Why Measuring Impact Matters

If you’re part of a Main Street or Downtown District marketing team, your mission is clear: bring people downtown, support local businesses, and show off everything that makes your community vibrant and unique.

But in today’s world, it’s not just about putting up posters or planning events, you need to show results. Whether you're reporting to a city partner, applying for grants, or simply making your case to local business owners, being able to prove your impact is key.

That’s where Proxi comes in. It’s an easy-to-use interactive mapping tool that not only helps you showcase what’s happening downtown, but also gives you real insights to track and measure what’s working.

Build Maps with a Purpose

A successful downtown marketing campaign starts with a clear goal and the right tools to get people exploring. Whether you’re promoting a seasonal shopping event, encouraging restaurant visits, or running a family-friendly activity downtown, your Proxi map should be built with purpose, and packed with features that drive results.

Step 1: Start with a Strategic Foundation

Before adding pins to your map, think about what you’re trying to accomplish. Are you:

Promoting a weekend event or seasonal festival?
Highlighting small businesses during a shopping campaign?
Creating a walkable downtown experience for locals or tourists?

Whatever your goal is, build your map to support it. Use categories, tags, and custom branding to make your map both organized and eye-catching. Add call-to-action buttons to drive clicks to business websites, menus, reservation links, or event tickets.

Step 2: Add-On Features That Drive Real Engagement

To make your map more than just a guide, Proxi offers powerful add-ons built specifically for engagement and measurement. These tools turn your downtown into a destination and give you real insights into how your campaign is performing.

🎟️ Passport Challenges

Encourage visitors to explore multiple locations by turning your map into a check-in adventure. Visitors tap “Check In” at different businesses or landmarks, and once they hit a goal (like visiting 5 out of 10 spots) they can win a prize or unlock a discount. You get data on visits and participation, and local businesses get more foot traffic.

Use it for:

Shop Small for the Holidays
Attraction Passes and Tourism Trails
Restaurant Weeks and Wine Walks

🗳️ Best Of Voting

Let your community shine by asking locals and visitors to vote on their favorite downtown spots. Run a “Best Of” contest, like Best Coffee Shop, Most Giftable Store, or Favorite park, and turn it into a buzz-worthy event that brings attention to small businesses.

Use it for:

Seasonal contests (Best Holiday Display!)
Business spotlights and friendly competition

🔍 Scavenger Hunts

Create a themed adventure that brings people all over downtown. Use clues to get people exploring new areas. This is a fun, family-friendly way to increase dwell time and draw attention to under-the-radar spots.

Use it for:

Historical walking tours
Local art or mural hunts
Seasonal events (holiday windows)

Each of these features doesn’t just add fun, they give you measurable data. You’ll be able to track participation, check-ins, clicks, and more, so you can confidently report on your impact and make smart decisions for future campaigns.

Promote Your Map Like a Pro

Once your map is ready, it’s time to get it out into the world. Share it across your community:

Embed on your downtown website
Post on social media (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok)
Feature it in your newsletter
Partner with businesses and community orgs to share it

📱 Bonus Tip: Use QR codes on flyers, window signage, event banners, or sandwich boards to help people access your map instantly while downtown.

You can also let businesses or residents submit their own locations or events using Proxi’s crowdsourcing features, keeping the map fresh and community-driven.

Track What Matters: Turn Map Data Into Real-World Results

Proxi isn’t just pretty, it’s powerful. Every map you build comes with a built-in Analytics Dashboard that helps you understand what’s working, what’s popular, and how your marketing is driving real-world results. And when you're accountable to stakeholders, funders, or city leaders, this kind of data is gold.

What You Can Measure in Proxi

Here’s what Proxi tracks automatically:

Check-ins
See how many people are physically visiting locations via your map—perfect for campaigns like Passport Challenges or Scavenger Hunts.

Views & Unique Visitors
Understand how many people are seeing your map, and where they're coming from (geographically and digitally).

Top Performing Points
Learn which businesses, events, or locations are getting the most attention.

CTA Clicks
Know how many people are clicking on call-to-action buttons—whether it's to book a hotel, view a menu, or buy a ticket.

This data paints a clear picture of how your community is engaging with your campaign, both online and on the ground.

Estimate Economic Impact

Want to speak the language of grants and tourism boards? Proxi’s check-in and CTA data can help you estimate real economic impact. For example:

Hosting a Restaurant Week? Multiply check-ins at participating restaurants by an average meal cost to estimate dollars spent.

Running a shopping challenge? Track how many people visited or clicked through to local retailers, then estimate average basket size.

Featuring events or performances? Use CTA clicks or RSVPs as a proxy for ticket sales or attendance.

These numbers aren’t just impressive—they’re actionable. They help you tell a clear ROI story in grant reports, board presentations, and funding applications.

Go Deeper with Pro-Level Tracking

Want even more insight? Proxi plays well with other tools.

Add UTM parameters to your map links to track traffic sources like social media, newsletters, or ads in Google Analytics.

Use Zapier integrations to connect your map data to Google Sheets, email platforms, CRMs, or reporting dashboards.

Collect user emails or survey responses through Proxi's customizable forms for follow-up marketing or feedback.

Whether you're applying for funding, reporting to partners, or planning your next campaign, Proxi gives you the data to show your impact, not just assume it. When maps become measurable, they become unstoppable.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, your goal is to make your downtown district shine, and Proxi helps you do just that.

With interactive, customizable maps and powerful analytics, you can engage your audience, support local businesses, and clearly show the impact of your work.