Cheers, Dragons, and Ninjas...
From the Desk of Tai Freligh #6 - August, 2024
Welcome to the August edition of the newsletter.
I can’t believe the month is already almost over. It’s been a fun one for me as I have had the chance to not only do some freelance writing for a new industry vertical (hospitality), but also a return to social media consulting. I love auditing a client’s website and social presence and coming up with a plan to level it all up. I also enjoy helping to implement and manage the plan, giving small business owners time to focus on the business of the business. If you are in need of freelance writing or some strategic social media advice, hit me up in messages.
There’s a lot going on in the world of social media and marketing, so let’s get to it!
~Tai
LINKEDIN MARKETING
15 Effective LinkedIn Summary Generators for 2024
From Neal Shaffer:
One of the most powerful parts of your LinkedIn profile in terms of your personal branding is your LinkedIn summary. With all of the talk about ChatGPT and AI, you might be wondering if AI might be able to help you create or improve upon your current summary. If that is you, you might be interested in trying out one of the fifteen LinkedIn summary generators I will cover here.
Even if you don’t use LinkedIn often, you have to consider one of these tools. With these programs, you can generate incredible bios for your profile in just a few minutes. That way, you can generate much more attention and engagement from anyone who visits your page.
SOCIAL MEDIA
TikTok Adds Custom Thumbnail Option for Clips
Much like YouTube allows you to create custom thumbnails for videos, TikTok is now offering the same option. When choosing your cover image, you can either pick a frame from the video or click on the “+Upload” button at the end to upload your very own custom thumbnail. I have already tried it out and it looks great on my profile (you can see it for the Rewatch & Review segment). But since most videos are seen in the feed, it remains to be seen how effective custom thumbnails will be in drawing viewers into a video from your profile page.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)
How to Use AI for Facebook Ads: Tips and Tools
From the SEMRUSH blog:
Wondering how to make your Facebook ads stand out against the millions of other brands on the platform?
Facebook may have over 2 billion daily users but attention spans are short and the competition is intense. Harnessing AI could be what you need to overhaul your ad strategy.
AI has the potential to speed up your creative process and boost your ROI. Let’s explore the best ways to use it for your Facebook ads.
WHAT I’M LISTENING TO
Where Everybody Knows Your Name with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson (sometimes) (PODCAST)
I stumbled upon this podcast after a recommendation from my wife and I haven’t looked back. It’s a funny conceit to have two of the actors from the television show Cheers (where everybody knows your name) and to name your show after that phrase. They have had a whole host of people on the show, from Jane Fonda to Laura Linney. And while Ted Danson does most of the interviewing, Woody Harrelson does pop in from time to time on different episodes. It’s worth a listen if you like actors interviewing other actors. Great stuff so far for season one. Hope they do a second season because I have enjoyed every episode so far!
Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson are total opposites with an unbreakable bond since meeting on the hit sitcom “Cheers.” But after that show wrapped, life took them in different directions. This podcast is a chance to reconnect, both with each other and the amazing friends they’ve each met over the decades—that is, when Ted can get a hold of Woody! Join them as they dig beyond the career highlights and into the stuff of life that makes us who we are. Like the title says, this is a place to be known.
WHAT I’M WATCHING
House of the Dragon Season 2
Love this show, although it took way too long to come back for the second season, giving me Game of Thrones season 8 vibes! By the time this newsletter comes out, the season will be over and we’ll have to wait who knows how long for the third season. Really enjoy this GOT prequel and looking forward to seeing how this season ends!
Following King Aegon II’s coronation and the death of Queen Rhaenyra’s son, House Targaryen is divided in two. In King’s Landing, Aegon II rules from the Iron Throne, supported by Alicent and the Green Council, under the protection of the largest dragon in Westeros. From exile on Dragonstone, Queen Rhaenyra and her Black Council consider their next move. Civil war looms as both sides seek support from the great houses of Westeros, ultimately amassing armies — and dragons.
House of the Dragon stars Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, Eve Best, Steve Toussaint, Fabien Frankel, Ewan Mitchell, Tom Glynn-Carney, Sonoya Mizuno, Rhys Ifans, Harry Collett, Bethany Antonia, Phoebe Campbell, Phia Saban, Jefferson Hall, and Matthew Needham. Additional Season 2 cast includes Abubakar Salim, Gayle Rankin, Freddie Fox, Simon Russell Beale, Clinton Liberty, Jamie Kenna, Kieran Bew, Tom Bennett, Tom Taylor, and Vincent Regan.
Co-creator/executive producer, George R.R. Martin; co-creator/showrunner/executive producer, Ryan Condal; executive producers, Sara Hess, Alan Taylor, Melissa Bernstein, Kevin de la Noy, Loni Peristere, and Vince Gerardis. Based on George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood.
WHAT I’M READING
The Celestine Prophecy
I’m actually rereading this for like the umpteenth time. My first time reading this was probably back in college, but I have had all three books in the series (along with their accompanying workbooks) on my bookshelf for years.
Despite its age (it was published in 1993), the book has a lot of good stuff in it, from watching for coincidences to energy struggles and most importantly the types of people we act like—with tips on how to overcome them. I highly recommend checking this book out and let me know what you think.
ENTERTAINMENT
Exclusive Interview – Ted Star Max Burkholder Talks Seth MacFarlane’s Peacock Series
Max Burkholder (Parenthood, The Purge, Invincible) stars as the lead of Seth MacFarlane’s Ted movie prequel series that premiered on Peacock, January 11th. The project takes place in 1993 and Max portrays the character that Mark Wahlberg played in the films. I asked him about working in television and movies as a child, some of his favorite video games and what it was like working opposite a special effect in the Ted television show.
Video Corner — Exclusive Interview: Sarah Edwards, Costume Designer for 'Severance'
Costume designer Sarah Edwards has collaborated with some of the most talented actors, directors and craftsmen in the industry. She’s worked on everything from small independent films to Oscar winners to big budget action flicks. Some of her most notable credits include Ocean’s 8, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Salt, and The Devil’s Advocate. Sarah’s most recent work can be seen on the Apple TV+ series, Severance. I chatted with her about the first season of Severance as well as trying to tease some hints about what we can expect in the second season.
Watch other interviews on my YouTube Channel and subscribe so that you don't miss any new videos!
GEN-X / 80s NOSTALGIA
TikTok Time - Rewatch & Review: American Ninja
🎬 Rewatch & Review: American Ninja. Rating: ⭐️. Starring Michael Dudikoff. An American G.I. rescues a colonel’s daughter and fights an arms dealer’s ninjas in the Philippines.
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✨ 80s Time Machine 🛝 #GenXTok on TikTok: 😎 Love the 80s? Grew up Gen-X? Prepare to have your memories unlocked! #GenX 📻
Positively Gen-X Amazon Shop
From Dazed and Confused to The Goonies, here’s a playlist of 12 quintessential movies for Gen-Xers (with links to buy on Amazon*).
Sharing 1980s flashbacks & unlocking Gen X memories on the Amazon Influencer platform in the Positively Gen-X Shop.
*As a shop owner I receive a small portion of sales when items are purchased using my special link. Thank you!
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I am a Copywriter and Marketing Consultant for Tai Freligh Consulting & Copywriting, a marketing agency based in Huntington Beach, California. TFC provides consulting services for copywriting, marketing, branding, and social media.
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