Your 2026 Small Business Marketing Grant Guide
A Q&A with Chase Heatherly on How to Double Your Marketing Impact
With the 2026 application window now open, we sat down with Chase Heatherly, Chief Revenue Officer of the Post and Courier and President of our in-house marketing agency King & Columbus, to break down exactly how the Small Business Marketing Grant works, who it helps, and how you can turn a $10k budget into a $15k impact.
For readers who are new to it, how would you explain the South Carolina Small Business Marketing Grant in one or two sentences, and how is it different from a traditional cash grant?
Chase: The South Carolina Small Business Marketing Grant is a matching advertising space program where businesses and nonprofit organizations across South Carolina can apply to be accepted into the annual program.
In that case, any marketing dollars they choose to invest with The Post and Courier and Evening Post Publishing over the course of 2026 are eligible to receive a match of advertising space at a 50 percent rate. So if a business, for example, has a $10,000 working budget they commit to spending with us in one or more of our products, we would offer them $5,000 in additional program advertising space if they are part of this program.
In the past, this program has supported over 500 small businesses and nonprofits to the tune of nearly $3.5 million in matched advertising value. Could you share one or two specific examples of how that has translated into real growth?
Chase: Absolutely. You have to understand, we started the program in 2020 in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. The idea was that businesses needed to be great stewards of their working dollars more than ever. We wanted to help extend their budgets as far as we could. That need has continued throughout the years, even as the COVID pandemic has receded.
One example is The Pee Dee Hearing Center in Florence. They have really seen a substantial difference in their business due to this advertising partnership. Their appointments this year are double last year. From an availability and scheduling standpoint, they are busier across the course of the year, in slow months and busy months, more than ever before.
Another example would be The Lourie Center, a nonprofit in Columbia. The Small Business Marketing Grant allowed them to receive free advertising for other initiatives on top of a paid investment using grant dollars. So they are really able to promote programs and community offerings that otherwise they probably would not be able to share widely.
The grant itself is a 50 percent match on a minimum six‑month advertising investment. Could you walk through a hypothetical scenario to give a picture of how it works in practice?
Chase: Sure. If a business applies, we meet with them and they commit to investing $10,000 of their marketing budget. Then we would provide an additional $5,000 in advertising space. Our team would put together a crafted marketing strategy for them in the amount of $15,000, taking their paid investment plus what we offer as a match.
A lot of times businesses are investing on the digital side. So they might commit to spending $10,000 in digital marketing, and then we offer them $5,000 in print advertising or event sponsorships. It is different for everyone. But the idea is that you are committing to a $10,000 investment, and you are actually going to be signing off on a marketing plan that is worth $15,000 with that match at the end.
From what you’ve seen over the last six or seven years, what separates the businesses that really maximize the program?
Chase: The ones who benefit the most are the ones who lean in and participate more. That might mean a higher investment, but it also might just mean a closer partnership, working alongside our staff day to day to ensure their campaign goals are being met.
Businesses that go all in and say, “I want The Post and Courier to be my premier marketing partner,” obviously see real movement. As businesses are willing to invest more, not only financially but also their time and energy, the better partners we can be to them and the more ingrained we can become in their business.
The application deadline is March 6, 2026. What should businesses be doing now to get ready?
Chase: Our application approval process is rolling. Our goal is to approve applicants within two weeks of them applying. So the earlier you apply, the earlier we can get started and work with you to develop your strategies for 2026.
There is no cost to apply and no commitment. The application takes about 10 minutes. I would encourage folks not to wait until they are certain they want to move forward. Go ahead and apply, move into our system, let us approve you, and then meet with our team to develop some strategy. You can then decide whether or not you want to move forward.
Ready to Apply?
Don’t leave matching dollars on the table. The application takes just 10 minutes and there is no cost to apply.
Deadline: March 6, 2026
Have questions before you apply? Connect with our team today!
