Expanding Your Firm’s Reach Through Paid Advertising

You need clients to keep the lights on at your firm, but to find clients, you need to boost your firm’s visibility. Word-of-mouth promotion from well-meaning friends and family can only get you so far. Sometimes paid advertising — whether online or offline — can be the investment you need to put your firm in front of the right people. 

With digital marketing, the platform that hosts the ad can use targeted analysis to make your ad more effective. However, some offline methods like billboards and TV ads are still viable options.

How To Write Ad Copy

Whether online or offline, your ad will likely include written copy. It’s this writing that hooks your audience beyond the appealing color scheme and imagery. Your ad copy should present a problem in a concise but effective way — possibly relying on imagery. Your ad should then offer the solution.

You can improve some ad copy with statistics and data, while others work best with a bit of humor. Try to make sure your ad copy has a unique voice. If you’re posting this ad online, try using keywords your audience is likely to search for. Using these keywords boost the SEO for your ad and make it more likely to come up in relevant searches. 

When To Outsource Ad Copy

You might not be able to “do it all,” and that’s okay. A law firm’s main function is to provide legal services to clients. Even if you have a marketing department, it may be short-staffed or stretched thin due to pursuing other marketing strategies. If you run a smaller law firm, marketing may often fall to you, and you might not have the skills or time to draft compelling ad copy.

That’s when it helps to outsource your ad copy to a marketing company that specializes in ad copy, such as Martindale-Avvo. We already have extensive experience in crafting effective ads and can offer further marketing services that take the burden off you. 

Where To Advertise Your Law Firm

When it comes to paid advertising for your law firm, you have a few options. It’s best to place advertisements in a few different places to reach your target audience better. However, you don’t have to put an ad on every possible platform.

Do some research on the types of clients you want to attract and where they would be likely to see law firm ads. Then you can come up with a plan for advertising your law firm.

Online

Digital advertising is by far the largest market at the moment. Currently, the value of the digital advertising market is over $681 billion — a whopping 69% of all media ad expenses. And this number is only expected to grow.

This makes sense because nowadays, everyone has a smartphone and at least one social media account. If someone has a question or needs to find a service, they turn to Google first. 

Digital advertising is a must for your law firm. Different methods you can use include the following:

Social media. Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn all have paid targeted advertising. On Twitter, you can create promoted tweets that will appear on the Twitter feeds of relevant users. 

Google. Google Ads provides an ad dashboard where you can track the performance of your paid ads. These ads can top relevant searches, and you can set your daily budget cap so that you never exceed the amount you’re willing to invest.

YouTube. YouTube ads play before, after, or sometimes in the middle of specific YouTube videos. Although companies still use TV ads, in many ways, YouTube ads are the TV ads of the 2020s. You’ll find both skippable and non-skippable ad options.

Podcasts. There are podcasts on every topic under the sun, including many legal podcasts. Podcasts often accept sponsorships from businesses in exchange for advertising during specific segments in their program. Their audience is similar to radio ads, as people often listen to podcasts on their way to work, while out for a run, or while working on a project at home.

Billboards

Digital advertising is booming, but it’s not the only area you can advertise. Most of your potential clients have a regular commute, which means they still pass many billboards daily. A large billboard poster placed high enough for passersby to see is a traditional, effective way to advertise your law firm. It’s also a great way to get local leads, which are the ones small-to-midsize law firms want to attract the most.

Billboards need to have eye-catching imagery to draw attention amidst the morning traffic. Copy should be short since you don’t want to make your potential clients speed read while driving. You can include contact information such as a phone number or an email address, but your name should be the most prominent. Your audience can then find you on Google.

Print Media and Direct Mail

Print media is printed advertisements, such as brochures or posters. You can place these in businesses and restaurants your potential clients might visit. You can also print promotional items such as mugs, pens, or coasters. Distribute these at events to help spread your firm’s name and contact information.

Another option is physical mail. Businesses send out mail advertisements in bulk to local addresses in hopes of reaching potential clients. While email marketing is a popular modernization of this, consumers still have physical mailboxes so direct mail advertising is an option.

Television

A network or cable TV ad can still be an effective way to get the word out about your law firm. These days, you’ll find more options than ever when it comes to television ads. Many people watch their favorite shows on streaming sites, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Hulu. These sites often offer reduced payment subscription plans that come with ads. In addition to a network or cable TV ad, you could also pay to have your ads shared on these formats.

Paid advertising is an investment for your business, but when you place your ads well, the investment can pay off. Need help creating your paid advertisements? Contact Martindale-Avvo today to get started.