After 2 years of helping locals discover the best things to do in Columbus and Central Ohio, we’re officially opening the doors to something new: Step Out Columbus advertising for local brick-and-mortar businesses.
We’ve built a powerful platform that hundreds of thousands of Central Ohioans turn to every month to find out where to eat, things to do, and how to live it up in their city. Now, we’re putting that influence to work for local brick-and-mortar businesses who want to grow and bring more new customers through their door — and we’re inviting any business who fits certain criteria to be part of it. (More on that below!)
“Why don’t more people know about us?”
If you’ve asked that lately, this is for you.
You’ve built something amazing.
The vibe is right. You’ve got a solid foundation of word-of-mouth referrals.
But you’re still not growing at the rate you want to.
The Harsh Truth:
Most Local Marketing Wastes Time, Money — or Both.
What we hear from businesses all the time:
❌ “We hired someone to run our social, but it didn’t go anywhere.”
❌ “We tried Facebook and Instagram ads — didn’t bring new customers in.”
❌ “We’re a cool spot… but it feels like no one knows we exist.”
If you’ve been burned before — radio ads, magazine features, expensive boosts, or ineffective social management — and nothing actually changed?
You’re not crazy.
You can’t grow by marketing to the same 3000 people who already follow you.
You need to reach engaged, experience-chasing locals who are ready to spend money — and just need a reason to choose you.
That’s where we come in.
Step Out Columbus Advertising Is Now Live
After two years of helping locals uncover the best things to eat, do, and experience in Columbus…
We’re officially opening up ad partnerships — for a select group of high-fit businesses who want real results.
We’re the only media company in Columbus that both creates fun, influencer-style content for locals and offers that same content style as advertising for businesses. That means your promos show up like trusted tips — not annoying ads.
No cold, corporate ads.
No off-brand “sponsored” labels.
Just visual, scroll-stopping storytelling that makes people tag their friends like:
“WE NEED TO GO.”
What It Feels Like When It Works
“I stopped all my other advertising. People are coming from all over… business went up a third.”
“85–90% of new customers said Step Out brought them in.”
“Step Out Media’s advertising paid for itself right away; it was definitely worth it.”
“High-quality work with impressive turnaround times. Thanks to their strategic approach, we saw a significant boost in customer engagement and increased traffic to our business.”
“Our [restaurant’s] Instagram following doubled – nearly overnight! It gave the profile a much-needed jumpstart to get the ball rolling with stronger post engagements and encourage further follows. Plus, the restaurant has been getting busier!
“We have found that you guys have been one of our more effective advertising outlets in terms of who we’re reaching. It’s been helping us get our classes filled up. When we ask, “How did you hear about us?,” the responses are either Instagram, Facebook, or Step Out Media. We want to increase our spend with you guys moving forward because it’s such an effective tool for us.”
You’ll go from asking “Does marketing work?” → to asking
“Why wasn’t I doing this sooner?”
But This Isn’t for Everyone (And That’s the Point)
We don’t advertise every business.
But if we pick yours, it’s because we believe we can help you grow — and we go all in.
We only partner with:
- Locally owned brick-and-mortar businesses in the following categories: restaurants, events, shops, things to do, getaways/staycations, & apartments
- Restaurants doing over $40K per month and Attractions, Shops, and Getaways doing over $17K per month in revenue and ready to get more new customers
- Owners or decision-makers ready to invest in growth
- Brands that have unique differentiators that ensure they stand out among the competition — and just need more people to know about them
One Catch: We’re Almost Booked for Fall.
If you want people walking through your door this fall — you need to start now.
Our fall advertising slots are limited, and the best results come from businesses that have the foresight to plan ahead.
This isn’t a one-time promo — it’s a program to set in place — so you’re not gambling your ad budget on last-minute guesses later.
Does Our Audience Match Your Ideal Customer?
We built the Step Out advertising program for local businesses that want to get in front of locals in Central Ohio, actively looking for places to eat, shop, and explore.
Are our audience demographics a fit for your business? :
- Who our audience is
- Where they live
- What they care about
- Age & Gender
👉 Find out if our audience aligns with your target customer
And if you’re already thinking, “This sounds perfect for us”…
👉 Click here to speak with a member of our team
Let’s put your business in front of locals looking for their next favorite spot. Because people should know about all the awesome stuff you have going on in your business. We’re here to make sure they do.