It may be the most clear-cut call to action in history.  A depiction of a grizzled old man in a top hat, stone-faced, pointing out toward the viewer with an unmistakable message.  The army got it right way back in 1917, boiling down what they wanted from their “clients” into simple terms.  Recruitment posters, after all, are just marketing materials for the armed forces, so what lessons can we take from them?

            A call to action is an easy idea to understand, but sometimes seems quite difficult to master.  Say you've gotten clients to your website, and you've impressed them with your knowledge and expertise in your industry.  You know you have plenty more to offer them, and they're beginning to trust that you have value to provide.

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Let's face it.  To some, the internet can be a hectic place.  While most of us are learning everyday how to harness the power of the world wide web to help our businesses grow, there are some that view the net as a virtual black hole: a complicated tangle of networks of servers that they really don't know all that much about, but are sure will suck the life out of them just the same.

            That might be taking it a little to far, but we all know clients that are way behind the curve when it comes to doing business online.  As web entrepreneurs and marketers, it's our job to bring these individuals into the light. 

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We're trying out a new style of blog post here at Pastore & Associates, one we hope will get you clicking around the web to some helpful sites we've used to improve ourselves as marketers.  Invented by ProBlogger Darren Rowse, speedlinking is a tactic some bloggers are turning to in order to get a lot of information in front of their reader's eyes at once.  Today we've rounded up some useful pages on the web that we want to share.

• Search Engine Optimization is the easiest way to increase your visibility online, so we're always on the lookout for better ways to get ourselves linked to on sites like Google, Yahoo! and Bing. Check out these tips to increase your SEO for free.
• Once you've increased your SEO, the next step is always building traffic to your site.  Just like a business is nothing without its customers, we all know a website is nothing without its visitors. Any time we come across ways to drive up our traffic,we give it a long look, so  here are 10 creative ways to increase traffic from TopRank Online Marketing Blog.
• We're big proponents of email marketing.  Have you signed up for our email newsletter yet?  It's a great way to get your name in front of both potential and existing customers to increase your business.  Here are some quick tips on how to use it to your advantage.
• It's the job of any good marketer to constantly educate themselves about our ever-evolving field.  Here are some instructional videos and workbooks for you to download that we've used to hone our marketing skills.
• Behind every strong marketing campaign is a strong marketing strategy.  You know you can't stumble blindly into the marketing field, and you'll never be sure if you're getting the most out of your efforts without planning ahead.  Use these tips to develop a sound marketing strategy before you try any new idea.
• More and more of us are turning to the web not only to market our businesses but also just to run them outright.  Make sure you're getting everything you can out of your website and you might just be able to guarantee your internet ventures are worth your while.  Use these tips from the Business Blog at WinWeb to increase your site's marketing potential.
• Once you've begun to use your site to stretch your marketing budget, be sure you're doing things right.  Check out these common online marketing mistakes and how to avoid them.
• These days, everyone's talking about using social media to help your business grow, but not many people go into detail about how to actually do it.  We turn back to WinWeb for their tips on using Twitter.
• Whether its done online or in person, marketing is about building relationships.  Leads do not magically turn into business for your company, so take a look at these ideas about how to turn those leads into sales, now and into the future.
• To cap things off, here's a brief 20 minute video of our old favorite Seth Godin discussing how thinking outside of the box, even if it results in a bizarre idea, may get you ahead.

            Well there you have it, our first attempt at Speed linking.  We know you've got a lot to read, so we just want to thank Darren Rowse again for the idea and ask you what you thought of it.  Have you tried speed linking already on your blog?  Tell us how it worked.  Got a link to some info that helped you out when your business was growing?  Share it with us, and maybe it'll make an appearance in our next speed linking post.

We'd like to start you off today with a question: Have you ever posted a comment on this blog?  Now don't worry, we're not that vain.  Commenting on our marketing musings here is by no means a requirement, but have you ever posted a comment on the blogs you read?

            If the answer is no, then we've got some bad news for you.  In the blogging world, you are what's known as a “lurker,” someone who hangs back in the shadows, taking in all the information made available in the blogosphere without sharing any of your own in return.  Today, we're here to change the way you read a blog.

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We've told you how we here at Pastore & Associates read anything and everything we can get our hands on to make us better marketers, and we hope you've taken our advice to heart.  We hope all that reading on a computer screen isn't wreaking havoc on your eyes. But if it is, sit back, relax and enjoy some of the short videos we've found to make you laugh as you get through your day.

These videos were recommended by Hubspot.com, an inbound marketing firm with plenty of insight to new marketing techniques.  Here's a video explaining the Hubspot strategy from Co-Founder and CEO Brian Halligan.

• Inbound Marketing: The Movie Here's a trailer for the Hubspot spoof of a renegade marketer stuck in a traditional, button-down firm.  It's a good laugh for those sick of scrolling through blog after blog.
• Baby Got Leads:  Another lighthearted clip based on a music video some of us might be familiar with.  Watch this, smile, and then get on the tail of those leads you've developed.
• The Marketing Office:  Personally one of my favorites, this is a spoof of the popular sitcom “The Office” that all our social network marketers can enjoy.  Remember the simple words, “My meat is delicious.”
• You Oughta Know Inbound Marketing:  Another music video, this parody of the Alanis Morisette hit pretty much lays out the Hubspot marketing strategy, and (quite humorously) explains the benefits of this new style of reaching customers.

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As marketers, there are plenty of times when we have to make speeches or presentations in front of a large group of people.  It's been well documented that for most of us, speaking in front of a room full of strangers can be a terrifying experience.  Despite the fears, public speaking can be absolutely essential to your business, so we turn to David Berkowitz from “Inside the Marketer's Studio” for some secrets on how to plan for, deliver, and then capitalize on that one great presentation.

            David has formed a list of “Over 100 Lessons from Over 100 Events.”  Here are ten of our favorites:

&nbs

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We're always being asked by e-business owners perhaps the single most important question an online company faces.  In the past we've talked about ways to build a stronger website, and even given you tools on how to make your page more effective.  But none of that matters more than the $64,000 question: How do I generate more traffic to my site.

            For the answers, we turn to Thomas McMahon from Toprankmarketing.com and five of his traffic building ideas.

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Not long ago, we mentioned that e-mail marketing was a cheap but effective way of reaching your customers whenever you have new information you want to share.  By investing a little time, you can get a wide range of messages onto consumer's monitors at practically no cost.

Yet while e-mail marketing may save your wallet, if done incorrectly, it can end up costing you more than you could ever imagine.  Here are ten mistakes we've learned to avoid (many of them the hard way) when formulating our e-mail marketing campaigns.

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For us small business owners, the budget balancing high-wire act that we perform on a daily basis can often lead to a dizzying case of vertigo.  Especially in this economy, trying to stay within your budget without sacrificing essential aspects of your business can be a daunting task.  Watching TV with a friend (let's call him Tim) the other day, I saw a series of commercials, most of which were pretty effective, but all of which seemed very expensively made.  After a few of these aired, Tim turned to me and said:

“If only I had that kind of ad budget.  How am I supposed to compete with that?”

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I bet if you think back far enough, you can remember some authority figure, a parent, teacher, mentor, etc., telling you about the value of a good education.  We know you listened; you hit the books, got into a great school and used your degree to start a productive and prosperous business.  But when does your education end?  Surely some of your business experiences have taught you a few lessons, but if you're not constantly studying and reading about your industry, you are doing yourself and your business a big disservice.

We've mentioned how all of us at Pastore & Associates are constantly reading new materials and finding new sources from which to learn more.  Here are some of our favorite bloggers and authors just waiting to provide you with inside tips and secrets to make you a better marketer and more successful business person.

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