New Media Marketing:

I just found out about a major earthquake in China on my iPhone from my Twitter notification messages.

M 7.8 - EASTERN SICHUAN, CHINA

Here in Hawaii, it’s important for our residents to know of earthquakes happening on the other side of the world. Depending on the area and the size, we need to be prepared for a tsunami that could hit as a result of activity.

Amazing! Twitter has become the place where I now get my news instantly of what’s going on around the world. Perhaps now my followers will understand why I follow so many people. Because you never know who will break a story in his or her part of the world.

I was just signing off for the night when I received a tweet from Robert Scoble that there had just been an earthquake in China. He shared pictures, videos and firsthand accounts from the tweeters he was following–some who tweeted while they experienced the earthquake.

I shared this tweet with my followers so they could “follow the story as it unfolds on Twitter about the recent earthquake in China, visit: http://quotably.com/ChinaRed .”

Another place to follow stories shared on Twitter is Summize.com, where you simply type in the topic you want to follow–in this case it would be “earthquake” or “China Earthquake“–and you can see all the various reports from Tweeters all over the world.

Robert Scoble (aka: the @Scobleizer on Twitter) reported on the major quake in China to his followers on Twitter before the USGS website had a report up and about an hour before CNN or major press started talking about it.

@Dtan was the first to report to share this news to Scoble on Google talk from Beijing.

@ChinaRed shared the Google Map of Earthquake epicenter. Reporting the exact position is 31.0 W 103.4 E

Rory Cellan-Jones, a BBC blogger, posed the question,

“Is this the moment when Twitter comes of age as a platform which can bring faster coverage of a major news event than traditional media, while allowing participants and onlookers to share their experiences”?

I say yes since Twitter is everywhere regular people are. It’s not reliant on a certain segment of the population to arrive on the scene in order to report it, getting secondhand information. Twitter is the place where I get my news instantly–as it occurs.

A month ago, I found out why I was stopped in traffic on a Hawaii highway through my Twitter followers. All I had to do was publish one question asking what was going on, and within minutes they told me by sending a message to @CoachDeb that it was because of an overturned schoolbus carrying the women’s water polo team.

Another tweeter reported during last Friday night’s first TwitCast that he found out he needed to stay away from his school because of some flu that was going around in San Francisco.

More and more stories will be reported via Twitter first, the traditional news channels second. And it makes perfect sense. It’s the fastest way to connect with thousands of people in an instant–and in 140 characters or less.

Are you on Twitter yet? There are many more reasons and uses to join Twitter, but I’d say getting this type of news–fast–is one of the most critical reasons to be on Twitter.com.

Perhaps “New Media” should be renamed: “Fast Media” or “Instant Media” coverage compared to snail mail reporting, waiting for the “experts” to arrive and report.

What do you think?

What information have you learned about on Twitter first?

And if you’re someone who shares news in your part of the world, please add me on Twitter @CoachDeb and send me an @ message so I can follow you back and stay in the loop on what’s going on around the world.

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 “Twitaddiction” (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.