapon of choice is books. They deal in big ideas that come from books and the people who write them. They produce more than 100 shows a year, and a present a fall festival called The Imaginairium — Canada’s liveliest literary festival — every October.

What you need to know about Wordfest is this: Wordfesters are the best people on the planet — curious, kind, engaged, and generous. The festival enjoys a (way) above-average return rate, and most shows sell out almost immediately.

But like many cultural orgs, Wordfest faced the dual challenge of an aging core audience and the risk of long-term audience decline. At the same time, the festival was navigating a rapidly evolving, digital-first landscape and a desire to ensure more Calgarians could see themselves reflected in Wordfest’s spaces — onstage, online, and in the audience.With consistently sold-out shows, traditional advertising isn’t needed. Therefore, ‘promotion’ couldn’t be relied upon to manage churn — so: how do you introduce Wordfest to new people, grow audiences, and authentically embody values of inclusivity and diversity?

The Challenge:

Wordfest turned to Shareworthy (we’re on their team for media relations and social media) with a clear goal: refresh and expand the audience by reaching younger, more diverse readers — without paid advertising. To match Wordfest’s high standards, the approach needed to spark genuine engagement while ensuring the loyal community that has supported the festival for decades continued to feel seen, valued, and welcomed.

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Enter: The Bookstagrammers-In-Residence Program

Shareworthy leaned into what makes Wordfest truly special: the access, intimacy, and authentic human connection the festival creates between readers and authors.

At the centre of the strategy was the Bookstagrammers in Residence (BIR) program — a community-driven opportunity for local book-loving content creators to experience Wordfest from the inside and share it with their audiences in their own voices.

“Bookstagrammers” could apply for one of 10 BIR roles, receiving festival passes and exclusive perks such as behind-the-scenes access and invitations to author after-parties and meet-and-greets. The response was overwhelming, with interest more than doubling by the program’s second year.

By empowering local book creators with loyal followings of like-minded readers to tell the Wordfest story through reviews, reels, stories, and real-time festival moments, the program helped new audiences feel welcome, represented, and connected — both online and in person. Creator-led storytelling enabled Wordfest to show up on social in a way that felt human, generous, and genuinely inviting.

The Results

The word got out — without advertising and with maximum authenticity.

The response was immediate and powerful. Social engagement surged, feeds filled with passionate reader voices, and Wordfest’s community felt bigger, warmer, and more alive than ever.

Most importantly, Wordfest successfully shifted its primary engaged online audience to a younger demographic, while still achieving above-average growth across all age groups — proof that thoughtful, authentic content resonates widely. This momentum also set the stage for future conversion initiatives.

Key social outcomes included:

  • During the peak campaign period, Instagram post views increased by 191%, followers by 45.8%, and total engagements by 25.7%.

  • Engagement among ages 25–34 increased by 212%, and 18–24 by 278%, while engagement across all other age groups also increased.

  • The Bookstagrammers in Residence program alone generated 336 tagged posts, over 550 pieces of creator content, and sparked a wave of user-generated content that extended well beyond Wordfest’s own channels. 

  • Even attendees not formally involved with the BIR program were inspired to share their experiences online. 


These efforts didn’t just move the numbers. They fostered connection, excitement, and pride—strengthening Wordfest’s sense of community, visibility, and cultural relevance, while remaining aligned with the festival’s core values.

As a result, Wordfest enjoyed its best-selling year yet and now has a strong platform to continue reaching new audiences and converting engaged followers into future Wordfesters.


Credits: Images courtesy of Wordfest

  • “It was genuinely a highlight of my year. Being immersed in such a vibrant literary community was inspiring, and I would absolutely encourage others to get involved. What stood out to me most was the warmth and kindness of everyone involved. From the moment you arrived, you felt like a longtime friend.”

    — Taylor, Bookstagrammer in Residence, 2025

  • "I truly LOVE Wordfest and feel as though it is such a privledge and honour to be selected to work with you guys! Thank you for being so inclusive and supportive of what we do; so many people think it is a frivelous hobby (which it can be lol) but you never make me feel that way - you make the work feel seen and valued."

    — Brenna, Bookstagrammer in Residence, 2025

  • "I am not new to the book/publishing scene, but I am new to the scene in Calgary and Canada specifically. I noticed how AWESOME it is, because of Wordfest! I got the opportunity to meet lots of other Instagrammers and loved that I got to be part of a few networking events outside of the Wordfest program. I loved the beads to make your own bracelet, the swag (oh, I loved the swag), and more importantly, the care we got from you and from Wordfest."

    — Maral, Bookstagrammer in Residence, 2025

“Within the first year of hiring Shareworthy to manage Wordfest's media relations, we grew our audience by an astonishing 27 percent. This challenge was yet another example of how they deeply understand our audience, and make real impact.

Publishers, both nationally and internationally, struggle to forge lasting connections between their authors and readers in the age of fractured media and advertising platforms.  Literary event producers struggle with attracting new audiences. Shareworthy's innovative BIR initiative provided a fresh, effective way to utilize the best aspects of social media. We are fortunate to have Shareworthy, and their rare ability to synthesize trends and opportunities, as a key part of  Wordfest's audience engagement strategy moving forward.” 

— Shelley Youngblut, CEO & Creative Ringleader, Wordfest & The Wordfest Imaginairium Festival