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.

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.

How am I going to get any work done today?I still haven’t had a second to check e-mail (yipes)!

Hooo-rah troops! And Hooorah to your families!

We love you and appreciate you.

Re: The Business Connection to what MySpace is doing with ‘Operation MySpace’:

MySpace has mastered the art of bringing people together around common interests, and giving them a place to connect and talk, which leads to the best business deals when like-minded individuals bond.

How can you do that in your business–using social networks, forums, blogs and vlogs to get people interacting at your place of business?

Coaching Tip:
Gather people on your front lawn–and you’ll gather more clients, fans and tribe members to your company.

One concept I’d like to end this blog post on is to mention one word that was the theme of today’s event–happening live from Kuwait–and that word is: Sacrifice.

These men and women serving in the U.S. military exhibit one common trait that too many new business owners forget about: Sacrifice.

I’ve heard too many business owners whining recently about how they want everything instantly: quick cash, instant clients, more business. They want their business to expand overnight, yet they are unwilling to put in a little extra to yield the big rewards.

So with that in mind… If you’re a successful business owner, tell us what are things you’ve sacrificed over the years
as you built your business.

Share the things you sacrfice in the comments section below.

Help me encourage other new entrepreneurs to realize that while business ownership has its rewards–and comes with
incredible freedom–it also comes with a little bit of sacrifice in order to enjoy those freedoms.

Let us know below…

What have you sacrificed in order to grow your business?
Or
What are you willing to sacrifice in order to bring your
business vision into reality - and push through the difficult times?

Here’s where you get to tell me whether I’m being sexist or if I’m right on.

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

2. Quality of the Successful New Media Marketer: Natural Rapport Builder
A woman knows when she’s being used like a cheap prom date. She instinctively knows when a man isn’t being genuine with her. Especially when that man is trying to sell her something. Her trust-radar goes on full alert the second she smells a rat.

Too often, men in sales try to manipulate a woman into buying something she’s not ready for. Usually she doesn’t feel ready because she hasn’t done enough research. And if she feels the salesperson is just trying to build rapport by talking about her children or family, she’ll be turned off to the entire transaction and go elsewhere.

This is why Web 2.0 is her preferred method of evaluating products and services. If she doesn’t like the “smell” of a site, she can click away and never be bothered by that salesperson again.

Influencing someone to make the right decision is NOT the same as manipulating someone
for your own personal gain.

Influence always comes from a place where both parties benefit from the interaction. Perhaps you’ve successfully influenced a child’s decision not to do drugs. Your efforts in influencing your child come from a genuine place, and you have your child’s best interests at heart.

When you’re building rapport with someone new, and you’re not coming from a place where you have the other person’s best interests at heart, you’re emitting an odor that can be detected as far away as someone else’s computer screen if you’re doing business online.

Good news!
When a woman truly feels she is being listened to and respected, she’ll not only buy from you–she’ll be a loyal, raving fan who buys from you again and again–and tells all her friends about you and your services! She’ll serve as an evangelist, spreading the gospel of your products and services.

But only if you first spend the time to build rapport with her so she feels comfortable taking the next step with you.

The funny thing is, a woman sales professional naturally has this advantage of building rapport with people. Her natural instinct is to make people feel welcome. And it comes from a place of genuine concern to get to know the other person.

A woman’s predisposition toward developing relationships with people comes in handy when it comes to sales. No one wants to be “sold.” But everyone enjoys being partnered with and being helped.

Finally a woman’s role playing “hostess” is coming in handy! Finally, what we got criticized for in the 1980s and ’90s, we are being rewarded generously for in the 21^st century. We are begin rewarded by new visitors’ business and loyalty.

Now it’s your turn to talk back.

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.

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

NOTE: Stay tuned for part 3 in this series…

1.Quality of the Successful New Media Marketer: Trustworthiness
Like it or not, both men and women feel women are naturally more trustworthy than men. That’s not just in relationships, but in business as well.

Whether this is true or not, perception is reality. So when it comes to quickly and easily establishing trust in the sales relationship, women have an advantage in business.

Men often mistakenly think that sales is all about research and planning. While these are notable activities to engage in, in any business transaction, all the research in the world will not take the place of establishing trust in the relationship. Without trust, there is no use for all the research in the world. Therefore, planning must be set on the foundation of trust.

Historically, women have known just how important it is to trust their intuition. So when salespeople try to manipulate us, we have this sixth sense that tells us whether to move forward or move on.

Interestingly, society, spouses and the corporate world have tried to teach us that intuition is not as important as facts. They’ve tried to get us to rely less on our intuition and more on data. And it’s a sad day anytime corporate America succeeds in killing this natural instinct and gift women have been born with.

Fortunately, wise women know that ignoring their instincts would be a fatal mistake and therefore continue to trust their gut when making important decisions. Wise men have also come to rely on their female partner’s intuition. That’s why a spouse often will hold off on the decision-making process until he can run it by his wife.

Could this be where the phrase, “Behind every successful man there’s a woman,” came from? Perhaps it’s this intuition backing up his decisions that initiated this expression.

Trust is critical in any business relationship. And women know how to build trust, naturally. Therefore, this is the first advantage women have over men when marketing with new media.

What are your thoughts on all this?

I’d love to hear your opinion on this. Whether you agree or disagree, I welcome your feedback.

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

In part two of this series I’ll share the second quality women have naturally that’s perfect for marketing with new media.

PS: I’ll repeat the hint shared in this month’s Entrepreneur column:

HINT: Get a male/female partnership in business and you’ll have an even greater advantage by applying each person’s natural skills to the appropriate task needed in the company.

Share your comments below.

I had the privilege of meeting two of the founders of Utterz at this year’s Blog World Expo in Vegas. They totally get my vote for creating the coolest free service for bloggers on the go.

Utterz is the first mobile blogging service that allows anyone with a cell phone to blog his or her experiences while he or she is living them! How convenient is that?!

Simeon Margolis, co-founder of Utterz, says, “Utterz lets anyone share their experiences anytime using all the capabilities of their cell phone by posting voice, video, picture and text mashups anywhere on the internet.”

No more excuses from business owners who think they don’t have the time, technological know-how or resources to blog for their business. Utterz makes it mega easy to do so–all in New Media format–from text or audio to pictures and videos!

As long as you send messages all in the same 10-minute time frame, Utterz will combine all your mobile messages and mash them up onto one cool blog post.

Without any special software and no matter what phone or carrier you have, anyone can be mobile posting to his or her page online in less than two minutes using Utterz.

I signed up, and it felt like it took seconds to join.

Then–once you’re a member, you simply call 712-432-Mooo (6666) and record a voice utter.

Margolis explained it simply, “Send video, pictures and/or text to go@utterz.com within 10 minutes of calling, and we’ll mash it all into one post and put it on utterz.com and whatever connections you’ve set up.�?

So, next time you are out with friends, at a killer concert, reporting from a convention floor or just stuck in traffic, share it using Utterz! And connect with all your friends at once!

Oh–and be sure to share your Utterz username, so I can follow you too! (Hey–I get bored when traveling from speaking gig to speaking gig–you’d be surprised at how many blogs and mashups I follow.)

My Utterz name is: CoachDeb

See ya’ on Utterz!

PS: Share your comments below.
And remember - share YOUR Utterz username, so I can follow your Utterz!
My Utterz name is: CoachDeb

If pre-money valuation for Facebook reaches a high of $15 billion (estimates are averaging $10 billion) that means either Microsoft or Google would need to invest $1.5 billion for a 10 percent stake or $750 million for a 5 percent stake.

Who will win this battle?

More importantly - who do YOU want to win this battle?

Which investor will bring Facebook up to rival status to MySpace?

My initial gut reaction was to say Google will be the winner, hands down - simply, because I believe they want it more, and they “get it”. They understand that social networks are NOT a passing “trend” and will do anything to aquire a piece of the patterns of people in the future.

I tend to agree with Henry Blodget, Co-Founder, CEO, and Editor in Chief of Silicon Alley Insider who states that either way, Google wins.

“Either Google will run off with Facebook, leaving a jilted Microsoft (MSFT) fuming at the altar, or Microsoft will have to pay a king’s ransom to win the bidding war–just as it did with aQuantive.”

“Facebook tips and tricks” group began this topic on their discussion board today - go ahead and participate if you’re a member of Facebook. And be sure to comment below on this post to add your feedback and thoughts on who YOU want to win this battle and why.

Bottom line - the real winner in this battle is

Mark Zuckerberg, creator and owner of Facebook.

Afterall, no matter who invests, he gets to enjoy a nice chuck of it and have fun bringing Facebook into the mainstream of business networking with the added revenue pouring into the company.

Imagine… instead of thinking social networking is just a “passing fad”, what if every entrepreneur reading Entrepreneur Magazine started thinking, “How can our business leverage New Media Marketing and Social Networks - this new way of networking online - and make a few billion dollars in the process?”

Imagine what we can each create not critque in the New Media Marketing landscape…

Ahhhh the possibilities. Here’s to you Mark Zuckerberg! May you inspire the readers of this post to think big today.

Share your comments below.

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.

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.

Then – you can decide whether it’s time to change your marketing approach when marketing with people online to attract your ideal client. Discover if you’re turning her on, or turning her off.

Julie Perry resides in Fort Lauderdale, Florida—the Yachting Capital of the World—yet calls the world her home. She has visited over 50 countries through a variety of different work abroad experiences, including working her way around the United Kingdom on a temporary visa and serving as a Tour Director for one of the nation’s largest private travel clubs.

Author of the book, The Insiders’ Guide to Becoming a Yacht Stewardess: Confessions from My Years Afloat with the Rich and Famous,

which she primarily markets using Web 2.0 and New Media Marketing, Julie is both familiar with business ownership and catering to the wealthiest business owners in the world.

Here’s what Julie, a successful business woman says about how she feels about internet marketers who’ve flocked to social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook over the past year.

“All these Internet marketers have flocked to MySpace and similar types of social networking sites in the last six months, but in my opinion, so many of them are going about it all WRONG. While I may not be a champion yet with Adsense, SEO, or in getting my digital and back-end product lines going, if there’s one thing I have mastered, it’s marketing via the social networking scene. It’s all about subtlety when interacting in these communities, and in that regard, I think many of these Internet marketers and small business owners do themselves more harm than good.

The whole in-your-face, impersonal, blatant product plug, link laden, comment post spamming trend has really led us all away from the initial purpose and intent (not to mention, the fun and personal vibe) of the MySpace and social networking phenomenon. Consequently, MY target market–the college-aged and young 20-somethings–have all fled MySpace and gone over to sites like Facebook and Bebo; they’ve been chased away by what’s become out-of-control marketing MADNESS that you see on MySpace. And that pisses me OFF!

Enough rant there. But while I was on the subject, I had to offer some “venting” opinion. Since you coach people on how to utilize web 2.0 sites effectively, I’d love it if you could help spread the word about MySpace, et al: SUBTLETY is KEY, people!”

6 Secrets to Turn Your Ideal Client ON or Off

1. Find ways to attract attention.
2. Hook people in with things that aren’t such obvious advertisements and tacky product plugs.
3. People like to think they discover things on these sites–not have crap shoved in their faces.
4. Intrigue people, or reel them onto you page with things associated or of interest to your niche, but that aren’t necessarily directly related to your product.
5. Use the profile as you would set up a group, bringing people together with common interests.
6. It can still be personal (and it should be), but just don’t have it all geared around a PRODUCT, with that thing shoved in our faces. What a turn off!

Well Julie, I couldn’t have put it better myself!

Thanks for sharing your opinion so entrepreneurs who pay attention will learn what their market really desires – subtlety. Afterall, we don’t mind being marketed WITH, we simply can’t stand being marketed TO. And while that’s a subtle difference, it sure makes all the difference in the world when it comes to our profitability in the online marketplace.

Afterall, that’s where we are in control as the consumer. And it’s just as easy to leave a page and turn someone OFF than it is to fast forward on our remote controls using TiVo.

Remember, if you want to captivate the minds of your prospects, you’ve first got to captivate their eyes and attention so they’ll listen to what you have to say.

Coaching Question of the Day:

Are you turning your ideal client on?
Or are they turning you off?