The document discusses 10 deadly sins of healthcare marketing and provides alternatives. The sins include: 1) Spaghetti marketing without a plan, 2) Analysis paralysis overthinking decisions, 3) Marketing decisions by committee without a clear leader, 4) Inadequate staff training, 5) Treating marketing as a cost rather than investment, 6) Insufficient delegation of tasks, 7) Inconsistency in messaging, 8) Failure to track results, 9) Hiring unqualified marketing talent, and 10) Attempting do-it-yourself marketing without expertise. The document advocates for having a strategic marketing plan led by an experienced professional to avoid these sins.

1. The 10 Deadly Sins of Healthcare Marketing (and 7 things you need to do instead)

2. Deadly Sin #1: Spaghetti Marketing Effective marketing is planned communication, so create and follow a well-considered and specific plan. When you market without a plan, it's like throwing strategies against the wall to see what sticks. We call that " spaghetti marketing," and it can be truly brutal on your budget and your organization. Plan your marketing carefully, preferably with the guidance of experienced professionals who know the ins and outs. They can steer you toward the tactics that are proven to work in any given situation—and help you steer clear of the things that will fall flat. Continue to adjust your plan as you learn, but don't start throwing spaghetti at the wall. Plan first, then execute. 09/11/10 Praveen Pillai