The year is almost over, and while a lot of people are focused on their holiday plans, those of us who are business owners are thinking about our goals for next year. For a smoother and more successful 2023, I believe that dental practices should take a page out of the entrepreneur’s book and make some time before December 31st to get a few essentials in order.
As a business owner, I realize that time is precious, and it is not always possible to keep track of every detail of daily operations. That’s why you have a team of professionals on your side. However, from a marketing standpoint, and in general, there are a few important items that every business owner should be able to access at any time.
An important piece of information that should be easily accessible is the practice’s logo, not just what’s on the website, but an actual file saved on your computer with the logo, plus all of the acceptable variations. If you had your practice’s logo designed by a professional agency, that agency will have given you a digital version of the logo, all the technical specifications, and the acceptable variations for different backgrounds and formats. This information is important to have for any digital marketing, including building and adding to the website, social media, and ads. If, as the owner of your dental practice, you don’t know where to find your logo information, then it will create delays for any new marketing you want to do and especially when you decide to hire a marketing agency or switch to a different one.
Along those same lines, if your practice has been working with a marketing agency or hired someone to manage your online presence, that third party may have passwords or access to things such as social media, Google my business, a review platform and other online marketing channels. I recommend taking the time to find out how to get access yourself and understand where things are stored. It is not only important to have access to your digital marketing because you will need it if you ever change companies or team members, but also because it is yours and you own it. You don’t want to be left scrambling to find your own information when you need it.
Now, I understand that dentists are not always fully involved in the marketing side of their business, which is perfectly reasonable. Having someone on the team or an outside agency look after your digital media and marketing makes perfect sense for most practices. However, as the owner of your practice, you should at least know how to find information when you need it, because situations change. You may want to change agencies or your in-house marketing manager may move on to something else. I recommend having a designated drive or folder that houses all marketing materials, including unedited videos and images, logo files, contact information for any outside agencies who handle any part of your digital media or marketing, and access instructions with up-to-date credentials. There are even programs and applications available that store all of your passwords and keep them safe. Having this information handy will make transitioning much smoother should you ever need to hire a new marketing manager or you decide to switch marketing agencies.
The new year is approaching very quickly, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll want to be as prepared as possible for whatever it may bring. A great way to get a jump on 2023 is to take stock and make sure your digital media and marketing information is organized and easily accessible. Even if you don’t make any changes in 2023, you’ll have peace of mind for the whole year.
