The Green Zone

As a dental office that makes the planet a priority every day, Earth Day, which falls on April 22^nd, and the month leading up to it, is a fantastic time for a major marketing and publicity campaign about your green dental office.

Earth Day month launches with the 2^nd quarter of 2012. Your team is back from the winter holiday and in the groove. Spring is in the air, and it’s a great time to reach out to your community.

I like to think of Earth Day as New Year for the eco-passionate, and use it as an opportunity to do the same things I do at the calendar New Year: celebrate success, share with friends, and set goals for the coming year.

Here are some tips for an Earth Day publicity push you can start today, and continue through Earth Day on April 22^nd.  Future blogs this month will delve a little deeper to help you get the most of your Earth Day publicity plan!

1. Pat yourself on the back. Are you bragging sufficiently about your practice’s eco-friendly initiatives, and how they benefit your patients? Now is the time to send a press release to local media. It’s also a great time to promote specials your office only offers during Earth Month. Don’t forget to post an Earth Day-related post to your Facebook every day, with one or two a week bragging about your office’s extra steps to protect the planet. Check the EDA Facebook page this month for some simple “Click-Share” posts for your practice!

 2. Share Success to Inspire Others. Green dental offices are thriving. Share your success by giving back to your community, and inspiring other dental offices to follow your lead. Most communities have a local Earth Day event or activities you can participate in, offering eco-friendly dental product samples or free digital oral cancer screenings. Earth Day is a perfect time to send a letter to specialists  and labs your office works with, inviting them to learn more about the EDA and how going green can benefit them.

3. Set Goals. Integrate one new eco-friendly technology, switch to one new eco-friendly product, or implement one new simple change in your office. If you’re an EDA member, check out the GreenDOC Checklist for ideas, and be sure to engage your team. Make your goals simple and fun, and reward your team when you achieve them, like bringing in lunch from a business that uses locally-grown ingredients!

Ready for a real practice boost? Set a goal to become an GreenDOC and an EDA Charter Certified practice. Now is the time to shoot for Bronze, Silver or Gold Certification and we’re making it easy with a special price of only $795, a 20% savings when you register no later than April 30, 2012.

Make Earth month an annual celebration and time of festivity for your team and your patients and watch your practice grow!

And don’t forget to share with us your Earth Day plans.  We love to showcase the good work of our industry-leading members.

Be well,

Susan Beck, EDA Director