Automation is BS

Here are things we love like nothing else in life: 

• Free time, family time and vacations with our kids 
• Date nights and long walks just us 
• Working on the farm (mowing, caring for the animals, etc.) 
• Reading a good book in our cozy living room 

So, a few years back when we were moving our practice's branding and marketing message heavily online, we were easily marketed to ourselves. Anything and everyone that promised us "plug and play" and "easily automated" forms of getting our message out to the community, we didn't even think... we just bought and signed up for any and all of it! 

And then, we experienced what we're sure 95% of you have too... NONE of it worked. 

It was BS. 😳 

Every marketing system and software we brought into PWC was either so off brand that we just couldn't possibly release it, OR we had to spend so much time editing and re-doing, that we easily could've saved time and money just doing it ourselves from scratch. 

We went hard and loud online more than most any chiropractic practice out there, and we've learned a lot of lessons along the way. We'd like to share those initial lessons here in this blog post, and then we'll be going deep into the strategies and practical applications of all of them inside The Pediatric Experience! 

So yeah...

Lesson #1 - Automation Doesn't Work 

What we learned is that for the vast majority of it, automation is the opposite of authentic. Every mom and dad out there can tell when it's white-labeled, scripted, message created with corny, generic, stock photo imagery and all. 

How do we know, and how can you know? No likes. No comments. No shares. No clicks. No conversions. 

Simple as that. Show us a piece of automation-generated marketing, and you'll have to screenshot it and send it to us... because it sure as heck isn't showing up on our feed on its own with that lack of engagement and traction! 

Before we move on to #2 and get to the "what should we do then?" part of this blog, we've got one more not-good piece to pile on. Automated, scripted, canned marketing is absolutely detrimental to your brand. 

If it was just ineffective that'd be one thing, but it does actually chip away at your credibility and standing within the marketplace. It looks like you don't care enough to try, or at best, are not "with it" enough to do things on your own. Neither are good! 

Well, now that we've got the fun stuff out of the way... let's turn the tables on what TO DO to create massive influence and impact, and reach countless families in your community on social media and through other efforts as well! 

Lesson #2 - Authenticity is Everything 

Hopefully you've heard this 1000x here recently from others in the marketing and branding space, but have you really leaned in, accepted it, and ACTED UPON IT yet!?! 

If not, hopefully this section is the impetus from you to finally do just that! 

We're talking Pediatric, Prenatal, and Family Practice here in our world folks... so we're doubling down on this one! No mother wants a doctor she can't trust. And no mother trusts a doctor she doesn't know. 

If that mom sees you as generic, automated, and just-like-everyone-else... she's going to scroll and skip right past you, just like everyone else. 

BUT, if you flip the script and you come full force 24/7 (more on that in Lesson #3) with your authentic voice, real life style, passion, and heart and soul... well, you'll not only catch her attention... but you'll earn her trust. 

And in this marketplace of Pediatric, Prenatal, and Family Health Care... TRUST is everything. Trust is not earned through automation, it is earned through authentic and consistent effort. 

Which, takes us to #3! 

Lesson #3 - EARN IT (CONSISTENCY IS EVERYTHING) 

The reason we all really want automation is because we all freaking love lawn mowing (okay, insert your fav outside, non-work "me time" thing here), Netflix watching, and vacation-taking more than we love video-making! 

It's ok! You can admit it! We do too!

BUT, there is ONE THING we love more than most everything else in life. We love making massive IMPACT. 

And just like earning trust, creating real impact is only earned through consistent, relentless effort. It happens no other way. 

Think you've done enough videos for the week? Do one more. 

Think you've shared enough testimonials? Share two more. 

Think you've created enough community and professional connections? Make three more. 

Every kid counts. So every piece of content counts. 

Earn it every day, consistently, persistently... and you'll have all the influence, engagement, impact, and practice growth you could ever dream of! 

Now before we wrap, let's provide final clarity here. We do not mean that technology and software systems aren't absolutely critical components to our branding and marketing machine. They most certainly are! We use them and we love them...but we also put in the work up front to brand it authentically us and continue to add more content to the machine.

The every day effort is worth it. Growing up on the farm, my dad used to drive us by our corn and bean fields every single day. One day I asked him, "Is this really necessary?" His response was one I've never forgotten, and apply to my practice every single day, "You gotta let the corn and beans know how much you care, and let the weeds know you're watching."

Which pretty much sums up any automation system out there! 😂 Let it do its thing, but not actually on its own... or the weeds will take over quickly! 

We use many softwares and platforms on the daily! We go off in Facebook and Instagram. We are obsessed with our Patient AutoPilot software and system. We hire armed guards to protect our Insight and CLA Synapse software it's so valuable. We wouldn't know how operate financially without CashPractice and their software. 

BUT, the key word in the sentences above depicting each example is this one - WE. 

It's OUR authentic voice that people see, hear, and feel as they scroll our social media! It's OUR authentic, empathetic voice inside all the copy on the ads and landing pages inside Patient AutoPilot. It's OUR authentic interpretation and communication around the Insight scans that makes our conversions 90% and up. 

YOUR Voice and YOUR Effort Matter. 

Automation will get you started, and can provide amplification of your message when used appropriately... but NOTHING matters more than YOU putting your voice, your work, your effort out to the world on a consistent, persistent basis! 

We aren't trying to break your heart here with this lesson. We want you to use our proven ad copy and systems but we also want you to nonstop be adding in your own content too. We've learned where EASY can be applied, and where it simply cannot. 

Consistently getting your message out to your community on Social Media is not going to be easy, but that doesn't mean it won't always be insanely worth it. We promise when you follow the PX proven framework for all this, you'll be so ecstatic with the results, that it will soon feel just how you want it - not easy, but worth it and effective. 

Authentically Onward! 

❤️, Your PX Team