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	<title>From the desk of Sara Thurston</title>
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	<link>http://sarathurston.wordpress.com</link>
	<description>Plain talk about marketing and advertising</description>
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		<title>From the desk of Sara Thurston</title>
		<link>http://sarathurston.wordpress.com</link>
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		<title>If it seems too good to be true&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/2011/12/22/if-it-seems-too-good-to-be-true/</link>
		<comments>http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/2011/12/22/if-it-seems-too-good-to-be-true/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:20:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sarathurston</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Car dealers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Copywriting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Freelance copywriting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[small business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[car sales]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[customer loyalty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Direct response]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[honesty in advertising]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[special offer]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/?p=193</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When I opened the “important letter” from my car dealer, I was shocked by an offer that sounded way too good to be true. They claimed that they were in &#8220;desperate need&#8221; of my car&#8217;s model and year. I know that this model is extremely popular and holds its value, so I became curious. “We [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=sarathurston.wordpress.com&amp;blog=10613232&amp;post=193&amp;subd=sarathurston&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
	
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		<title>Are you thinking outside the product? (Recipe included)</title>
		<link>http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/2011/10/20/are-you-thinking-outside-the-product-recipe-included/</link>
		<comments>http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/2011/10/20/are-you-thinking-outside-the-product-recipe-included/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Oct 2011 18:33:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sarathurston</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Brand loyalty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Facebook]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[small business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[antiques]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[going viral]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[retail sales]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[status updates]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/?p=185</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I’m very choosey about the businesses I “like” on Facebook. In some cases, they’re companies where I’m already a loyal customer. In other cases I simply like their attitude. They treat me like a friend, not just a potential customer. One such company is a nearby antiques store. I’ve visited the bricks and mortar site [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=sarathurston.wordpress.com&amp;blog=10613232&amp;post=185&amp;subd=sarathurston&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/2011/10/20/are-you-thinking-outside-the-product-recipe-included/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
	
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		<title>If you’re social networking, you’re working.</title>
		<link>http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/2011/06/01/if-you%e2%80%99re-social-networking-you%e2%80%99re-working/</link>
		<comments>http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/2011/06/01/if-you%e2%80%99re-social-networking-you%e2%80%99re-working/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Jun 2011 13:58:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sarathurston</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[online at work]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/?p=163</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;Do 54% of businesses have it wrong?&#8221; That’s the question JD Rucker asks in his article, “Social Media Use at Work Yields Higher Productivity.” According to a SocialCast study he references, 54% of employers do not permit their staff to visit social networking sites while on the job. Yet 65% of employees self-reported that their surfing increased [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=sarathurston.wordpress.com&amp;blog=10613232&amp;post=163&amp;subd=sarathurston&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/2011/06/01/if-you%e2%80%99re-social-networking-you%e2%80%99re-working/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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		<title>It&#8217;s 3:25pm. Do you know where your ad is running?</title>
		<link>http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/2011/01/20/its-325pm-do-you-know-where-your-ad-is-running/</link>
		<comments>http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/2011/01/20/its-325pm-do-you-know-where-your-ad-is-running/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Jan 2011 20:43:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sarathurston</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Brand loyalty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Copywriting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crowdsourcing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Freelance copywriting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/?p=149</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Freelance copywriters have been complaining for some time about rate erosion. There&#8217;s increased competition from writers who are willing to produce content for pennies. A friend recently told me she turned down an offer to write 80 web articles for $400, and her experience is typical. I explored some of the most popular online job-posting [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=sarathurston.wordpress.com&amp;blog=10613232&amp;post=149&amp;subd=sarathurston&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/2011/01/20/its-325pm-do-you-know-where-your-ad-is-running/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">sarathurston</media:title>
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		<title>Is your best copy and design talent 1,000 miles away?</title>
		<link>http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/2010/10/25/is-your-best-copy-and-design-talent-1000-miles-away/</link>
		<comments>http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/2010/10/25/is-your-best-copy-and-design-talent-1000-miles-away/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 25 Oct 2010 13:17:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sarathurston</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[remote employees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[remote workforce]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/?p=143</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I once wrote a 200-item online catalog for a toy retailer. I’ve been creating award-winning marketing materials for the same ad agency for at least 10 years. And I regularly write brochures, newsletters and websites for a major healthcare system. I never met the catalog people. Haven’t seen the ad agency client in years. And [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=sarathurston.wordpress.com&amp;blog=10613232&amp;post=143&amp;subd=sarathurston&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/2010/10/25/is-your-best-copy-and-design-talent-1000-miles-away/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">sarathurston</media:title>
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		<title>How important is “playing well with others”?</title>
		<link>http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/2010/10/23/how-important-is-%e2%80%9cplaying-well-with-others%e2%80%9d/</link>
		<comments>http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/2010/10/23/how-important-is-%e2%80%9cplaying-well-with-others%e2%80%9d/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 23 Oct 2010 16:03:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sarathurston</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Copywriting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Freelance copywriting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Freelance design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ad agencies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[copywriters]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freelance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/?p=131</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I have a theory that goes like this: If a copywriter, art director, or designer has survived in the business for a certain number of years, they must have talent. Some, of course, will be outstanding, others mediocre. But most perform at a level commensurate with their experience. This is especially true for freelancers, who [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=sarathurston.wordpress.com&amp;blog=10613232&amp;post=131&amp;subd=sarathurston&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/2010/10/23/how-important-is-%e2%80%9cplaying-well-with-others%e2%80%9d/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">sarathurston</media:title>
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		<title>Is a focus on social media limiting your agency?</title>
		<link>http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/2010/10/07/is-social-media-limiting-your-agency%e2%80%99s-opportunity/</link>
		<comments>http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/2010/10/07/is-social-media-limiting-your-agency%e2%80%99s-opportunity/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 07 Oct 2010 14:32:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sarathurston</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/?p=121</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Agencies specializing in social media may be missing the opportunity to profit from offering more traditional marketing materials.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=sarathurston.wordpress.com&amp;blog=10613232&amp;post=121&amp;subd=sarathurston&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/2010/10/07/is-social-media-limiting-your-agency%e2%80%99s-opportunity/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">sarathurston</media:title>
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		<title>Why you shouldn’t be content with content.</title>
		<link>http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/2010/09/29/why-you-shouldn%e2%80%99t-be-content-with-content/</link>
		<comments>http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/2010/09/29/why-you-shouldn%e2%80%99t-be-content-with-content/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 29 Sep 2010 14:44:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sarathurston</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/?p=117</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A designer and I were concepting some ads to drive visitors to our new client’s website. We logged on to see if we could find something to inspire us. While I rooted around on our client’s site, the designer called up a competitor’s web page. “OMG!” she exclaimed, “check this out!” The moment the competitor’s [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=sarathurston.wordpress.com&amp;blog=10613232&amp;post=117&amp;subd=sarathurston&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/2010/09/29/why-you-shouldn%e2%80%99t-be-content-with-content/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">sarathurston</media:title>
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		<title>The Perils of Positioning: A Case Study</title>
		<link>http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/2010/08/31/the-perils-of-positioning-a-case-study/</link>
		<comments>http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/2010/08/31/the-perils-of-positioning-a-case-study/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:20:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sarathurston</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[advertising professional firms]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[market positioning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[small business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/?p=108</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Clients can be afraid of committing to a new market position. Getting a sign-off before creative work begins can help. This case study illustrates the consequences of failing to get pre-creative signoff.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=sarathurston.wordpress.com&amp;blog=10613232&amp;post=108&amp;subd=sarathurston&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/2010/08/31/the-perils-of-positioning-a-case-study/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
	
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		<title>Nobody wants to read your #%$! ad.</title>
		<link>http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/2010/08/24/nobody-wants-to-read-your-ad/</link>
		<comments>http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/2010/08/24/nobody-wants-to-read-your-ad/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:42:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sarathurston</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Copywriting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/?p=95</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[How’s that for a blunt truth? But it is true. And it needs to be kept in mind every time we create marketing materials. We’re not best-selling authors launching our latest hot novel. We’re not famous Hollywood names producing another hit film or TV series. We’re creating ads and other materials in order to sell [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=sarathurston.wordpress.com&amp;blog=10613232&amp;post=95&amp;subd=sarathurston&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://sarathurston.wordpress.com/2010/08/24/nobody-wants-to-read-your-ad/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	
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