HAMILTON

SOCIAL MEDIA/
COMMUNITY
Big Things Are Happening At
Hamilton Based, Social Media And
Public Relations Company - MediaPa
MediaPA, a leading Hamilton, New Zealand-based, social media and public relations
company has moved into new office space at 13 King Street in Hamilton.
The move in April has coincided with the release of FULL BOOST, their new content
marketing package which gives companies the ultimate coverage in the online space.
Full Boost is aimed at businesses and companies that want extensive coverage
through online news and social media but don’t have the time or skills to do it
themselves.
Using a combination of social media, SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), article writing
and traditional public relation strategies, MediaPA will help bring your business online
and create a consistently high-ranked profile on Google and other search engines.
In no way is MediaPA your ordinary public relations company. Always coming up
with out of the box ideas for their clients, their vision is to be the number one global
content marketing business, with a major focus on providing companies with the most
effective and up to date SEO methods available.
The numbers are also growing at MediaPA. Due to popular demand by their growing
list of clients, MediaPA has had to add serval more talented writers to their impressive
team of online journalists, social media experts and content creators.
Their journalists and social media team will create quality content which is relevant
and useful to your potential audience, and optimised with SEO techniques. This
ensures that your articles reach as wide an audience as possible while also increasing
your Google rankings.
MediaPA have a few more exiting announcements they are keeping up their sleeve.
Keep an eye on their Facebook page for the latest news and announcements.
MediaPA recognises that online audiences are important in today’s marketing world,
and they are here to help your business achieve maximum exposure online. For more
info contact Phillip Quay today:
Phone: 0274 587 724, Address: 13 King Street, Hamilton, Email: phillip@mediapa.
co.nz, Website: www.mediapa.co.nz, Facebook: www.facebook.com/MediaPA, Twitter:
twitter.com/NZ_MediaPA, YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/TheMediaPA, Pinterest:
www.pinterest.com/NZMediaPA
Why I Joined Toastmaster’s
And I Think You Should Too
By Graeme Smylie
I began my sales career Sept 2nd 1974. I vividly remember my Sales Manager
John Brangan strongly suggesting I join a local Toast Master club to ‘improve my
confidence’. Like everyone else, I was okay one-on-one, but in front of an ‘audience’
I just couldn’t stay on message, or persuade my message. I would go to weddings,
funerals, family gatherings, company functions, and leave there knowing I had
something to say or contribute. Fear, and lack of skill robbed me of my opportunity.
I only went to one meeting, and it was 32 years later (August 2006) at age 58 before I
ventured into another Toast Master meeting.
Looking back now, that ‘fear’ of public speaking is one of the great barriers stopping
us from reaching our best possible potential. This fear, apprehension, and lack of
experience all contribute to our ‘reaching our potential, or failing in what I think is
one of the most rewarding human experiences. Fear is real, and can be a friend or foe,
a stumbling block or a stepping stone. I chose a speaking experience knowing about
fear but also discovering my potential.
Toast Masters own a large and respected place in all the ‘fundamentals’ of presenting
speeches. There is a club near you. We are in Hamilton, Morrisville, Taupiri, Cambridge,
Te Awamutu.
Better speaking, better thinking, better listening, chairing meetings, time keeping,
grammarian, introducing a speaker, table topics (extemporaneous speaking),
business presentations, wedding toasts, evaluating speakers. Preparing a speech, and
presenting in time, on message, “opening-body-close’ are all part of a club meeting.
The resources available to members is second to none. Have a look at our New
Zealand website or our International website:
www.toastmasters.org.nz, www.toastmasters.org. Toastmasters offer a track to start
your journey. The Competent Communicator manual begins with all the basics. Ice
breaker, humorous speech, persuading with power, vocal variety, body language, eye
contact, gestures, pauses, using visual aids. All over 10 speeches with space for selfappraisal.
What I like about Toast Master meetings is the help and encouragement to improve,
the removal of ums and ahs, the effective pause, the skill of thinking on your feet.
Now at weddings, funerals, family functions and business meetings, I am able to listen
effectively, respond with confidence, and pay tribute to the deceased or the birthday
person. I don’t walk away saying to myself ‘I wish that I had said something’.
Toast Masters New Zealand is 53 years old, Toastmasters International is 94 years old.
The Book of Lists says that people’s greatest fear is public speaking. (They fear it
more than death!). 60% of people are turned down for a job due to insufficient
communication skills. More than 5000 past and present Toastmasters revealed in a
recent survey that most people join
Toastmaster clubs to improve their confidence and ability to speak in front of a group.
But they remain in Toastmasters because of the outstanding leadership opportunities
and the many unexpected benefits they gain, including a powerful support system,
friendship/camaraderie, self-fulfilment and the ability to help others. Famous
Toastmasters include actors, athletes, astronauts, artists, authors, politicians, beauty
queens, entrepreneurs and business people. The world needs leaders. Leaders head
families, coach teams, run businesses and mentor others. These leaders must not only
accomplish, they must communicate.
By regularly giving speeches, gaining feedback, leading teams and guiding others to
achieve their goals in a supportive atmosphere, leaders emerge from the Toastmasters
program. Every Toastmasters journey begins with a single speech. During their journey,
they learn to tell their stories. They listen and answer. They plan and lead. They give
feedback—and accept it. Through our community of learners, they find their path to
leadership.
That has been my experience with Toastmasters. I’m now
into my 10th year as a member, and at age 67 continue to
enjoy friendship, and personal growth.
Toast Master clubs are a friendly, passive, encouraging
place for you to ‘find your voice’. Don’t wait like I did. Be a
decision person, make the call, and engage your potential.
Graeme Smylie, Area Director B4/District 72, Ph 07 847
2834, 021 877 886, graemesmylie@gmail.com
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