New Media Marketing:

This is the continued discussion from my January column on WomenEntrepreneur.com, talking about how women are finally getting a level playing field with Web 2.0 and the New Media Marketplace.

Last month, we talked about the second quality women have that gives them an advantage over men when marketing with New Media. Now let’s explore the third quality women naturally possess, giving them an edge in the Web 2.0 world.

3. Quality of the Successful New Media Marketer: Natural Influencer

Since the dawn of time, women have been influencing men–whether men admit it or not (Remember the apple? Bathsheba?).

Let’s cut to the chase for this post and go “Twitter Style,” shall we?

The bottom line is that, to influence and motivate another person, you really need to know what that other person cares about deeply. You need to discover what he or she is most proud of, what he or she enjoys doing, and what his or her goals are in business and in life.

Otherwise, you’re just employing a “one size fits all” approach–and all the ladies know that’s really not a size that works for anybody!

I think that’s what has created such a “Twitaddictionâ€� (Twitter + addiction = Twitaddiction) in me and many others like me who are actively engaged on Twitter. You get to know what people are really interested in. And you get this information in bite-size pieces, so it doesn’t take that much time, which is what attracts men to Twitter in droves.

But here’s what I’ve seen. You can tell me if you’ve seen the same thing. When men first hear about Twitter they balk, scrunch up their faces and often ask, “Why would I want to participate in something that’s just a waste of my time? All this talk about nothing!”

Or aspiring entrepreneurs hear about how effective Twitter is for search-engine optimization, so they sign up, get their name reserved, but then fail to engage with their followers or participate in the conversation to get to know their clients or the marketplace.

I’ve seen one too many male-owned Twitter accounts with Tweet after Tweet pointing their followers to their blog with a tiny URL link. Hmmm . . . not very participatory or influencing, is it?

Mind you, this is not to group all men in this category because there are plenty of exceptions. Among them is Warren Whitlock, otherwise referred to as @WarrenWhitlock on Twitter, who really understands how to build connections on social networking sites. But my opinion is that he is not in the norm.

Robert Scoble (aka: @Scobleizer on Twitter) is another exception. He’s constantly asking engaging questions that often keep me hooked on Twitter long past midnight just to listen to all the answers to his conversation-stimulating questions.

I’m merely pointing out that connecting and influencing people is not something that comes naturally to men. But just as any skill can be learned in business in order to succeed, men are learning from women how to succeed in the New Media Marketplace that requires you to really get to know your clients, prospects and followers.

Someone on Twitter (Lisa Hyatt aka: @AboutLisa ) recently Tweeted, “If ‘Content’ is King–then ‘Marketing’ is Queen.”

All good chess players know that the queen is far more flexible and powerful on the board than the king is. That’s because she possesses the ability to engage in more moves. Some might call this “influencing”–wouldn’t you agree?
Perhaps it’s how our brains are wired, having both sides connected and communicating with each other, that makes us natural influencers and communicators.

Whatever it is–women, you need to embrace your natural gifts and use them for good, realizing that you have a natural advantage in the New Media Marketplace. Sso get going! No more excuses for you. There is no more glass ceiling with Web 2.0.

And men–keep on learning from the women you see who are effectively using New Media to gain followers through their ability to connect and influence their tribe. Two women pop into my mind immediately: @LynnTerry and @MariSmith, found on Twitter.

Oh! And if Twitter is a new word or concept for you, you can follow any of the above names prefaced with the @ symbol by going to Twitter.com and inserting his or her user name after it. You can find my profile and follow me on Twitter here: Twitter.com/CoachDeb

Now it’s your turn to talk back. Am I totally sexist or do I have a point?

What’s your Influence Quotient?

If you’re a man reading this with steam coming out your ears because you think you Tweet in an influential way–share your @ ID so we can check you out and see whether you’re worth following and/or continue to show you how to influence your Tribe in a more persuasive manner. In other words, we can help you bring out your “feminine side.”

I want to hear what you have to say about this quality being a natural quality women possess. Whether you agree or disagree, I welcome your feedback in the comment box below.

Share your comments below.

For more on this topic, see the column, “Move Over, Men” at WomenEntrepreneur.com.

NOTE: Stay tuned for part 4 in this series… where I’m sure I’ll really say something cheeky about men vs. women.

Today, October 17, 2007 Rupert Murdoch announced plans for a major upgrade and overhaul for MySpace.

Looks like they’re not only paying attention to the rapid growth and popularity of Facebook, they’re fighting back!

Michael Arrington editor of Tech Crunch highlighted several key facts on the MySpace Platform that mirror the key benefits people rave about on Facebook. It will now allow third party developers to create applications that run within MySpace.

The set of APIs and a new markup language that MySpace will have with its new platform clearly indicate MySpace is listening to the chatter from Facebook fans. The buzz about “API” was the repetitive theme and key advantage I kept hearing about from every internet marketer who advised me to participate actively in Facebook at last month’s WIMME (World Internet Marketing Main Event) Conference in San Francisco.

MySpace is also addressing privacy controls with its new upgrade. Soon you’ll have the option of what types of friends can see certain content on your page.

The most fascinating thing to me about the new war waged between MySpace and Facebook is how the end user will be the one who benefits from the competition. Too many companies who think they dominate the marketplace simply sit back and rest in their success, instead of constantly focusing on how they can be better for the clients using their products or services.

Competition between these two popular social networking sites is a good thing for all of us, because every year, we’ll have additional ways to connect and bond with our business associates, friends and clients than we’ve ever had in the 20th Century.

So I say - bring it on! Let the wars begin and let us all benefit from the improvements. Either way, we all win. It’s the best example of the effective application of Game Theory I’ve seen in the marketplace lately.

Right after I overcame all my objections to joining MySpace, I quickly learned my way around and became a MySpace addict within the first month. And while I’ve been on and off the wagon over the past year, I’m still a MySpace addict.

After about a dozen business owners and internet marketers told me how I just HAD To join Facebook at last month’s WIMME Conference in San Francisco, (World Internet Marketing Main Event) I figured I should at least have a profile, being the New Media expert and all.

So I joined. Despite my busy schedule, between my coaching clients and my addition to MySpace, I somehow pulled myself away long enough to join Facebook this month.

Yep, this early adopter and New Media expert is a late-comer to Facebook, despite knowing about this online social network for years.

Now I just need to decide – which is better? MySpace or Facebook when it comes to networking online for business contacts, joint venture relationships and new clients.

Here’s where YOU come in. Since the jury will be out on MySpace vs. Facebook for at least another few months in order to give both a fair test drive, I thought I’d blog about this question in the beginning stages of my “research� and ask you and all Entrepreneur Magazine readers which network you prefer.

Which social networking community do you prefer spending your time?

MySpace or Facebook?

Oh – and if you haven’t joined either, please do yourself a favor and join both today. Trust me, despite my quest to choose which one I enjoy spending my time on better than the other, they’ve both already proven to be more than valuable when it comes to attracting new clients, furthering the relationship of business contacts and making genuine, forward-thinking new friends.

In the upcoming blog posts this month, we’ll talk about:

• the psychology of Facebook,
• the cult of MySpace
• and we’ll reveal how motivation and influence operate in these two popular online networking communities.

In the meantime… share your thoughts, opinions, expertise on which social network you prefer to spend your time on – MySpace or Facebook.

Tell me WHY you prefer one over the other in the comment link below.