# Hospital marketing plan: how to write one by service line, with a free Excel template

> A hospital marketing plan that works is written by service line: new patient targets, maximum cost per new patient, budget by channel, a campaign calendar that allows for ad approval, and monthly tracking. With a free Excel template.

Updated 22 October 2026 · Web page: https://hdmall.co.th/work-with-us/en/resources/hospital-marketing-plan/

**A hospital marketing plan sets out how many new patients each centre or service needs per month, the most it can pay for one, which channels it will use, when, and how results are measured. A plan that works is written by service line, not for the hospital as a whole.**

This is the practical companion to our [hospital marketing guide](/work-with-us/en/resources/hospital-marketing/). It walks through the plan step by step using a free Excel template that calculates budgets, cost per new patient and ad-approval deadlines for you.

> **Summary**
> - Plan 3–8 centres or main services separately, each with its own target, budget and KPIs.
> - The budget is new patient target times maximum cost per new patient, not a percentage set in the abstract.
> - Split each budget by channel using each channel’s expected cost per new patient, then check the plan reaches the target.
> - Allow 30–60 days for hospital ad approval in the campaign calendar.
> - Review monthly; centres below the cost ceiling with spare capacity get more budget first.

## Download the hospital marketing plan template

[Download the hospital marketing plan template (Excel)](https://hdmall.co.th/work-with-us/assets/files/hospital-marketing-plan-template-en.xlsx)

## Step 1: targets and budget by centre

Start with centres that have spare capacity and good margins. For each, enter:

1. **Spare capacity per month:** how many more new patients it can take without more staff or rooms
2. **New patient target per month,** no higher than capacity (the template warns if it is)
3. **Revenue per new patient over 12 months,** first visit plus returns and follow-on care. If you do not know it, our [patient cohort analysis tool](/work-with-us/en/resources/patient-cohort-analysis/) finds it from real data
4. **Gross margin** of the service
5. **Share of that profit you will spend to acquire a new patient,** a management decision

The template calculates the maximum cost per new patient and the monthly budget for each centre. Try one centre now:

## Step 2: split the budget by channel

With each centre’s budget set, split it across channels and enter each channel’s expected cost per new patient, from past campaigns or an estimate you correct after the first month.

| Channel | Suits | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Health marketplaces | Services patients compare on price, such as health checks, vaccines and planned surgery | Listings need ad approval like any other channel |
| Google Search and Maps | People searching for a service or a hospital nearby | Needs a page per service that answers questions |
| Facebook and Instagram | Awareness and reach by area and age | No targeting on health data |
| TikTok and short video | Doctor-led education and credibility | Videos need approval first; no live selling |
| LINE OA and existing patients | Recall, such as annual checks and the next vaccine dose | Only with marketing consent |
| Employers and insurers | Employee health checks and insurer networks | Long sales cycles; needs account management |

The template adds up expected new patients from every channel and shows whether each centre’s plan reaches its target. If not, move budget to channels with a lower cost per patient, or adjust the target to the budget.

## Step 3: plan the campaign calendar

Hospital ads in Thailand need approval before publication, which takes 30–60 days. The template’s calendar works out when to apply from each campaign’s start date (45 days before by default, adjustable), and turns the date red when it has passed without an application. See our [healthcare advertising guide](/work-with-us/en/resources/hospital-advertising-rules/) for the process.

| Period | Example campaigns |
|---|---|
| Start of year | Annual health checks and New Year campaigns for planned procedures |
| Before the rainy season | Flu vaccination and dengue awareness |
| Mid-year | Employee health checks for companies |
| End of year | Use insurance and benefits before year end; year-end health checks |

## Step 4: track results every month

Each month, enter actual spend and new patients who attended for each centre. The template calculates cost per new patient and compares it with the ceiling from step 1.

- **Within the ceiling, with spare capacity:** add budget to the channels that work
- **Within the ceiling, at capacity:** hold the budget or move it to another centre
- **Over the ceiling:** find the cause before spending more, such as slow chat replies, unclear prices or landing pages that do not match the question

## Frequently asked questions

### What should a hospital marketing plan include?
New patient targets and budgets per centre or main service, the maximum cost per new patient, a budget split by channel, a campaign calendar that allows for ad approval, and KPIs tracked monthly. The Excel template in this guide covers all of these.

### How far ahead should a hospital marketing plan be written?
Write an annual framework, detail campaigns quarterly, and prepare creatives at least two months ahead, because hospital ads in Thailand need approval before publication, which takes 30–60 days.

### How should a hospital set its marketing budget?
By centre: multiply the new patients the centre can take by the maximum cost per new patient, which comes from gross profit per new patient over 12 months times the share management will spend on acquisition, then add up the centres.

### What if we do not know each channel’s cost per new patient?
Start from past campaigns or estimates from similar channels, then measure in the first month, connecting ad, chat, booking and attending patient. The figures sharpen after two or three months.

### How is a public hospital’s plan different?
Public hospitals usually target access and prevention rather than new patients, and follow their parent agency’s rules, but the structure (targets by service, channels, calendar and tracking) works the same way.

## Sources

- ttb analytics, [Thai private hospitals at a structural turning point](https://thaipublica.org/2026/07/ttb-analytics-private-hospital-industry/) (ThaiPublica, 27 July 2026, in Thai)
- HDmall, [Hospital marketing in Thailand: a 2026 strategy guide](/work-with-us/en/resources/hospital-marketing/)
- HDmall, [Healthcare advertising in Thailand](/work-with-us/en/resources/hospital-advertising-rules/)