Should You Add Videos to Your Business Blog?

A picture, the old saw relates, is worth a thousand words. Well, then where do videos rank? Back when this cliché was originally coined in 1911, still pictures were the primary medium; video had not come into common use. It was in its infancy. But now, video is everywhere and is easily accessible to the most inexperienced and novice user of the camera.

Per Business 2 Community, “In a Forrester study, Dr. James McQuivey said, ‘A video is worth 1.8 million words,’ and he wasn’t just being cheeky. If a picture is worth a thousand words, and video shoots at 30 frames per second, then a 60-second video really does contain the equivalent of 1.8 million words.”

How does this help your blog, though?

A video can add immense amounts of credibility to your business blog while adding page rank and viewership. Why? People love video. It’s like being there. You invite an individual into an intimate conversation with you that provides insight they would not otherwise gave gained.

Even if the video is a stock depiction of a kitty doing something cute (and who can resist those), it gives the viewer an idea that you are their type of person because they thought the little kitten was cute, also.

The idea of a blog is to create a community of people who like the same things you do. For business blogging, it is extremely important to forge relationships and establish credibility. You can use video to this end much better than pictures or words.

The following are some ways you can using video for your blog posts:

  • To demonstrate expertise. You have something to sell because you have both an interest in the service and you have more knowledge than the average bear. Don’t sell yourself short (this post is full of clichés), you are the expert.
  • What are you selling? No, I don’t mean what service are you selling, but truly what are you selling? The correct answer is yourself. Sales is all about you being able to convince someone to buy your service, not because you are that much better than the competition (though this is a good selling point, too), but because the customer can relate to you better. A video shows YOU to the customer.
  • What’s the service? It is easier to demonstrate the benefits of what you have for sale if you can create videos about topics related to your services. Explain to your audience how your services can provide them with the solutions to their problems. Video provides this ability better than any still picture ever could.

But, you may ask (we do take questions here), how difficult is it to create a video? Not difficult at all. Do you have a phone that’s video capable (most smart phones have both picture and video capability)? If the answer is yes, then you can post a video from your phone to your blog post.

Once you record the video, you just upload it to your computer and then post it to your blog platform (this may sound somewhat complicated, but it really isn’t). You can also host your videos to YouTube (or other video hosting sites), upload the video there and then post the video to your blog post.

So, now you know how a video can expand your presence and how simple it is to upload one to your blog, but you still may be fuzzy about how this one little piece of media can be a boon to your blog, and thus, your business. Let’s discuss that for a minute or two.

Search Engines Love Videos

Say you type in a search about your service. What comes up? Is your blog in there somewhere (hopefully on the front page if you have effectively used SEO search terms)? If not, why?

Scroll down the page and see what other people with similar businesses are doing that gives them an upper hand in the search list over you. Is the wording tighter (meaning do they understand the use of SEO)? Is there something unique about their presentation that Google (Yahoo!, Bing) seems to love? Did they include video?

When you enter a search command into Bing, the first thing that pops up is a double row of videos related to the subject. Both Google and Yahoo have an images montage that includes still photos and videos. Search engines love video and your services are much more likely to make the first page if you have a subject video.

YouTube Traffic

The goal is to put “butts in the seats” (I know, I know another cliché). The more people that view your blog post, the more they will review other pages on your site (including those that list your services). In turn, the more sales you will make. There are myriad formulas out there that show how many more sales a person receives if they get one more set of eyes on their service. Add those eyes to several thousand others and you have a few more sales.

You can put you video on your blog and you will likely see an increase in traffic, but you will have stifled the flow. When someone searches for a business and the videos pop up in the search engine stream, it is mostly YouTube videos that are generated. So, what does this mean to you?

It means that if you put your video on YouTube (another simple process), you can expect those views to mount exponentially. You may get lucky and have the video go viral. Then you will have a problem that every business would like to have… you will have to hire more people to meet the demand.

To help with increasing the traffic to your website when you do host your videos on YouTube, make sure your site is listed in your profile and everything is up-to-date. You can even add a message to the video description when you upload it asking the viewers to visit your blog post to read the article that you used to create your video in (for now, you should always include content in the blog post along with your video, but getting into that would be a whole different article).

Why is video one of the most important marketing tools you have at your disposal and why should you add videos to your business blog? Because it increases how many people will see you and your services. Isn’t that what everyone wants? The goal is to make sales after all.

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Shopping in Kuala Lumpur – Malls, Bazaars and Flea Markets

Kuala Lumpur ranks as one of the top shopping destinations in Asia. As all budgets are catered for, you will be enticed to shop till you drop! You can also expect both a fantastic variety of products as well as value for money. From designer labels to home-grown brands, even the discerning shopper will be spoiled for choice. But you may like to bring home something typically Malaysian, in which case, spare some time to shop for ethnic crafts. A wide range can be found at the Kuala Lumpur Craft Complex and the Central Market.

Among the recommended items are batik (hand-painted or in block motifs available in traditional and contemporary designs, available as pareos, sarongs, scarves, shirts or dresses); songket (cloth intricately handwoven with silver or gold thread); silver items (jewellery, tableware and other home adornments); pewterware (various decorative and functional items); woodcarvings (aboriginal); pottery and ceramic (the choice is mind-boggling, but look out for Sarawak pottery or the Perak labu sayong); and weaved products (from practical bags to trinket boxes).

Places to shop include countless spick-and-span shopping complexes, duty-free shops, department stores, hypermarkets and handicraft centres to make-shift stalls and open-air night markets. Almost all shopping malls in Kuala Lumpur open for business from 10am till 10pm daily, public holidays included.

While the Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival which runs from July to September and the Malaysia Savings Sale in December draw hordes of shoppers from around the region with offers of up to 70% discount on store products, you can still find bargains and sales at independent retailers outside scheduled sale carnivals.

Besides larger malls such as Berjaya Times Square, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur Suria KLCC and those at the Bukit Bintang and Imbi area, many shopping complexes and departmental stores also offer economical buys such as Pertama Complex, Sogo Departmental Store, Kota Raya and Campbell Complex.

Then there are the numerous shops, flea markets, bazaars and side street stalls, notably dotting Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Masjid India (Little India), Brickfields (another Little India), Jalan Bukit Bintang, Jalan Petaling (Chinatown), Plaza Mont Kiara and even the Sunday Night Market on Jalan Telawi in Bangsar.

On Saturday nights, Lorong Tuanku Abdul Rahman is closed to vehicles and transformed into a bright and bustling night market with hundreds of stalls selling a gamut of products from foodstuff to leather goods.

Jalan Petaling Night Market in Chinatown sizzles every night while on Sundays, the Pasar Minggu Kampung Baru (Kampung Baru Sunday Market) turns into a treasure trove of shopping delights with local colours, sights and sounds. Below are the major shopping malls in the city:

AMPANG PARK
Jalan Memanda 3, Ampang

Ampang Park is the oldest mall in Kuala Lumpur, and also happens to be the grand dame of bargain buys, especially for electronics and electrical products as well as ethnic clothes. The bazaar-like atmosphere of its shops and stalls that line its corridors make for an interesting visit.

AVENUE K
156 Jalan Ampang

Avenue K is a top-end lifestyle mall with eight levels, designed for retail and leisurely pursuits. It’s the place to shop for international brands and local labels.

BANGSAR SHOPPING CENTRE
285 Jalan Maarof, Bangsar

Located in the heart of one of Kuala Lumpur’s posh suburbs, BSC is the place to shop, dine and most importantly, to be seen. The Cold Storage supermarket here stocks a fair amount of foreign foodstuff which is often hard to come by at your regular supermarket. The mall is also home to the Actors’ Studio, one of the country’s most definitive stage performance companies. You can catch seasoned and budding actors performing regularly at the studio.

BANGSAR VILLAGE I & II
Jalan Ara, Bangsar

The complex is spacious and its anchor tenant The Village Grocer attracts many shoppers with reasonably priced fresh fruit and vegetables and other supermarket items. F&B outlets there are cool places to hang out. Shops sell varied items, making the complex vastly popular in vibrant Bangsar.

BERJAYA TIMES SQUARE
1 Jalan Imbi

Berjaya Times Square offers over 500 retail shops. Foodies will be pampered by over 100 choices of cafes, restaurants, bistros and fast-food outlets. Its major attraction, Cosmo’s World, the largest indoor theme park in Malaysia, is a stand alone theme park with an abundant variety of entertainment and thrilling rides catering to all ages. Cosmo’s World also houses one of the longest indoor roller coasters in the world.

BB PLAZA
111 Jalan Bukit Bintang

Located adjacent and connected at all floors to Sungei Wang Plaza, BB Plaza houses some of the more notable tenants which are shoppers’ favourites. These include the Metrojaya departmental store and several jewellers lined at its entrance. Al fresco cafes at its entrance offer shoppers a welcome respite from the busier pursuits of shopping.

CAMPBELL COMPLEX
Jalan Campbell

A compact spot that’s great for watches and men’s shoes at affordable prices.

CENTRAL MARKET
Jalan Hang Kasturi

Once the city’s busiest wet market, Central Market was dramatically transformed in the late 70s to become one of the topmost destinations to hunt for souvenirs and local arts and crafts. Here, tourists will get to soak in the artistic and cultural aspects of Malaysian life as artists ply their skills. Batik and craft shops provide a great shopping experience.

GREAT EASTERN MALL
Jalan Ampang

Located along the prime “Embassy Row” of Jalan Ampang, the mall is home to many specialty stores, including British India and Guess as well as designer cafes like Starbucks. Cold Storage Supermarket is its anchor tenant.

KL PLAZA
Jalan Bukit Bintang

For up-market buys, head for KL Plaza, home to luxury watch shops, jewelers and beauty salons. The famed Planet Hollywood is located here. Several al fresco eateries along the Bintang Walk belt offer great food and entertainment.

KOTA RAYA COMPLEX
Jalan Cheng Lock

A bargain hunters’ haven, Kota Raya Complex, located across from KL’s Chinatown, has a wonderful selection of gifts and trinket shops that are just as colourful as they are varied. This is also a favouriete hang-out spot for Filipinas on Sundays.

KUALA LUMPUR CRAFT COMPLEX
Jalan Conlay

The complex showcases quality Malaysian handicrafts in both contemporary and traditional designs. There is a large collection of locally produced batik, songket, wood carvings, rattan trinkets and pewter products. There is a Do-It-Yourself Batik-making corner with resident batik makers on hand to assist tourists. At the Artists Colony, tourists get to mingle with local artists and learn about their craft.

LOT 10
50 Jalan Sultan Ismail

Boasting an eye-catching green facede, Lot 10 is a popular haunt for both local and foreign shoppers with Isetan as anchor tenant. It caters for the average income as well as the wealthy. As part of the Bintang Walk area, it also has several al fresco eateries and cafes along its immediate surroundings.

LOW YAT PLAZA
Off Jalan Bukit Bintang

Fronting BB Park, Low Yat Plaza is dedicated to IT products such as computers, laptops and peripherals. It also has a good measure of camera shops, fashion and leather goods stores.

MAJU JUNCTION MALL
1001 Jalan Sultan Ismail

Strategically located at the busy junction of Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman and Jalan Sultan Ismail, the mall attracts discerning shoppers with its specialty fashion stores such as Wh by British India and Nichi Fashion City. Besides a food court, it also has an indoor archery centre.

MID VALLEY MEGAMALL
Lingkaran Syed Putra

Mid Valley Megamall offers 5km of shopping, leisure and dining outlets. With more than 430 shops, the mall is also home to three retailing giants, namely, Carrefour, Jaya Jusco and Metrojaya. It also houses a Cineplex, state-of-the-art bowling centre and a one-stop IT centre. If you need to refuel after all that glorious shopping, there’s a whole world of culinary delights just waiting for you. From chic-bistros to fast-food outlets and food courts, they are all teeming to satisfy any tastebud.

PICCOLO GALLERIA
Jalan Bukit Bintang

A medium-sized shopping galleria sandwiched between Lot 10 and KL Plaza, Picollo Galleria adopts Italian shopping ambience with specialty stores offering lifestyle fashion products and art pieces. Ristorante L’Opera, a restaurant specializing in Italian cuisine located on the ground floor, is one of the most popular places at Bintang Walk.

PERTAMA COMPLEX
Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman

Though Pertama Complex is one of the oldest shopping complexes in KL, it still has a faithful following of shoppers due to its reasonably priced products, ranging from telecommunication devices to leatherwear such as Cowboy boots and jackets.

SOGO DEPARTMENTAL STORE
Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman

Located on busy Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Sogo offers a wide range of merchandise with prices ranging from high-end to mid-range. The centre has a well-stocked department store, supermarket, bookshop, restaurants, food court and offices.

PAVILION KUALA LUMPUR
Jalan Bukit Bintang

Consisting of seven levels, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur boats of more than 450 stores offering some of the world’s renown brand names. Shoppers are spoiled for choice in terms of fashion, food and urban leisure.

STARHILL GALLERY
Jalan Bukit Bintang

Undoubtedly one of the classiest malls in the city, Starhill offers a great selection of top-end designer labels and luxury watches. There is also a great selection of spa and beauty treatments on its Pamper Floor.

SUNGEI WANG PLAZA
Jalan Sultan Ismail

Having the biggest concentration of hair and beauty saloons among the city’s malls, Sungei Wang Plaza offers almost 500 stores offering almost everything under the sun at affordable prices. The complex is anchored by Parkson Grand. Its main entrance is lined with several interesting eateries. It’s the kind of place that shoppers keep returning to.

SURIA KLCC
Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC)
Jalan Ampang

Suria KLCC is an up-market shopping destination with hundreds of shops offering a wide range of goods and services that pamper the needs of shoppers – from fashion, entertainment, arts and culture, to local delicacies and international cuisines. The mall is surrounded by hotels, office buildings, a scenic park and dancing fountains. Its anchor tenants include Isetan, Parkson Grand and Tanjong Golden Village.

THE MALL
Jalan Putra

Located across from the Putra World Trade Centre, The Mall is a relatively large mall with a penchant for leather shops and boutiques. The Parkson department store is its anchor tenant. It also has a Malaccan-themed food court on its top floor.

THE WELD
76 Jalan Raja Chulan

A pleasant medium-sized mall, The Weld has an assortment of shops from bookstores to watch shops, a pharmacy and also a ladies’ wellness centre. Several eateries are located at its concourse area.

Flea markets are great places for browsing or to shop for exotic jewellery, household items, second-hand books, ceramics and other bric-a-brac. The main flea markets in Kuala Lumpur are listed below:

Bangsar Utama Flea Market
Kompleks Niaga Utama
Bangsar Utama
Daily: 10am-10pm
Sat-Sun: 10am-8pm

Amcorp Mall
Jalan Timor, Petaling Jaya
Daily: 10am-4pm
Sat-Sun: 11am-3pm

Carnival Flea Market, BB Park
Jalan Bukit Bintang
Daily: 10am-4pm

Central Market, Jalan Kasturi
Daily: 10am-8pm

KL Arts Market (Laman Seni)
National Art Gallery
Jalan Tun Razak
First Saturday of the Month: 8am-5pm

Little India, Jalan Masjid India
Daily: 8am-10pm

Mont’ Kiara Craft Mart
Plaza Mont’ Kiara
Sundays: 10am-6pm

Sogo Flea Market, Ground Floor
Sogo Shopping Centre
First Sunday of the Month: 11am-7pm

Souk Al-Tar, Maju Junction Mall
Daily: 10am-10pm

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How You Can Work From Home With Forex Trading

Working from home has become a reality nowadays with the internet offering all sorts of possibilities to the virtual office worker. While a lot of the literature that has been discussed over the past few years is the data entry and employed work that people can work online, many people have not realised at the potential of the internet for investment trading. Today I won’t be discussing on aspects of traditional markets like stocks and bonds, futures or even equities and I won’t be discussing how investment in blue chips and hedge funds have been brought online to the internet. Today, this article will be discussing how Forex can make you immensely wealthy, just by working at home.For those not in the know, the paper trade market has been paired with the longevity and infinite nature of the internet. Now, anyone can interface, using investment matrix programmes that allow you to view Forex markets in real time, and make a living from home. The reason the Forex market has become so popular is because of many reasons. In these dark economic times, many investors are pulling out of previously discussed investment markets and reaching into more unconventional markets like the FX.The staying power of Forex (as long as world economies are decided by the currency denominator) means that there is always money to be made through the paper trade. Whether or not the market is going up or down, there is a way to profit from both sides of the market. And also, the very liquid nature of the FX market has pulled in a lot of investors into its paradigm. The fact is, many of the more popular markets like equities and blue chips have a lot of red tape when it comes to putting in or pulling out of investments and in terms of investments, time is money in investments. The FX market has no such barriers to entry, and it allows for many people to invest with a comfortable amount of money.Of course, it helps that many online brokerage firms give a good margin when it comes to your deposit. Ranging from 1 – 10% (which means over 10 to 100 times of the amount you credit), you have a larger playing field to run around your investments and diversify your portfolio. Add to that the ease of the internet, now anybody can make a lot of money on the Forex market. While I won’t say it is a magic pill to all of your life’s woes, I will say that the Forex market has the potential to make you quite a bit of money, when played right.For those newbies, don’t worry so much as a lot of brokerage firms offer real time support as well as programmes that can help you calculate your investment options as well as give you real time feeds and information on your decisions. This is critical to make the right decisions, safe decisions that will make you money and turn your work from home with Forex trading option into a profitable one.

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