When we sit down with practices new to the unique way Venel looks at marketing, one of the first questions we often hear is, “What should our marketing budget be?” Most practices expect to hear us provide a dollar range or an industry standard, but at Venel, we look at this very differently.

The best time to develop an agreed-upon strategic marketing plan and begin executing it was 12 months ago—12 months before you needed it.

Most practices engage in strategic marketing when their backs are to the wall: Their competition has been gaining ground with no response, a new surgeon is arriving in the market, volumes are dropping, or the hospital has just announced new orthopaedic providers.

Goodwill has never been about generating revenue or new patients; goodwill is a community position—a commitment from a partner in the practice or the practice as whole to give or serve within the community they call home, to provide more than just a pay-for-service, but an investment in the community’s future.
Often, practices bend to the whims of those asking for dollars because of feelings of obligation and fairness. If you give to one, why not all? There are several approaches to take when determining who or what is of value for your donation dollars, and it certainly is not everyone.