We at VOCA always encourage our clients to participate in some sort of good works campaign. Whether the client chooses to support one charity in particular or donate goods and services to a variety of charities, any type of good works campaign can be incredibly beneficial in a variety of ways.

For one, undergoing a good works campaign can boost employee morale. Supporting a good cause as a team helps employees to feel they are working together toward a common cause that gives back to the community. When employees see that their company cares about the community around them, it builds trust and loyalty.

Second, doing good works can help a company reach its target audience. This requires extensive research into a variety of campaigns with the goal of finding a cause that is supported by your target demographic. For example, if you want to reach the medical community, a charity focused on cancer research or providing health care services to those who cannot afford them will carry much more weight within the medical community than supporting a charity that helps build playgrounds for kids (although obviously both causes are important).

Third, good works results in good PR. In addition to a media relations campaign touting the client's product or service, a good works campaign helps to build positive, feel-good PR about the company within the local community. It humanizes the company, builds trust and credibility and provides a strong human interest angle to the campaign.

And last but not least, it's the right thing to do. We are all responsible for giving back our community, in any way we can.

Here's to many, many more years of VOCA success!

I just returned from a two week vacation in Italy with my husband, Jeff. It was the trip of a lifetime and I cannot wait to go back! We spent several days in Venice, then went down to Florence where we stayed in the breathtaking residence of my client, Equity Estates, and then made our way to Rome for several days.

One of the things I noticed while traveling throughout Italy was the lack of mass advertising. Unlike America, where billboards reign supreme, in Italy you really do not see massive ads gracing the sides of modes of public transportation or billboards looming over streets. With one sad exception.

This enormous Miss Sixty billboard covers the entire facade of the Correr Museum in St. Mark's Square in Venice. It was horrifying to see this add (not to mention the acid washed jeans) in what is essentially a historical monument in one of the most romantic cities in the world. This is bad advertising.

Visiting a new client for the first time is always exciting and heading up to Brush Creek Ranch outside of Saratoga, Wyoming, this week was particularly fun because I had never been to Wyoming before. About four hours from Denver, Brush Creek Ranch sits on more than 12,000 acres of unbelievably beautiful land and is one of the most majestic properties I've ever had the pleasure to visit. Courtney and I were knocked around a bit by the gusting winds on the drive up and did not pack or dress properly for the weather (you would think I would learn that weather.com cannot be trusted), but all of that faded away as we stood on the Brush Creek Ranch viewing deck gazing out over miles and miles of private, pristine land. We are so excited to be involved in this project.

We were also treated to several amazing meals at the homestead and during those meals, we felt eyes our on backs courtesy of this giant beast. We couldn't resist getting a picture with him.

Also, this post is dedicated to Jan! :)

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1. Substitute for a marketing strategy - Social media is just one component of a marketing strategy. A good marketing strategy includes all components: advertising, marketing, PR and social media.

2. Be done in-house by the vast majority of companies - If you want a successful social media campaign, you must hire people that know what they are talking about when it comes to social media. Someone who has a Twitter account or created a Facebook page for their Mom's knitting group is not an expert. Rely on the experts instead of trying to recreate the wheel on your own.

3. Be done without a realistic budget - Many companies may be tempted to ask that social media simply be tacked on to an existing PR or marketing campaign as if it were just another initiative. This is a mistake. A powerful social media campaign takes time and therefore money. Be realistic about the importance of a social media campaign for your company or product... and be willing to pay for it.

4. Be done by "kids" who "understand social media innately" - This relates back to #2. Executing a social media campaign takes time, experience, knowledge and tools. If you want it done right, have it done by experienced professionals who have made a career of creating and executing successful social media campaigns. You will be happier in the long run.

5. Replace PR - Perhaps as a PR person I am biased, but I still hold strong to the belief that social media can complement PR, but it cannot replace PR. As the commentary in Advertising Age so adeptly puts it: "No matter how great your website, video contest, blog, Twitter strategy, etc., you still need publicity. Or you may end up with a tree falling in the forest and nobody hearing it."

VOCA Public Relations specializes in media relations for clients in the luxury, real estate, travel, green, health/wellness and related industries. When you need a voice that is true to your brand, use VOCA.

Be heard.