The following blog post is intended to be utilized for educational purposes only. It is not meant to defame or shed negative light onto any person, entity, company or organization. Any reference made to actual persons have been removed unless those references are to promote that person or entity in a positive way. No opinion, express or implied, is being given on the person or persons whose identities have been removed from this post. Any opinions expressed in this article are quoted from other individuals and are not necessarily the opinion of the author of this post.

When I started making a name for myself in the local community as – Trista Polo Internet Business Consultant for AllThatInternet.net – I did it through building relationships at local business events and expos. This was a slow way to go but as I learned this weekend, it is the best way in these transparent and digitally viral times.

It used to be positive media was the way to go. PR firms were tasked with getting good press out there about the person or company and people would read it, believe it and then buy it. Press was always more valuable than advertising because it seems more real and more credible when it is out there in the NEWS.

So getting in the news was a big win for a local business owner. It allowed them to take a step up above their competition because they were recognized by local media as being special enough to warrant NEWS.

Well it seems that is no longer true.

My husband signed up for a local news paper subscription recently and – as a sign of the times – he lets it sit in its green bag on the driveway while he peruses the news on his smart phone before even getting out of bed. This weekend he came across a profile for a local business owner – a landscaper – that had a nice write-up about his background, keys to success and a company profile.

Great press. Nice picture. Put him a leg-up above his competition .. and there is a lot of competition among landscapers so good for him, right?

Wrong. If you read the paper virtually and happen to click on the comments for this particular article, you would realize that this was actually the worst possible press he could have received.

In a world of digital, viral, virtual, social we are not just shown what the news outlets want us to see but we have an opportunity to see what everyone else thinks about any given subject. Comments on videos, blogs and news articles allow the public to have a voice. The voice is now the NEWS.

I am finding out about the biggest news items first from twitter on my smart phone mobile app instead of seeing it on the evening news or hearing it on the radio. I am exposed not only to the news but people’s opinions about it – a much broader view of the world than when I was limited to the news from limited sources.

In the case of this landscaper, it is unfortunate that public opinion did not support the positive spin the article created. Because even though it states all “comments (should be) smart and civil. (And not) attack other readers personally,” that’s not what I always see. When people have an emotional charge about a situation, the guidelines are sometimes ignored.

Check it out at www.scoreulster.org

Social Networking as a Business Tool

Trista, Sr. Relationship Manager and Trainer for AllThatInternet.net will be providing systemized training for Unfranchise business owners on the MA WebCenters curriculum.

Curriculum covers many topics including 3 simple sales approaches, familiarization with tools, materials and solution as well as newly released Social Networking and SEO functionality for the MA WebCenters complete internet solution.

Class is $35 and usually runs from 9am to 5pm. Planned trainings include October in the Hudson Valley, November in the Capital Region of Pennsylvania and Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia.

Business owners are encouraged to check the NMTSS for detailed training information regarding date, location and times.

Our dedicated team of Social Media Marketing specialsts can guide the business owner through the social marketing process to help the thrive on the most popular social media sites. The result – a shifting tide bringing more customers to the business’ door step.

We have integrated Twitter, Facebook, Blogger, GoogleTalk, Yelp, Youtube, Groupon and LinkedIn and we have only just begun.

Our goal is to help our customers increase retention and broaden their customer base.

We will be updating you on the many enhancements coming. If you are a current AllThatInternet.net customer, you can contact our Social Media Marketing Specialists today and learn how to start utilizing these exciting enhancements right away.

This week was my week to be the spotlight member and in addition to speaking about my business in a short one minute commercial about a great referral for my business this week, I was able to speak for 10 minutes on any topic I chose.

I decided to tie the two together and covered 10 Minute Presentations as my educational moment and then demonstrated what I covered during the 10 minute.

I made sure I started with a jazzy beginning to get interest, I did something memorable and that would have impact on the audience. I also wanted to highlight something specific – in this case the benefits of working with me and my web solution for the typical local business owner. I ended by talking about the best referrals for me – The Three Ps.

To stand out and be memorable, I decided to interview a client. I asked Beverly White of Measured to Fit if she would be willing to help me by being the interviewee. I was so excited that she agreed! I was even more excited when she showed up! (performance jitters lead to paranoia I think!)

My starter to get everyone’s attention was to have our President, Karinna Kelly, introduce me as the guest host of BNI Today – a networking show. I even held up the “APPLAUSE” sign like a real TV show would do. And then I interviewed Beverly as though I was a talk show host and she was my guest. It was fun and I think I am ready to contact the networks! LOL

Beverly was kind and sincere and her words were highly impactful because they were coming from a client which is so much more powerful than if I had said them myself.

I am so grateful to Beverly for being willing to “play” and provide something so valuable to my business. She and her partner, Gail Williams, are a joy to know and I consider myself really lucky to have them as clients and friends.

Watch the video to hear Beverly’s answer to the following questions:

1. Had you looked at other web site options before settling on MA WebCenters?

2. Why did you choose to work with AllThatInternet.net and MA Web Centers?

3. How effective has it been at helping your business grow?

4. What do you like best about the MA WebCenters web site solution?

5. You recently upgraded to our newest software, free of charge as part of your service. How easy is it to make changes to your site since the upgrade?

6. What features and benefits do you like best about the new upgraded software?

7. What are some other benefits of working with me, beyond the work we have done on your web site?

8. Is there anything else you would like to add about working with AllThatInternet’s MA WebCenters web site solution or working with me?

The topic they will cover is eradication of childhood obesity through education and the Junior League’s involvement in this focus locally and internationally through a program called Kids in the Kitchen.

“The idea that children are getting illnesses that used to only be reserved for adults is scary,” Trista said. She is passionate about this topic and recently began working with the TLS Shape Up and TLS Kids programs to continue the reeducation process beyond the efforts of the Junior League of Poughkeepsie.

Trista and Carolynn will be the featured speakers on Thursday, June 3, 2010 at the Cristo’s Restaurant in Poughkeepsie. This is the regular meeting location for the Arlington Rotary.