Marketing & Main

05/25/2026

If you’ve never spent July 3 at The Ohio State University at Newark, this is your year to change that ✨

The symphony at the amphitheater, fireworks over the pond, lawn chairs and picnic blankets across campus. It’s one of the best summer traditions in Licking County 🧺❤️

This year, The Ohio State University Alumni Club of Licking County is hosting a private gathering during the festivities, which feels like a pretty perfect way to celebrate America’s 250th 🇺🇸 (with fellow Buckeyes in one of the best community spaces we have!)

👇👇Registration is open now, so grab your tickets, bring a lawn chair, and come celebrate with us.

P.S. You don’t have to be an Ohio State alum to join the Alumni Club — just someone who loves this community and wants to support future Buckeyes in Licking County 🅾️🙌🏼

Celebrate the 3rd of July with your fellow Buckeyes in Licking County!

04/21/2026

I can’t believe how lucky we are to live and work in such a beautiful community 😍 It’s hardly considered work, though, when you get to meet a new pal, walk in the sunshine and love on a stranger’s perfect doggie 🐶, all in a single lunch hour. Plus, the courthouse chimes, my fav 🎶

04/18/2026

We are so lucky today at the historicnewarkarcade to have so many cool pieces of art and all of the creative vibes of BALL HILL The Arcade’s fine arts fair 😍 If you haven’t already, be sure to stop down this afternoon 🎨🖌️❤️

03/22/2026

Thank you to Weidner's Corner 2, Dockside Donuts and this 1960’s Polara for giving us the very best day ☀️🌸🍳🍪

03/17/2026

97% of your audience is not ready to buy yet.

That is one of the biggest reasons small business marketing can feel harder than it should.

Most people are not at the “ready now” stage when they come across your business. They are earlier in the process — just noticing a problem, trying to understand it, or comparing their options.

So when every post sounds like “buy now,” “book now,” or “work with us,” it can miss the much larger group you actually need to warm up first.

That is where the stages of consumer awareness come in.

Some people are unaware and need help recognizing the problem.
Some are problem aware and need to see that a solution exists.
Some are solution aware and need help understanding their options.
Some are product or service aware and need a reason to choose you.
And a small percentage are most aware and ready for a clear next step.

For small businesses, this framework is a good reminder that marketing is not just about selling. It is also about teaching, guiding, clarifying, and building trust over time.

In other words:
not every post should ask for the sale.
Some posts should earn it.

Before your next campaign, social post, or email, ask yourself:
What stage is this for?

Because the clearer that answer is, the stronger the content usually gets.

Inspired by coverage from overnightstrategist, with visuals reworked in-house.

03/10/2026

New on the blog: Your website might be working against you.

If SEO has always sounded like smoke and mirrors, this one is for you. I broke down what an SEO audit actually is, what it catches, and why it matters for local businesses.

https://www.marketingandmain.com/blog/seo-audit-central-ohio-small-business

02/16/2026

I usually keep this page pretty business-focused, but this week deserves a quick detour.

We’re sailing with the buckeyecruise 🛳️ — a fundraiser that supports The James at osuwexmed 🥰

I’ve been lucky enough to adventure with my fellow Buckeyes many times in the past, but this one hits differently because I get to bring my mom, our fierce and fabulous survivor 😍

If you’ve ever supported this fundraiser—volunteered, donated, shared a post, bought a raffle ticket, showed up — thank you. You’ve been part of more stories than you’ll ever fully see.

02/07/2026

Happy Galentine’s Day! Grab those free passports and spend today at the Newark Arcade sipping, shopping and snapping selfies with your faves 😍

02/04/2026

These February trends def aren’t a checklist, but hopefully some inspo!.

Here’s the part most people miss: trends only matter if they make it easier for customers to choose you.
That’s why the safest content to post is still:
• Proof (results, before/after, reviews in plain English)
• Answers (the questions people ask before they buy)
• People (a quick face + voice builds trust faster than another graphic)

Which one are you leaning into this month?

02/04/2026

Valentine’s Day marketing usually assumes everyone is in the same mood.

This year, JCPenney tried something more honest: a one-day “Ex-Change” where you can bring in jewelry from an ex and swap it for a new ½-carat lab-grown diamond necklace — no appraisal, no questions, limited quantities at select stores.

Why it works: the “no questions” rule removes friction (and awkwardness), the tight time window + hard cap creates urgency without a big media buy, and the donation partner (Good360) keeps it from feeling mean-spirited.

Local takeaway: you don’t need diamonds to borrow this. You need a trade-in idea that’s easy to explain, slightly funny, and friction-free.

Keep/kill: would a “trade this for that” event make people show up for your business — or would it feel weird in your category?