Kuching, 22 August 2014 – The World Islamic Economic Forum Foundation (WIEF) through its WIEF Businesswomen Network (WBN), with the support of the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development of Malaysia, organised the 4th Regional WIEF Online Marketing Workshop from 18-22 August 2014 in Kuching, Sarawak. The Workshop aims to capitalise on the technological connectivity that women entrepreneurs require in order to expand their business reach internationally.
The workshop show the women participants how best they can utilise online marketing tools to promote their businesses, whilst at the same time offering a unique opportunity for them to connect and network with other local and international participants. In addition, the workshop provides the women entrepreneurs with the distinct advantage in leveraging online technology to market their products and services.
“The number of women using social media is growing. Malaysia is also part of this growth. 78 percent of Malaysian internet users spend time on Facebook, while a good 51 percent use YouTube. I have confidence that the presence of so many experts and practitioners at this workshop have been helpful in allowing us to engage in robust discussion on the various aspects of online marketing. As we all know, the objective of the WIEF is to facilitate business in the Muslim World, generating profits and benefits that would eventually flow down to the much neglected people. Online marketing, social media are some of the many tools to achieve this,” said YABhg. Tun Musa Hitam, Chairman of the WIEF Foundation at the Closing Ceremony of the 4th Regional WIEF Online Marketing Workshop.
The 5-day workshop comprises four modules on ‘Website Design’, ‘Website Content’, ‘Website Sales and Marketing Tools’ and ‘Marketing using Social Media’. The participants would also be taught on Content Management System (CMS), Google Places and the use of Social Media. On the last day of the workshop, the participants will be taken on a field trip which would enhance the spirit of camaraderie and networking between them.
Meanwhile, YBhg Dato’ Dr. Norraesah Mohamad, Chairman, WIEF Businesswomen Network, said “Women need to be confident when it comes to business. I believe many women experience self-doubt in making decision especially in business. This holds them back in advancing their careers. On the other hand, we all know that women are good in business hence we cannot let ourselves be left behind. Therefore, WIEF’s inititative to organise this workshop should be applauded as it helps women operate their businesses more efficiently and effectively, especially in the fast-paced world where everything needs to be adapted quickly. I also believe that the online marketing workshop helps women become successful businesswomen in the future, as it enables them to improve on their traditional operating models by adopting a more responsive structure”.
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About the World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) Foundation
The WIEF Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation based in Kuala Lumpur, organises the annual World Islamic Economic Forum, a world-class business platform showcasing business opportunities in the Muslim world. The Foundation also runs programmes under the WIEF Businesswomen Network (WBN), WIEF Young Leaders Network (WYN) and the WIEF Education Trust (WET) and the WIEF Roundtable Series, aimed at strengthening people partnership and knowledge exchange between Muslim and non-Muslim communities across the globe. Some of the Foundation’s initiatives include the roundtable discussions, leadership programmes, knowledge transfer and skill development workshops, business networking forums, internship and scholarship programmes, the Young Fellows Programme and the Marketplace of Creative Arts Festival (MOCAfest). For more information on the WIEF Foundation, please visit www.wief.org.
About the WIEF Businesswomen Network (WBN)
The WIEF Businesswomen Network (WBN) was mooted at the inaugural Forum in 2005. The idea stems from the premise that women constitute a very important segment of the society and thus must be given due recognition for their economic contribution to the Muslim world. The WBN is aimed at providing a networking berth for women entrepreneurs across the world, especially in Muslim countries and societies.
WBN organises the annual WIEF Women Entrepreneurs Workshops, which have attracted women entrepreneurs from 19 countries since its establishment. More similar hands-on programmes and Web-Reach Internet Marketing workshops are being organised worldwide to equip and empower women to effectively compete in the challenging business world. For more information, please visit www.wiefwomenbusiness.org.
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