The problem is that you simply don’t have the individual’s undivided attention.  So much information is thrown at us that we have become somewhat numb to it, immune in some cases.  The solution is an inbound marketing approach that focuses on investing back into the company through social participation, blogging, and search engine optimization (SEO).  These tools provide a substantive way to show the engaged consumer how the brand is unique. The idea is that the consumer comes to you and not the other way around, so online lead generation is more organic which will increase the probability of sale tremendously. Organic leads are also the best way of increasing the probability of a repeat sale and eventually of building the brand loyalty we all wish for.

During his poignant keynote speech, Governor Bob McDonnell acknowledged six surviving Virginians who were stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; George Bland, Max Green, Charles Haessig, John Lopinsky, Joe Nuckols and Bill Thornton.

A highlight of Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day for us was hearing the story of Colonel Van T. Barfoot’s heroism in Italy in 1944. The story of Colonel Barfoot, an Henrico County resident and Medal of Honor winner, was as real as the thousands of veterans’ names etched in stone at the Memorial.  Learn more about Colonel Barfoot’s war-time exploits here.

Indeed it was a moving day for all the Madison+Maniacs.  Learn more about the Memorial and its tributes to all veterans at the Virginia War Memorial’s site.

Lunchtime Thursday brought a tough team of judges, who graded each concoction on a scale of 1-10 on the flavor, heat, originality and presentation. Before testing, it looked like Josh and Dave had an early advantage with originality and presentation, but anything can happen at a Chili Cook Off. That is until Josh dimmed the lights and introduced his dish with background music which all but guaranteed him 1st place; Dave used skulls and chili peppers to visually demonstrate the strength of his chili.

Once the judging was complete, the results were tallied and announced.
Receiving high marks across the board, Josh’s “An Italian Name No One Can Decipher” won the grand prize trophy and $100 cash. Katie got the silver, and a $50 gift certificate and for the 2nd year in a row, Dave took home 3rd place, and a box of tissues to wipe away his tears of defeat.

Check out highlights from the 2nd annual chili cook-off

Google+, which moved out of its beta testing phase in late September, intitially removed all pages that were representative of businesses, saying that the platform was not yet ready for that kind of publication. Perks to the newer, better business-format include “hangout” chats, collaboration opportunities via Google Docs and doodling via SketchPad.

Check out Madison+Main’s Google+ site

The Madison+Main-iacs are proud supporters of the Central Virginia Chapter of the National MS Society, who are celebrating  their 55^th birthday. What better way to help them celebrate than with a $55 (or more) donation?

To donate to their cause, click here.

This past spring, several of the Madison+Mainiacs took part in the MS Walk, and our very own Art Director, Jeff Smack, participated in the MS Ride, a two-day, 150-mile bike ride from Richmond to Williamsburg and back. Jeff not only surpassed his fundraising goal of $1,000, but he also graciously volunteered to film his ride with a camera strapped to his helmet. Jeff explains that his annual ride is truly a thrilling experience and the footage he captured certainly reiterates that.

Take a look at the video we created for the MS Society, which has been entered in the Mercedes-Benz Community Stars contest on Facebook. Vote for their entry to help them win $25,000.

We all know that social media is vital in today’s marketing world, but how do you achieve similar results for your business or non-profit?

During the last few years large corporations jumped on the social media bandwagon, but more small businesses and non-profits are recognizing the benefits of a fully-engaged social media presence. With so many organizations struggling to fully utilize platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for fundraising, you might be wondering, “How did they do it?.

Reason 1: They sought professional help. The society spent $50,000 on a social media consultant that mapped out a strategy and trained internal staff on the dos and don’ts of social media. They also sought the advice of internal stakeholders. The MS Society successfully raised a staggering $4.3 million using social media. On Wall Street, that’s what they call tenfold, or 1,000%, ROI. (Madison + Main Chief Idea Officer Dave Saunders sits on the NMSS Goal Steering Team and is a board member for the Central Virginia Chapter.)

Reason 2: They spent $. The Society spent money on Facebook ads to help with their “organic” efforts. Local chapters spent money on Facebook to promote events and the organization landed a $120,000 grant through Google. Yes, 501(c)(3) non-profits can apply directly to Google for “free” advertising.

Reason 3: They hired full-time staff. The Chronicle says the Society has 1.5 full-time employees dedicated to social media. They were able to raise more than $4 million in 2010 through social media with only 1.5 full-time employees devoted to that task.

Not all non-profits are going to see the outstanding results that the National M.S. Society obtained, but it is necessary to be well-versed in social media platforms and to follow some of the same strategies.

How is your organization using social media? Please share with us your success or challenges in the comments.

The Comfort Zone Camp Fall Bash will feature music from Right On! Participants are invited to dance, shuck oysters and enjoy beer and wine. Tickets purchased before October 1st are just $60, and can be purchased at their website. Please remember that the age limit is 21. The event will be held rain or shine.

The Fall Bash promises to be a fun evening for friends and supporters of the Comfort Zone Camp community. We hope to see you there!

That’s exactly what happened on Tuesday, August 23, 2011. Around 1:50pm, a 5.8 magnitude earthquake that originated in Mineral, VA shook the ground, causing glass to rattle, buildings to shake and people all along the East Coast to freak out. And what was the first thing people did during the 30-second rumbling? They tweeted. Posts of the earthquake that hit Richmond, as well as D.C., flooded Twitter, allowing people as far away at Atlanta and New York City to learn the news just seconds before the earthquake reached their area.

It’s interesting to see a glimpse into the future of our society and how we communicate. With social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare, users are communicating with each other as opposed to turning on CNN. It raises the question: will Twitter become the only form of news delivery in the future?

Interestingly enough, this Twitter/earthquake phenomenon was predicted by Randall Munro in a comic he produced more than a year ago.

You tell us: was your first reaction to the earthquake to share your surprise through social media channels?

Source

Hometown hero Denny Hamlin is going into America’s Premiere Short Track with a good amount of confidence after winning the Air Guard 400 in Richmond last September. Current points leader Kyle Busch took first place at the track on April 30th, 2011.

The race Richmond is known as “The One Last Race to Make the Chase”, and it looks to be one of the most exciting races yet. If you’d like to see Denny from the pit crew’s perspective, call 866-455-7223 or check out www.RIR.com to purchase the Pre-Race Pit Pass. The cost per person is $50, and includes admission to the qualifying rounds for both the Sprint and Nationwide Series. Advance purchase tickets for the Saturday night race are just $45. Now is the time to jump on this great, cost-saving deal, as the race at Richmond International Raceway might be the most pivotal race of the season.

Check out this online video that we created for Richmond International Raceway for last year’s race. It will definitely get you back into that engine roaring, heart pumping race spirit!