02/06/2026
If social media were a patient, would you treat it without an assessment?
Let's hope not.
Antonella used this example recently during a webinar for NHS England WT&E (Workforce, Training and Education Directorate), but the more we thought about it afterwards, the more we realised it has very little to do with dentistry and quite a lot to do with how many of us approach marketing.
Most business owners would never dream of making recommendations without first understanding what they are working with. Whether you are treating a patient, advising a client, designing a solution or managing a project, there is usually some sort of process. Questions are asked, information is gathered, and a plan starts to form.
Then social media comes along, and all of that seems to disappear.
People start posting before they have really thought about whom they are trying to reach, what they want to be known for, or how they want people to feel when they come across their business.
The funny thing is, social media isn't actually that complicated. What makes it complicated is forgetting that it is exactly what it says it is... social.
Perhaps that is why so many businesses find social media frustrating. The challenge is rarely the platform itself. More often, it is the lack of a clear plan before the posting begins.
This Friday marks the final session of our four-part webinar series for NHS England WT&E, and we suspect this message applies far beyond healthcare.
