Google, Bing, Twitter, Facebook And What That Means
February 20, 2010
If you have been using the internet for sometime, you will know that changes happen every so often. Policies change and we, the users are affected. It also means that we either keep up or be left behind (or along the sideway).
As it turns out, there has been quite some chatter lately. Small business owners who are just starting their business as well as seasoned marketers have heard (or have been effected by) the recent Google changes, Visa/Mastercard crackdown as well as much stricter FTC regulations. We now have stricter guidelines to follow when using endorsements.
What causes these crack downs? No one really knows. Many are going around with questions and concern on their mind. Some have been "hit" and still do not know why. Just how do you keep up with and make sense of all the changes? Every day, my inbox is filled and I must confess that the past week I spent more time reading and catching up then doing productive work!
Fortunately, there are industry leaders and experts who keep themselves updated on the latest. They do the research and have the connections and will be able to provide us with answers. They can suggest new strategies for the new game plan moving forward.
These issues will be addressed and answered in March. You will know what you can or can not do and what you should do. Armand will be holding a Live Event for three days to address these issues. Armand is an authoritative and familiar figure in the Internet Marketing world and certainly no stranger to those of us in Singapore and Malaysia.
For three days, he will talk on new marketing strategies in the light of these changes. He will also talk on harnessing the use of social media and Bing. Judging by what has been shared in the preview video, he is going to cover a lot of material both to the newbies as well as the seasoned marketers. You will want to watch the video here.
So are you going to start making plans to go to LA? There is nothing like live events. The energy as well as the meeting of like-minded people makes the learning so much more fun and relevant. Watch this video now and learn how to change with the tide and tap into new tools for your online business.
Making Online Videos For Your Online Presence
February 13, 2010
I like the idea of using video to communicate my message and have been wanting to use videos to reach out to my audience. However, I have been putting it off forever – even after signing up for a course. That is my negative "self talk" taking me down even before I began!
Good thing is that I finally wised up and experimented with it, followed the steps given and broke the mental barrier I had with video making.
I like it that others can see the slides and images as well as hear the audio so it is easier for them to get the message I want to convery. It just gives my audience a better overall experience.
Now that I have made a simple web video, I agree that it is really not that hard a thing to do. And the tips given were greatly helpful. In fact, I am liking video making more as it gets my message out in more than one mode. And music just adds another dimension too. And I hear that video can improve your google ranking, so that's more free traffic. I like traffic,
Basic video making need not be hard nor expensive. There are online tools that will help you get the basic job done. And if you want better effect and quality there are always the paid tools. Watch the videos, the tools are all listed there so you can pick the ones you are more familiar with.
Online video making is actually a fairly straightforward thing to do but if you've never done it before it can seem daunting and overwhelming. Well, recently I received a series of complimentary videos on how to make video that sells. How cool is that?
Just when I have decided to do more videos, I am noticing more content about video making everywhere. Information from video players to templates and courses. In NLP terms, they call it the Reticular Activating System (RAS).
Some lessons I learn from my web video making include the following:
1 – Do not give up before I start (big one)
2 – Be ready to make some mistakes and learn from them
3 – Let go of perfection – concentrate on progress
4 – Following proven instructions cuts my learning time in more than half!
5 – Once I put my heart and mind to doing something, my RAS will be put to work.
In my teacher's term the "Universe will bend back to help me" once my intentions are clear and my mind set and focused.
If you too are wanting to find out how to make your own video – just for fun, or to market your services and products, there are lots of resources available. I find Andy's video a little fast paced, but the good thing is you can always play it back and re-watch it. It has lots of useful tips, choose 2 or 3 to implement, you don't have to do everything he suggest the first time round. Just get your hands dirty.
Whether you are a professional coach, speaker, trainer, solo entrepreneur, work-at- home-mom, an author writing your book or a freelancer, video marketing will take your online presence to a whole new level. This can help you no matter what kind of online business you are building.
So go ahead, make an online video anyway and have fun with it. I recently have my own YouTube Channel – just for fun to see how things work. And you can have yours too. It is really not that hard. And it feels good to see your own video on line. There is a sense of accomplishment, and you know you can do better with practice.
Ok I can go on and on about this but I need to rush home for my Lunar New Year Reunion Dinner. If you are celebrating it, "Xin Nian Kaui Le", 新年快了, if not Happy Valentine's Day! Universe has us all covered!
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It’s The Lunar New Year!
February 10, 2010
What does Chinese New Year Mean To You?
Good question huh? And this is not a festivity celebrated by all. Yet Verizon Wireless actually opened a Lunar New Year Essay Contest with this topic to kickoff the Year of the Tiger for those in California and Seattle.
The Lunar New Year is a time of great festivity and celebration. Everything loud and colourful is associated with it. The red packet, red clothing, red banners, red paper cuttings on doors, the fireworks and fire crackers and yes the lion dances too.
When I think of the Lunar New Year I associate it with 3 things, the first of which is Spring.
The Lunar New Year is sometimes referred to as the Spring Festival. While the first day of spring in the U.S. is considered to be around March 20 or 21, the official first day of Spring according to the Chinese lunar calendar fell on February 4th (立春). With that, the Year of the Tiger has taken over from the Year of the Ox.
Spring time is when flowers begin to bloom and animals come out of hibernation. It signifies life and vitality. The Chinese have a saying too that "A day’s planning is done in the morning while a year’s planning is done in spring" (一日之计在于晨, 一年之计在于春).
It is the time to make plans for the entire year. If you had made your New Year resolutions on 1st January, this is a good time to review how far you have come. If you had not managed to make any plans yet, this is another opportunity for you to do so.
Spring spells freshness and life, and with it, hope and power. Time to welcome the dawn of a new life!
Second thing I associate with the Lunar New Year is the massive and thorough Spring cleaning before the New Year. Traditionally, we work to get rid of the old and make way for the new. Everything used for the new year period “should” be new or at least cleaned out thoroughly. One would use new utensils, new curtains, new coat of paint, new clothing and of course new shoes.
From the kitchen to the closets, from the living room to the store room. Every corner is to be scrubbed and cleaned out thoroughly. This is a great practice and it does wonders to me physically, mentally and emotionally.
There’s something very liberating about tidying, organizing, de-cluttering and cleaning. I can do with some spring cleaning now and then. The cleaning is then followed by decorations, stocking up of food supplies and preparation of the day long feasts!
Third thing I associate with the Lunar New Year is the priority given to Friends and Family. Chines New Year is the time for family reunions and gatherings. This is the peak time for migration of people back to the suburban areas. Do not go near train or bus stations unless you need to go home to your family living outside of town.
Days before the eve of the New Year, work begins to wind down, traffic builds up and the festive mood grows in anticipation of celebration, fun and joy. This is the time where everyone makes conscious effort to leave work temporarily aside and give priority to family, kins and friends. In China, there is a week-long public holiday. In Malaysia, most Chinese entrepreneurs take a break of at least a week.
This is the time to be with the family. Once a year, everything stops; family and relationships are consciously placed before work or business.
What does the Lunar New Year mean to me?
Amidst the busy-ness, the hustle and bustle, I look forward to the Lunar Near Year as a time of hope, a fresh start and a time to cherish the ones beside me. A time for New Year Visits (拜年). Come celebrate with me. You too can enjoy this Spring Festival! 祝大家 新年进步，新年快了
Oh and feel free to press the "share this" button below or retweet it and spread the joy of the Lunar New Year! Your friends will thank you for the digital (online) new year wishes and visit (拜年).
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