In this technology ridden world, it is an expectation that companies of all sizes and industries have well-developed inbound marketing tactics, including highly engaging Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, and Pinterest pages. Gone are the days of customers having to step foot in a store front to interact with a brand. Social media front runner, Nordstrom, is one of the smart and savvy companies who has hired experienced staff to specifically manage its social networking platforms.  Clearly, this is a marketing strategy to stick to. Check out the infographic below to see what other social internet retailers are on top of [...]

Ron Johnson, CEO of JC Penney, is in the hot seat due to a $552 million reported Q4 2012loss and the company’s core customers taking flight into the arms of competitors. Sales were down during the crucial holiday season by 28% year-over-year. In 2011, Johnson rode in on his white horse from Apple, set to completely revamp the stagnant Penney brand. He worked under Jobs as the SVP of Retail Operations where he pioneered the experience of the Apple retail storeand the Genius Bar. Before that, Johnson was vice president of merchandising for Target and responsible for the booming success [...]

A new book by our writing and speaking colleagues, Tom Searcy and Henry DeVries, was released today, titled How to Close A Deal Like Warren Buffett. [read more about this new book below] Warren Buffett didn’t become one of the world’s wealthiest individuals on his investment instincts alone. Buffett is a master dealmaker. As a dealmaker he has built his company, Berkshire Hathaway, into an empire that includes Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, GEICO, Fruit of the Loom, and dozens and dozens of other companies. How to Close A Deal Like Warren Buffett – Lessons from the World’s Greatest Dealmaker is a [...]

Washington DC isn’t far from the OttoPilot Media headquarters in Virginia, so we decided to check out some neighboring digital marketing firms in the metro area. Among big name clients, innovative marketing strategies, and awesome company websites, we found real inspiration. We were impressed to say the least! The three following companies are all completely different takes on your average digital marketing agency, but you can learn a lot from each.   Blue Bug Digital What sets Blue Bug Digital apart from your average digital marketing agency is its edgy, engaging web design. If you’re looking for an agency, there’s no [...]

LinkedIn has been rolling out a lot of new features recently. Last week, the official LinkedIn blog announced that their next update would be adding Endorsements to profiles. Endorsements, similar to giving +K to your influencers on Klout, allow LinkedIn users to recognize their connections’ skills through officially “endorsing” them. Users can either endorse a skill that their connections have already listed on their own profiles, or they can recommend a skill to endorse for a connection that isn’t listed on that connection’s profile yet. If a connection wants to add an endorsed skill to your profile, LinkedIn will notify you and [...]

Facebook, the once college restricted social media site, is now considering being legally available to those under the age of 13. There are currently children under 13 on Facebook who simply lied about their age during the subscription process. Whether you think kids joining Facebook is a good or bad idea, these kids are showing us just how significant a younger demographic on Facebook can be. What would this mean for businesses? Does it mean anything at all? Whether this change is implemented in the future or not, it is important to consider your strategy when marketing to the under-13 crowd. [...]

Great digital marketing agencies are highly sought after by brands with an online presence, big and small. With so many of these agencies out there today, how could you possibly name the best of the best? Well, the following five companies definitely make a mark in our industry. Based out of places like London, New York, Chicago, Kansas City, and even Sydney, Australia, these digital marketing agencies have struck gold. For different reasons, each of these big-name businesses has proven to be a top-dog marketing agency in the digital world, and here’s why:   360i 360i is a self-proclaimed “interactive digital [...]

There is little point in creating valuable and influential content if it is nowhere to be seen. Although it is often overshadowed by social media titans like Facebook and Twitter, LinkedIn is an excellent forum to promote your business’s content, if you do it right. In fact, for B2B businesses, LinkedIn may just be the traffic and lead booster that your company needs (at OttoPilot, LinkedIn is our largest source of new leads every month). Pinpoint your LinkedIn groups.  LinkedIn groups are an effective and efficient means to promote your content to a segmented audience. You can tailor your promotion [...]

The definition of the word tablet has completely changed in just the past few years. Rather than the notepad I used to scribble grocery lists on, it now has taken a turn to the digital. Tablet computers have reached critical mass. Some have gone as far as to declare a “Tablet Revolution.” The International Data Corporation predicts that by 2015 more U.S. web users will access the internet through mobile devices than by using personal computers. That’s big news for those of us on the internet. Is your site optimized for tablet viewing? With the introduction of tablets comes a new way of browsing. [...]

Our very own Alexandra Gibson was recently featured in an article on Inc.com for her expert advice on the best practices of using LinkedIn. She dishes out 7 common mistakes that professionals make when using the site, and what they should be doing instead. LinkedIn is the top dog of social media platforms for professionals, so it’s important to be on top of your game. Check out the article here, and see how you stack up against your competition on LinkedIn. Are you making any of the 7 mistakes?