Promotion | Main Street America
Member Login
Member Login

Promotion positions your downtown or neighborhood commercial district as the center of the community and hub of economic activity, while creating a positive image that showcases your community’s unique characteristics, culture, history, and defining features. Effective promotion activities help change or enhance the image of your downtown, preserve its unique heritage, and support its reputation as the place for residents to shop, work, live, have fun, and invest.

Gustavo Ustariz speaking about promotions
Play Video: Main Street Foundations: Promotion

Main Street Foundations: Promotion

3 Simple Next Steps

  1. Create a Plan — Write down your marketing and promotions plan. Develop separate, but integrated, plans for your Main Street program and each event or activity. Track your efforts and refine these plans for future use.
  2. Work SMART - Set SMART objectives and goals so you can track and measure the effectiveness of your plan and adjust as needed. SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timebound. 
  3. Get Feedback — Seek feedback through various channels and methods. Survey your event attendees, district residents, shoppers, and visitors, and business owners to evaluate and improve your marketing efforts. 

Dive Deeper

Click on the links below to dive deeper and learn more about Design principles for Main Street communities.

Related Resources

David West, Main Street South Australia

Join host Matt Wagner as he welcomes David West, director of Premier Retail Marketing and based in Adelaide, South Australia.

  • The Main Street Approach
  • Small Business & Entrepreneurship
October 2, 2024
Headshot of man wearing black suit with tie in front of city scene
Podcast

2024 Trend Forecast: Get Your Business Holiday-Ready

In this episode, Matt reveals the data-driven trends that will define the 2024 holiday shopping season — and shows you exactly how to leverage them for your small business.

  • The Main Street Approach
  • Small Business & Entrepreneurship
October 23, 2024
Designed image with blue background and Main Street Business Insights and Main Street America logos in top-left corner, with text reading, "Get Your Business Holiday Ready" and photo of Matt Wagner on right.
Podcast

State of Main: Spring 2020

Celebrate the broad diversity of champions that make up our powerful network and offers resources and solutions for leading revitalization efforts.

  • The Main Street Approach
March 15, 2020
2020 State of Main cover reading "We Are Main Street"
Publication

Main Street Approach Toolkit

Get the resources to understand this proved method for downtown and neighborhood district revitalization.

  • The Main Street Approach
December 6, 2023
People walk along the main shopping district of Cold Spring, New York
Toolkit

Rebuilding to Healing

Watch this webinar to learn how historic downtowns and commercial districts are rebuilding after the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • The Main Street Approach
July 13, 2021
Mural and storefronts in a historic downtown
Video

State of Main

State of Main provides a detailed look at all the accomplishments of the Main Street America Network and explores cutting edge ideas and trends in the commercial district revitalization field

  • The Main Street Approach
May 1, 2020
Aerial photograph of a downtown festival with vendors along a historic street
Publication

State of Main: Winter 2019

With articles written by industry experts on topics ranging from the transformative placemaking to inclusive entrepreneurship, the publication is brimming with tools, tips, and strategies that will help you lead a results-oriented revitalization effort.

  • The Main Street Approach
  • Public Space and Infrastructure
December 1, 2019
Cover of 2019 State of Main reading "Place and Community"
Publication

Downtown Washington, Inc

Learn how Downtown Washington, Inc, one of Missouri's first Main Streets has used design to transform their downtown district to promote downtown retail and drive investment.

  • The Main Street Approach
January 1, 2019
Downtown Washington, Inc. Founded 1989, population 14,061, $64.8 million reinvested, 112 new businesses, 435 new jobs.
Article

Natchitoches Main Street

Learn how Natchitoches Main Street transformed this historic Louisiana town into a magnet for small businesses and investment.

  • The Main Street Approach
January 1, 2019
Natchitoches Main Street. Founded 1993, population 18,319, $39.7 million reinvested, 87 new businesses, 408 new jobs.
Article

Livermore Downtown, Inc

Learn how Livermore Downtown, Inc, has transformed this northern California city in a regional destination for dining, shopping, and culture.

  • The Main Street Approach
January 1, 2019
Livermore Downtown, Inc. Founded 1986, population 89,115, $101 million reinvested, 2% vacancy rate, 40+ buildings rehabilitated.
Article

Laramie Main Street Alliance

Learn how Laramie Main Street Alliance is transforming this Wyoming town and bringing new vibrancy to the downtown core.

  • The Main Street Approach
January 1, 2019
Laramie Main Street Alliance. Founded 2005, population 32,382, $16.5 million reinvested, 100 new businesses, 481 new jobs.
Article

H Street Main Street

Learn how H Street Main Street in D.C. is transforming the community by bringing in new businesses and investment.

  • The Main Street Approach
January 1, 2019
H Street Main Street. Founded 2002, population 693,972, $2.8 billion reinvested, 423 new businesses, 5,300 new jobs.
Article

Leading Main Street

Learn the five of these key attributes of successful Main Street leaders with insights and examples from across the Main Street America network. Published in State of Main.

  • The Main Street Approach
  • People Management and Work Planning
April 15, 2018
Graphic featuring overlapping white diamonds on a blue background. Text reads "leading main street"
Article

Advocacy in Motion

Director of Policy Outreach, Government Relations and Policy, at the National Trust for Historic Preservation explains how Main Street advocacy has made a difference and how to get involved.

  • The Main Street Approach
  • Policy and Advocacy
April 15, 2018
New Jersey coordinating staff meet with congressional staff on Hill Day
Article

The Main Street Approach Design Handbook

A handbook on how urban design principles can be used to improve economic development, placemaking, safety, and community.

  • The Main Street Approach
  • Community Preservation
April 10, 2018
Design Handbook cover
Publication

Market Analysis for Community Transformation

Learn how to use data and market analysis processes to understand your community and advance revitalization and economic development efforts.

  • The Main Street Approach
March 28, 2018
People walking along a tree-lined downtown street
Publication

A Grassroots Network

The Main Street America Network is comprised of some of the most enthusiastic, passionate, committed people you'll ever find. Learn more about this nationwide movement of community changemakers.

  • The Main Street Approach
October 26, 2017
Video

The Approach

A short video explaining how the Main Street Approach can transform historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial corridors.

  • The Main Street Approach
October 21, 2017
Graphic featuring the Main Street logo and the words "the Main Street Approach"
Video

Power of the Movement

Learn how the nationwide Main Street network harnesses the Main Street Approach to transform communities.

  • The Main Street Approach
October 18, 2017
A street sign reading "main street" on a lamp post with a flower box
Video

Economic Impact of Main Street

Learn how the Main Street Approach gives communities a competitive advantage, resulting in reinvestment, new businesses, new jobs, and building rehabilitations.

  • The Main Street Approach
October 15, 2017
Since 1980, Main Street America programs have generated over $70 billion in reinvestment, 132,092 net net businesses, 584,422 net new jobs, and 268,053 building rehabilitations.
Video

Community Engagement for Main Street Transformation

Learn how to launch or strengthen your community engagement efforts, including actionable tools to put to use in your own community.

  • The Main Street Approach
  • People Management and Work Planning
August 3, 2017
Volunteers celebrating after a clean-up event
Publication

Main Streets in Action

A short video showing the impact that the Main Street Approach has had to transform historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial corridors.

  • The Main Street Approach
July 13, 2017
Ed McMahon speaking to the camera
Video

The Main Street Approach

A guide examining how to create or enhance a sustainable commercial district revitalization effort using the Main Street Approach.

  • The Main Street Approach
July 12, 2017
People enjoying an outdoor downtown market
Publication

The Main Street Refresh

Vital updates to the The Main Street Approach to improve community revitalization and economic development in downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts.

  • The Main Street Approach
July 12, 2017
People walking in a crowd downtown
Publication

Downtowns Matter

Ed McMahon explores the key characteristics of successful downtowns. Published in State of Main.

  • The Main Street Approach
  • People Management and Work Planning
April 15, 2016
A mural with the words "Greetings from Allston Village"

Boston, MA

 Article

Building Inclusive Communities on Main Street

Learn about the important role that Main Street America programs have to play in building inclusive communities.

  • The Main Street Approach
  • Equitable and Inclusive Community Development
April 15, 2016
Attendees have a conversation at the 2019 Main Street Now conference
Article

The Keys to Launching a Main Street Program

Learn how Otsego, Michigan used community support and strategic visioning to launch their revitalization efforts. Published in Main Street Now Journal.

  • The Main Street Approach
  • People Management and Work Planning
August 15, 2013
Illustration of downtown historic buildings
Article

Arts and Entertainment Districts

Explore benefits of and strategies for creating a vibrant arts and entertainment district in your downtown or neighborhood. Published in Main Street Now Journal.

  • The Main Street Approach
  • Marketing, Communications, and Events
March 15, 2012
Three men performing on stage wearing country music attire
Article

Establishing a District Niche

Learn how focusing on the unique features of your community can make a Main Street district memorable to shoppers and visitors. Published in Main Street Now Journal.

  • The Main Street Approach
  • Marketing, Communications, and Events
March 15, 2012
Two storefronts, one selling handbags and one selling bedding
Article

Green Streets in Iowa

Learn about Iowa’s exciting sustainability initiative and the ways two small towns are becoming more green. Published in Main Street Now Journal.

  • The Main Street Approach
  • Community Preservation
March 15, 2010
An illustration of a downtown parks project
Article

Revitalizing Main Street

A detailed guide to comprehensive commercial district revitalization for downtowns and neighborhoods.

  • The Main Street Approach
January 1, 2009
People walking in a downtown streetscape at night.
Publication