The Social Freelancer: Media, Music, TV & Film

News and Information from Tracy Ready ~ Trace Productions

Best of the Week in Social Media Vol. 4

I enjoy finding “the good stuff” online. With each post in this series, I am showcasing five articles from bloggers that I find to be insightful and uplifting in the social media sphere. I hope you enjoy these selections.

Do you have a blog you’d like to suggest for a future “showcase” post? Please let me know about it in the comments section below. Thanks for visiting The Social Freelancer ™

Check it! >>> Read more…

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What does your word cloud say about you? Freelancer Fun with Wordle

It was fun creating this image for our Facebook page using Wordle:

Word cloud for The Social Freelancer Blog via Wordle

What would yours say?

Why did I do that?

How did I do that?

Read ON, comments welcome at bottom of this page>> Read more…

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Desire and Discipline: The Not So Simple Keys to Success

Desire is KEY. If you don’t have a true desire to create something of value or learn a new skill, chances are you won’t do the work necessary to “make it happen”. You know how it goes, you get excited about an idea and “toy” with it, get bored, then move on to something else. It’s an infatuation as compared to “true love”.

Discipline is crucial and my most difficult challenge because it is required to take something (anything) from a “I wish I could be a _______(writer, musician, performer, gardener, cook etc…)” to
“I AM a writer” or “I AM a singer.” or “I AM a ________.” (insert endeavor of your choice).”
Read more…

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Four Tips for Surviving Social Media

What to do with Social Media? Be careful, but have fun… Here are four quick tips for surviving social media, hope you find it helpful.

1. Use common sense. Simple. Don’t put your home address anywhere on your websites, blogs, profiles, anywhere. I keep a business mailing address that is posted on my sites, but it’s no one’s business where I live.

READ ON, Post comments at bottom of this page, I love the feedback. What do you think of this post?>> Read more…

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About the Future: What Will You Do?

Predictions are novelties but “actions speak louder than words”. The only question about the future that any of us can actually answer is “What will I do?”

Long Live George Jetson
When I was a kid, I loved The Jetsons cartoons and tried to never miss it on Saturday mornings. Watching George flying to work, dropping off daughter Judy, Boy Elroy and Jane his wife, then arriving to have his personal air-car “transform” to his briefcase fascinated me. The whole show was a prediction of the future but the characters were just like people in my everyday life.
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Live to See it Happen Read more…

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The Beauty of Blogging and Twitter

Active writing for this blog and sharing content with the world has been an enriching experience for me, if not monetarily successful (there’s still hope!). The interactions with kind people from all walks of life online has given me a different perspective on the world at large. I have found that nothing beats Twitter for expanding your reach and introducing you to like-minded people from all over the globe.

Don’t get me wrong, I dig Facebook, and interact there a lot. It’s fun and it deepens the interactions you already have with people. But Twitter is a different animal, one where multiple messages, and linking to multiple posts many times a day is easy.
Read more…

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Top 5 of 2011 from The Social Freelancer

I’ve got the ham and black eyed peas on the burner as I sit here reflecting on the strangeness that was 2011. I don’t know about you but I am happy to have kicked last year to the curb! It was a difficult one on many fronts…
A BIG positive note for me was the development of this blog, The Social Freelancer ™. I have enjoyed posting regularly (a first for me!) and the interaction of people all over the world via social media (Facebook, Twitter, Youtube).

One thing I have learned on my blogging journey is this:
Nobody is “great” right out of the gate.

Will they "like" it?

Blogging, like photography, songwriting and other art forms (yes I do consider blogs to be “art”) is something that is learned and built through ACTION over time. No one snaps a few pictures or writes a couple of songs or articles and is then “great” at photography, songwriting or blogging. As with my music, I find that after reflection on past material, a lot of it doesn’t “stand up” to the test of time. I believe I am getting better as I go along. What do you think?

Below are links to five posts that were “successful” in my mind. I believe they met their intended goals in a concise, “reader friendly” writing style. These are not necessarily the posts that got the most traffic (although a few of them did quite well). These are posts that I am proud of, looking back at the past year.

Which of these posts do you like best? Worst? Why? Please comment below, thanks for visiting The Social Freelancer ™

Here they Are! Top 5 of 2011 from The Social Freelancer ™: Read more…

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Facebook Timeline? Or Lifeline? Love it or Hate it, Here it Comes

Love it or hate it (I am sure there will be lots of hand wringing commentary on both sides) Facebook IS changing, rolling out the new user interface, Timeline. Next week you’ll be changed over. NOPE, no choice on your end. What do you think of all this? Please comment at the bottom of this post. I read every single one, and value your feedback.

Want to have a look before you get switched over? HERE > Introducing Facebook Timeline

Here’s official Facebook video which gives a quick overview of the new Timeline interface: Read more…

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5 Reasons We’re Afraid of Networking – How To Avoid The Negativity Spiral

So much nervousness about what to post on social media! I see many people worried about what others may think if they post “the wrong thing.” Most of us have some insecurities when it comes to socializing, whether it be at an informal party, a networking event or in social media (Facebook, Twitter, Google+ etc…). I think most of it stems from these five self-doubting thoughts:
READ ON – 5 Reasons We’re Afraid of Networking Plus 5 Helpful Posts >>> Read more…

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Botched PR: What Netflix and Facebook Execs Don’t GET

What a crazy week, and it’s only Wednesday! Now I am compelled to have a bit of a rant. Our regular slammed busy week is further complicated by this exchange:

Lauren: “Damn, they changed Facebook again. What is the deal with this News Feed? I don’t get it. Why do they keep changing it all the time?”
Trace: “Who the hell knows? I’ll try to figure it out later but right now I have to answer these ten mind-numbing emails, go to the post office and return some gear. Who’s got time for this stuff?”

Facebook FAIL

What They Don’t Get – WE DON’T LIKE CHANGE! Especially when it seems completely unnecessary… Read more…

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Google+? Novelty for Now. Google Reader? GOLD

In recent weeks there has been a lot of speculation about Google’s new social networking interface, Google+. Yes, I am a social media junkie, so of course I have a profile on Google+ and you can easily find me there. Truth is, I am only there because I have gmail and Youtube (Owned by Google) accounts and they naturally made it easy for their current users to migrate into Google+.

My Take on Google+? Read more…

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“Groover’s Paradise” A Tribute to Doug Sahm

Dallas, TX (Aug. 16, 2011) A rocked up remake of Doug Sahm’s 1974 landmark track “Groover’s Paradise” has been released. The track is available at Trace Relations Band Official Site. “Groover’s Paradise” is one of four tracks released from the band in advance of their full length CD “Prosperity Street” coming in December, 2011.

The song was arranged and performed by vocalist Tracy Ready and guitarist Kevin Lewis of Trace Relations Band with Shawn Sahm of Texas Tornados, a tribute to his father, the late Texas music pioneer Doug Sahm.

GROOVER’S PARADISE
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Read on for the story behind the track >>> Read more…

posted by Tracy Ready in Texas and have Comments (2)
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