As a lawyer in a growing law firm, looking to expand your client base, you may be considering paid advertising as a marketing option — but what makes for the best lawyer ads? Beyond this, there are a number of challenges and opportunities to consider as you explore marketing your legal practice, particularly through innovative law firm commercials. Ad agencies can play a crucial role in this process by helping law firms create impactful ads and improve brand awareness. Even firms with smaller budgets can benefit from professional guidance to optimize their marketing strategies, particularly in the creation of effective TV commercials and other advertising formats.

We can help. Contact Walker Advertising to connect with a member of our team. We’ll have an expert discuss law firm marketing, as well as how our services might allow your firm to skip the difficulties of building out a funnel on your own — instead, by using our preexisting legal networks, you can gain access to a high volume of inbound leads that have been prequalified for your practice areas of choice. That way, you can focus on providing skilled legal representation, and we can take over the hassle of marketing and advertising on your behalf.

Still interested in learning more about the best lawyer ads, and other aspects of legal marketing? Keep reading! We’ll cover some of the basics.

What makes for a good online legal advertisement? The best law firm ads share certain elements.

Examples of the best lawyer commercials abound, but the elements that make for a high-performing advertisement tend to be common to each of them.

So, what makes for a “good” online legal advertisement or lawyer commercial? Consider the following:

• Broadly speaking, good advertising is creative, memorable, and truthful. These same factors should be prioritized when constructing a legal advertisement.
• One option to make your advertisement memorable for the audience is to establish an emotional connection. This can be accomplished through narrative means — for example, having an actor play out the emotional and lifestyle ramifications of a car accident (and the subsequent issues they faced until litigation). With quality acting, compelling music, and proper cinematography/editing, your advertisement is likely to be memorable for general audiences.
• Lawyer commercials can use humor and emotional narratives to connect with viewers, making the ads more engaging and effective.
• Another option is to lean into quirky, fun, and comedic elements. This can be particularly striking in the legal industry context, as so many of your competitors are focused on presenting themselves in a more detached, buttoned-up manner — the legal industry tends to be rather traditional, after all.
• Include a CTA (call-to-action). Don’t forget to do so — this tells the audience what they have to do to get in touch with you so that you can assist them.
• Speak confidently. As a litigator, your ability to persuade the audience as to your competence is itself a manifestation of your ability to persuade other (such as a jury) of various other truths. Audiences do notice — consciously or subconsciously — whether you believe in what you’re saying.

Legal and ethics requirements may limit how you can advertise.  Pay close attention to the regulations in your state.

Every state’s Bar implements various restrictions on legal advertising, and the fines for a violation can be substantial — as such, we recommend that you brush up on these restrictions before implementing and executing a marketing strategy.  It’s worth noting that while some states have harsher restrictions than others, the fundamentals tend to be quite similar.

As a general rule, here are some considerations to keep in mind as you explore the possibility of advertising for your law firm:

• Avoid “guarantees” — of winning a case, of securing substantial compensation, etc.
• Don’t directly promise or even indirectly imply that the audience will receive a payment if they hire you.  Indirect implications may include images of money in your advertisement, regardless of the logical link.
• It’s a good idea to minimize the use of superlatives, as these may be seen as false promises.  Saying you’re the “best” lawyer in your city, for example, could be considered an ethical violation by your state Bar.  By contrast, saying that you’re an “experienced” lawyer is sufficiently vague and applicable that it would not be an issue.
• Don’t accuse your competitors of poor conduct or incompetence.  Whether you refer to them by name, or by implication, this is a bad idea in a number of different ways.

Examples of Legal Advertising that Might Not Be Allowed by Your State Bar

Let’s explore some statements that are likely to be considered problematic by your State Bar. Examples include, but are not necessarily limited to:

• “We have the best injury lawyers in Los Angeles.” A statement like this is far too specific an opinion about your quality as an attorney vis-a-vis other attorneys. In many states, this would be considered a violation of marketing restrictions and could lead to a significant fine.
• “Other personal injury firms, like our competitor Charlie & Charlie, are not ethical in how they represent their clients. They don’t put in the effort to ‘work up’ the case to its full potential.” While this may be a reasonable statement on its face (i.e., the firm in question may not put in adequate effort in working up their cases), it would very likely be considered an ethical violation to call out other firms by name and accuse them of misconduct — whether that misconduct is a function of mere negligence or intentional bad faith.
• “We have earned millions in compensation for our clients, and we’ll do the same for you, too.” This statement could be construed as a guarantee, which is generally not allowed by various State Bars when it comes to attorney advertising. Though you’re usually entitled to talk about your past wins (i.e., case results, but anonymized), connecting those past wins to an implied or explicit guarantee of future success is potentially a violation of marketing restrictions. Be careful about making that connection!
• “You are not entitled to sue for punitive damages unless the defendant intentionally caused you to suffer harm.” This statement is incorrect (it’s incomplete, and in its incompleteness, it misrepresents the law somewhat significantly). Misstatements of law may be seen as violations of State Bar attorney advertising requirements. As such, it could lead to fines or even other punishments.
• “Legal representation is costly, and you have to consider the upfront cost and whether it’s worth it before you move forward.” Though your firm may charge upfront fees, many firms offer representation on a contingency basis. Misrepresenting the field of legal representation as being costly upfront could be considered an ethical violation — and the State Bar would not want you to discourage prospective claimants from pursuing their legal claims. Be careful discouraging prospective claimants!

Organic content marketing vs. paid advertising — what makes sense for growing my legal practice?

Both organic content marketing and paid advertising are key components of a comprehensive marketing strategy for a growing law practice with the resource capacity to take on many new clients. That being said, if you have more limited resources (or if you’re simply looking to understand which type of marketing to prioritize), it’s important to understand how these components compare. Collaborating with a reputable ad agency can enhance the impact of your marketing strategies, guide budget allocation, and improve overall advertising efforts across various channels such as TV and social media.

Generally speaking…

Organic content marketing tends to be:

• Slower to takeoff when it comes to building a sustainable inbound lead funnel.
• More cost-effective and beneficial from a brand perspective once the online funnels have been set up for success.
• More comprehensive in the concepts communicated to the audience, giving you an opportunity to “teach” the audience about the issue. Thus, conversions (and inbound leads) are likely to be of higher quality than those gained through paid advertising.
• Uncertain as to the potential success of the inbound lead funnel — there’s no guarantee that your content will reach an audience.
• Focused on audience needs and expectations. As the content cannot be brute-forced to appear in front of audiences, it will have to be tailored towards the audience so that they will voluntarily engage with the content.

Understanding and tailoring advertisements to the target audience is crucial. Connecting emotionally and addressing specific needs can enhance the effectiveness of lawyer commercials. Knowing the demographics and concerns of potential clients allows law firms to create impactful content that resonates, ultimately increasing engagement and the likelihood of conversion.

By contrast, paid advertising tends to be:

• Quick to take off, but the inbound lead funnel is not self-sustaining. Your paid content has to be constantly promoted (via paid promotions) to reach its intended audience.
• Costs can be difficult to control and predict over the years, as changing industry trends can make your winning keywords more competitive (and therefore prohibitively expensive).
• Many inbound leads may not necessarily be actionable if the audience advertised to did not receive enough information to evaluate whether their legal claims fit.
• Certain in terms of the number of impressions that will be gained. You are paying for the impressions, so the only uncertainties are clickthrough rates and conversion rates.

Perhaps the biggest difference between organic content marketing and paid advertising is that organic content marketing demands a more consistent, long-term strategy to be successful — and even then, there is an inherent uncertainty. The benefits are substantial, of course, but the unique approach can scare off many lawyers who simply don’t have the patience to pursue an organic content marketing strategy. We encourage you to call in and discuss the possibilities with our team of experts, who can provide ample guidance on how best to navigate the challenges and opportunities of marketing for your law firm.

Content consumption patterns have changed drastically in recent years. This is likely to impact how the best lawyer ads present information to the target audience.

Social media trends are a manifestation of broader audience consumption trends — on television, through tv ads, and online. Though early social media growth gave rise to a class of influencers whose product placements and brand deals could be more “explicit,” industry observers have noticed an increasing trend (particularly among Gen Z audiences) wherein audiences are rejecting more direct and obvious brand advertising.

Further, recent social media data indicates that audiences are no longer as willing to follow brands — and platforms are changing their algorithms appropriately. Platforms like Instagram now actively promote individual creators over corporate brands, as audiences are engaging more readily with creators.

The best lawyer ads must account for these shifts in content consumption (and in online promotion algorithms). We encourage lawyers to maintain a sense of professionalism while engaging users in a warmer, audience-oriented manner that “meets them where they are.” Try not to think of what you think should be communicated — focus on what the audience wants to know and then answer those questions.

TV commercials play a significant role in reaching a broad audience, enhancing brand awareness, and attracting new clients.

This approach also aligns with how social media platforms actually push content. When you create a piece of content, the platform does not try to push your content to an audience that will watch it. Instead, their algorithms work for the audience of content consumers. The platform will push content to the audience (i.e., content that matches the audience’s desires and preferences). If you create content that does not match audience needs or expectations, it is almost guaranteed to flounder.

Harris Personal Injury Lawyers have effectively utilized impactful Super Bowl commercials that emphasize emotional storytelling and genuine concern for client well-being.

Isaacs Personal Injury Lawyers are known for their innovative and engaging marketing strategies, particularly their big-budget video advertisements that creatively portray personal injury attorneys as superheroes combating insurance companies.

Contact Walker Advertising for Help Growing Your Firm’s Client Base

Whether you’re a solo lawyer or are part of a larger firm with plans for expansion, it’s important to grow your client base in order to hit your revenue and client growth goals.  Here at Walker Advertising, we can help.  We operate a number of popular attorney networks — including our Los Defensores and 1-800-THE-LAW2 brands — through which firms are able to access leads for various legal claims.

The leads we acquire through our various online marketing efforts — from social media marketing to targeted web ads — have been pre-qualified by our team so that you aren’t hassled by a flood of leads that are simply not relevant or actionable for your purposes.  By accessing these quality leads, you’ll be well-equipped to select the best ones to grow your firm business.

Contact Walker Advertising today to connect to a member of our team who can explain how our legal networks can help your firm business thrive in this ever-changing digital marketing landscape.

We look forward to assisting you.