How Much Money Should Chiropractors Spend on Marketing?

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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 2–3%, and some don’t spend anything on external marketing at all.

However, even if you think you’re not spending on marketing, you probably are. Website hosting, domain names, print materials, business cards—it all counts. The real difference is whether you’re intentionally investing in marketing or passively coasting.

Why Chiropractors Often Underspend
Chiropractors—especially new ones—typically have limited budgets. There’s often pride in “doing it all yourself” or “growing by referral,” but this mindset can hold you back. Ironically, the time you most need to invest in marketing (early in practice) is when you usually have the least money and the least experience making smart marketing decisions.

Jerry shares his own experience of starting out with a large loan. While the money helped him get set up, it also created false security and delayed asking for help. Too much money, too soon, without a strategy, can lead to poor choices.

So, What Should You Spend?
There’s no exact number. Your marketing budget should be based on:

Your practice goals

Your available time and money

Your marketing skills

Your current momentum

Don't make zero spending the goal. At the same time, don’t fall for high-ticket gimmicks that promise the moon. Be intentional and strategic.

Budgeting Basics for Chiropractors
Do:

Invest in low-cost, high-impact strategies if you’re tight on funds.

Understand that marketing takes either time or money—often both.

Prioritize foundational strategies first (see below).

Spend money when it saves you meaningful time.

Don’t:

Gamble on expensive marketing hoping it’ll “just work.”

Spend money you don’t have or overcommit time you can’t spare.

Lie to yourself about your situation. Be honest so you can plan wisely.

Start with the Essentials
Before jumping into fancy ads or shiny marketing campaigns, focus on your foundational marketing:

A professional, patient-focused website

Local SEO and Google Business Profile optimization

Generating and managing online reviews

Community outreach and networking

Custom social media content (if you’re willing to create it)

These strategies are more affordable, sustainable, and effective over time. Big-ticket ads, print campaigns, and radio spots can come later—if they make sense for your goals and budget.

Time vs. Money
As your practice grows, your available money increases and time becomes more limited. That’s when outsourcing makes more sense. For example, a new chiropractor might build their own website, while a seasoned doc is more likely to outsource that task to save time.

Social media tip: Avoid paying for canned content. If you want results, you’ll need to share your own personality, voice, and expertise. You can create simple content and pass it off to someone for editing and posting—but generic content won’t move the needle.

Short-Term vs. Long-Term Strategy
Understand the type of marketing you’re doing:

Short-term marketing (like Google Ads or in-person networking) can generate fast results.

Long-term marketing (like SEO or relationship building) builds momentum over time.

Ideally, your strategy should include both. Just be clear about your goals so you can match your budget and efforts accordingly.

Avoid the Comparison Trap
Don’t compare your marketing budget or practice stats to other chiropractors without context. Chiropractors often exaggerate their numbers. Even if the numbers are real, you don’t know the whole story.

Final Thoughts
There’s no magic number. The right marketing budget for your chiropractic practice is the one that fits your situation, supports your goals, and delivers a positive return on investment.

Start with foundational strategies.

Be realistic about where you are.

Invest smart, not just big.

Don’t spend money to impress anyone—especially not other chiropractors.

Smart chiropractors make intentional decisions, track ROI, and stay focused on long-term success—not short-term ego boosts.