Self-Guided Course

Building Your District's Story: The Foundations of Promotion

If Main Street organizations don’t take charge of the story, someone else will.

This course introduces the fundamental concepts of Promotion, including how to identify a district’s defining assets, the role of storytelling in branding, and how to take charge of the district’s narrative. It also challenges common misconceptions about Promotion, ensuring that efforts are strategic, sustainable, and aligned with broader revitalization goals.

Time: 30 minutes Skill Level: Starting Formal Learning: 100 points

A quiet downtown corner at dusk shows a red-brick building with large display windows revealing bookshelves inside. To the left, a colorful geometric mural in shades of pink, yellow, and orange fills the lower brick wall. Vertical signs above the doorway read “Bk Books,” “Co Coffee,” and “Be Beer.” A leafless street tree and vintage streetlamp stand on the wide concrete sidewalk, while a blue-and-white classic sedan and other cars drift past on the two-lane road flanked by more historic storefronts. — Biddeford, Maine. Photo by Notice Pictures.

What You Will Learn

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

Define Promotion and explain why it is essential to the Main Street Approach.
Identify the defining assets of a district and how they shape Promotion strategies.
Understand the role of narrative and storytelling in building a district’s brand.
Recognize common misconceptions about Promotion and shift to a strategic, asset-based approach.