The Great Healthcare Shift: Building Trust, AI, and Opportunity for Chiropractors
Release Date: 05/30/2025
How Much Money Should Chiropractors Spend on Marketing?
Rocket Chiropractic Podcast
One of the most common questions chiropractors ask is, “How much should I be spending on marketing?” Unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Your marketing budget depends on your goals, experience, available time, and financial situation. In this episode of the Rocket Chiro Podcast, Jerry Kennedy breaks down what chiropractors need to consider when setting a smart, sustainable marketing budget. What’s Normal? Most small businesses spend 5–10% of gross revenue on marketing. Growth-focused businesses often spend 10–20%. Chiropractors? Usually far less. Many operate with...
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I'm a Chiropractor - How Do I Ask For Online Reviews Without Sounding Desperate?
Rocket Chiropractic Podcast
In this episode of the Rocket Chiropractic Podcast, host Jerry Kennedy, former chiropractor and founder of Rocket Chiro, discusses how chiropractors can effectively request patient reviews without feeling desperate or sales-oriented. The goal is to foster a comfortable approach that enhances practice visibility and appeal. Why Reviews Matter: Jerry emphasizes that online reviews significantly impact local SEO rankings and patient decision-making. Fresh reviews boost your visibility on Google Maps and provide credibility to potential patients. Reviews older than six months begin to lose...
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How Chiropractors Can Build a Referral-Based Chiropractic Practice
Rocket Chiropractic Podcast
In this episode, Jerry Kennedy explores what it takes to build a referral-based chiropractic practice. While many chiropractors say they want more word-of-mouth referrals, most don’t have a clear strategy in place to make it happen. Jerry breaks down the keys to increasing referrals, explains the different types of referral sources, discusses why people refer (and why they don’t), and offers practical tips on building stronger community and professional connections. Whether you’re just getting started or you’re ready to reduce your dependency on paid ads, this episode is packed with...
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Why Do Some Chiropractors Make Chiropractic Sound Like a Religion?
Rocket Chiropractic Podcast
In this episode, Jerry tackles a nuanced and often controversial topic: why does chiropractic sometimes sound like a religion? Drawing from his own experience in the profession and his exposure to its philosophical roots, Jerry explores how religious-like language and behavior have persisted in chiropractic for over a century—and whether this helps or harms the profession. This episode doesn’t aim to provide all the answers. Instead, it encourages thoughtful reflection on how chiropractic is defined, communicated, and perceived—especially by the public. Topics Covered 1. Two Extremes in...
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Highly Sensitive Chiropractors: Boundaries, Burnout, and Business with Todd Smith
Rocket Chiropractic Podcast
In this powerful episode, Jerry sits down with Todd Smith from True Inner Freedom to explore how being a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) impacts chiropractors both professionally and personally. If you’re a chiropractor who struggles with people-pleasing, overthinking, poor boundaries, and burnout — this conversation is for you. Todd explains how HSP traits can become both a superpower and a liability in a high-touch profession like chiropractic. They dive deep into setting boundaries, understanding your personal limits, dealing with patients, family balance, and how self-awareness can lead...
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Chiropractic Networking & Collabs: Trust vs Attention
Rocket Chiropractic Podcast
In this episode, Jerry takes a deep dive into networking and collaborations in chiropractic. While partnerships and collaborations can fast-track your growth, they also come with serious long-term risks if not handled wisely. Jerry explains why chiropractors must be extremely careful about who they associate with, both online and offline, and how short-term attention can easily undermine long-term trust. Through personal stories, real-life examples, and practical questions, Jerry lays out a framework for making better decisions about partnerships that protect your reputation and help you build...
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Most Chiropractic Marketing Takes Time
Rocket Chiropractic Podcast
In this episode of the Rocket Chiro Podcast, Jerry Kennedy explores how different age groups engage with brands online—and what that means for your chiropractic marketing. Using a recent infographic from NP Digital as a jumping-off point, Jerry breaks down why Gen Z takes longer to follow brands on social media, why Boomers tend to move quicker, and how your marketing strategy should align with your goals, target demographic, and level of urgency. Whether you're doing content marketing, social ads, SEO, or community outreach, understanding your audience's behavior is crucial. Jerry also...
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The Great Healthcare Shift: Building Trust, AI, and Opportunity for Chiropractors
Rocket Chiropractic Podcast
In this thought-provoking episode of the Rocket Chiro Podcast, Jerry Kennedy welcomes returning guest Shaq Smith for an unstructured but incredibly relevant conversation about a cultural shift in healthcare trust—especially among Gen Z—and what that means for chiropractors moving forward. Together, they unpack a global study by Edelman shared via Axios that reveals rising distrust in the medical establishment, and how younger generations are increasingly turning to social media, family, and AI instead of doctors for healthcare advice. This episode is not about fear or doom....
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He Said Chiropractors Should NEVER Rent Their Chiropractic Website. Is That Bad Advice?
Rocket Chiropractic Podcast
In this insightful episode, Jerry Kennedy dives deep into the important topic of chiropractic website ownership versus renting. Learn about the pros, cons, and misconceptions surrounding website management to make the best decision for your chiropractic practice. Key Points Discussed: 1. The Catalyst for This Discussion Jerry shares his experience with seeing a social media ad discouraging chiropractors from renting websites, advocating instead for ownership. Highlights the misleading aspects of this marketing approach. 2. The True Purpose of Your Chiropractic Website Your...
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Chiropractic Associate PTSD – Are You Sabotaging Your Own Practice?
Rocket Chiropractic Podcast
In this episode of the Rocket Chiropractic Podcast, Jerry Kennedy breaks down a surprisingly common issue in the chiropractic profession that he calls “Chiropractic Associate PTSD.” This mindset problem tends to surface in chiropractors who have come out of toxic or dysfunctional associate positions and are now trying to build practices of their own. Jerry has seen it time and time again—new practice owners unintentionally sabotage their growth because they’re overcorrecting for past negative experiences as chiropractic associates. Rather than learning from those experiences and taking...
info_outlineIn this thought-provoking episode of the Rocket Chiro Podcast, Jerry Kennedy welcomes returning guest Shaq Smith for an unstructured but incredibly relevant conversation about a cultural shift in healthcare trust—especially among Gen Z—and what that means for chiropractors moving forward.
Together, they unpack a global study by Edelman shared via Axios that reveals rising distrust in the medical establishment, and how younger generations are increasingly turning to social media, family, and AI instead of doctors for healthcare advice.
This episode is not about fear or doom. It’s about opportunity. Jerry and Shaq discuss how chiropractors can thrive in this new environment—by becoming approachable, authentic, and collaborative. If you want to know how to build real trust in a skeptical world, this episode is for you.
Topics Covered
Breakdown of the Edelman Study
- 16,000 adults surveyed across 16 countries
- Trust in traditional medical advice is plummeting
- Gen Z (ages 18–34) showed the sharpest decline in trust
- People now turn to friends, family, social media, and AI tools like ChatGPT for guidance
Why This Matters for Chiropractors
- Many chiropractors misinterpret this shift as negative
- Jerry argues it’s actually a massive opportunity
- People are more open than ever to alternative care
- But they’re also more skeptical and cautious
Key Insights for Chiropractors
- Approachability Over Authority
- Don’t try to act like a hospital or medical institution
- Be authentic, human, and real
- Patients are drawn to approachable, relatable personalities—especially online
- Be a Trusted Peer, Not Just a Provider
- The age of “the man in the white coat” is fading
- Trust is built through transparency, consistency, and care
- Shaq shares real-world examples from social media and ad performance
- Collaborative Decision-Making is Crucial
- Chiropractic is a participation sport
- Patients don’t want to be told what to do—they want to be heard
- Jerry shares the idea of “unburdening yourself” from outcomes, while still leading responsibly
- Office Design, Language, and Branding
- Your tone, attire, and environment matter more than ever
- Don’t fake it. Be yourself—but be your best self
- Your online persona should match the in-office experience
- Retention Through Relationship
- True retention isn’t just about visit numbers
- It’s about maintaining a long-term doctor-patient relationship
- “If they’re going to see a chiropractor five times in the next 20 years—make sure it’s you.”
Practical Takeaways
- Be visible and real online—smile in your photos, show personality in your videos
- Ditch manipulative sales tactics—people will bolt if they sense even a whiff of deception
- Use AI tools to enhance patient understanding, not replace your role
- Build trust over time—especially with younger patients who are used to doing their own research
- Engage in local Facebook groups or community platforms to stay involved without relying solely on ads
About the Guest
Shaq Smith is a marketing and social media strategist who specializes in helping chiropractors create content and ads that convert. Known for his sharp insights and practical advice, Shaq brings a younger generational perspective to the conversation—especially relevant for understanding Gen Z patient behavior.
Final Thoughts
This episode challenges chiropractors to stop chasing mainstream status and start leaning into what makes them different. Trust isn’t dead—it’s just shifting. And chiropractors who embrace approachability, authenticity, and patient participation will thrive in this new era.
Want Help Growing Your Practice?
Jerry offers business coaching, website design, SEO, and Google Ads services specifically for chiropractors. If you're ready for less stress and more momentum, visit RocketChiro.com.
Free New Patient Search Review: https://rocketchiro.com/chiropractic-practice-assessment
Best chiropractic websites: https://rocketchiro.com/best-chiropractic-websites
Chiropractic SEO: https://rocketchiro.com/chiropractic-seo
Coaching for Chiropractors: https://rocketchiro.com/join