To Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib,

First and foremost, let me introduce myself to Datuk. My name is Kent Ong, I own a company called World Web Creator and an internet marketing consultancy website – Human Website Malaysia. I have been doing Web Design, Web Development, Search Engine Optimzition, Search Engine Marketing and Social Media Marketing for 8 years.

I wrote this letter because I care about the future of Malaysia,  I care about the future of Malaysians and I care about your future. I would like to share some ideas on how to use social media effectively to communicate and engage your people (Malaysians) and why there are problems in using 1.8 million to build Tourism Malaysia's Facebook pages.

Your Facebook Page
First of all, I need Datuk to know the basis of social media marketing. The basis of social media marketing is to COMMUNICATE and to ENGAGE! Let us take a look at your Facebook page below.

I keep following your Facebook page. It seems Datuk never replied any comments on your Facebook page. Your people want to talk with you because now is conversational era, but not broadcasting era. What Datuk doing now is broadcasting, not communicating and engaging. You ignore your people on social networking site like Facebook. There is no engagement at all in between you and your people.

Your Facebook Page has more than 700, 000 fans, but how many of them clicked "Like" to post hate messages against you, but still you have no response at all. Are you too busy? Then It is better for you don't have a Facebook page, it is useless.

US President Barack Obama used social media marketing the most successful, not only for his Presidential Election 2008 but until today. He has his own President Obama Weekly Address on Youtube. It helps in building relationship between his people and him. He and White House have their own blogs to communicate and engage with his people. Don't you think you can do something like that to talk with your people?

1.8 million Facebook Pages

Let's watch the two videos below:

Anthony Loke (DAP-Rasah) slammed the decision to use so much money when the social networking site can be used free of charge.

 

Here are the two problems:

1st Problem - Impact Creations Sdn Bhd
Tourism Malaysia assigned Impact Creations Sdn Bhd to run the whole marketing for 1.8 million from 2011 - 2013. On the first day Anthony Loke slammed the decision to use 1.8 million for Facebook pages, I tried to search Impact Creations Sdn Bhd on Google. What made me surprised was Impact Creations doesn't even has a website. Until today, Impact Creations Sdn Bhd website still under construction. Even worse, Impact Creations doesn't have a successful Facebook page. That means, Impact Creations doesn't have proven result at all but they are able to get a 1.8 million project!!!

2nd Problem – Why Facebook Only
I have to admit that Facebook does have the most users among all social networking sites. But, at the same time, Facebook has the most fake profiles as well compared to Twitter and Linkedin. I am wondering is the current social media marketing strategy proposed by Impact Creations Sdn Bhd? Why Facebook only? Why not Twitter, Linkedin, or forum?

Let's take a look some search results on Google and Twitter.

As you can see, there are a lot of conversations happen online when I searched "Where to go in malaysia forum". Where is Tourism Malaysia when people need them on forums?

When I did a search (the same keywords) on Twitter, I got people ask where to go when travel to Malaysia. Again, where is Tourism Malaysia?

One of the biggest mistakes Tourism Malaysia made is they don't have profile or group on Linkedin. Linkedin has the wealthiest profiles compared to Facebook and Twitter. Most important thing is a lot of people on Linkedin are decision makers. They are CEOs, Directors, General Managers, Human Resource Managers, business owners, etc. Tourism Malaysia should have a Cuti-Cuti Malaysia group on Linkedin to communicate and engage those top management decision makers. I have tried to search Cuti – Cuti Malaysia group on Linkedin, Tourism Malaysia is not there.

Your Tourism Malaysia needs to go out search for people that talk about cuti – cuti Malaysia, talk about travel to Malaysia and holiday in Malaysia. They have to listen to them and join them. Give them solution on their forums, blogs and social networking sites (not just only Facebook).  Tourism Malaysia has to reach out in the new world. Don't just build Facebook pages and wait for your customers. Social media marketing is about others, it is not about you.

All Malaysians need is a stable and well-managed country to earn livings. If you are able to use social media effectively, you can actually reduce a lot of unnecessary costs because social media marketing is small hinges swing big doors. And most important, social media helps in uniting all Malaysians

It is time for you to listen to your people; otherwise we will fire you.

From Kent Ong
Internet Marketing Consultant
http://humanwebsite.com.my
http://worldwebcreator.com

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Need help in doing internet marketing in Malaysia, why not contact us at 017 24 30 307 (Kent) or via contact form