5 Mistakes to Avoid In Your Law Firm Marketing Campaign

On average, law firms spend between 5-10% of their gross revenue on marketing. That amounts to tens of thousands of dollars per year! Poorly executing marketing campaigns waste money and can leave your firm worse off than when you started. Here are the top 5 mistakes lawyers make when promoting their practice.

Undefined Audience

Start every campaign by asking, “Who would hire a lawyer from my practice?” The worst mistake marketing teams make is not defining a campaign around their target audience. Instead, assess specific characteristics of your law firm’s ideal client, including age, income level, employment history, and location. Then, align your marketing campaign to resonate with the needs and values of that defined demographic. As a result, your ads will reach people who are most likely to hire lawyers from your practice.

Choose marketing platforms that offer audience targeting, like CTV ads. CTV platforms automatically generate data on all of their streaming viewers. Your firm can use this information to specify to whom you want your video ad to be shown.

Not Tracking Results

Follow the marketing data! Some ads will produce higher results than others. Use reporting to guide your law firm’s marketing campaign development. Pause ads that customers aren’t engaging with to save money and boost campaigns that are performing well. Analyzing ad results ensures your law firm is spending marketing dollars in an impactful way.

The best marketing platforms with premium reporting features are CTV ads, PPC campaigns (like Google Ads), and social media.

Poor Branding

There are over 400,000 law firms in the United States. You want your practice to stand out from the competition, so clients remember to call you when they need legal help. Prominent branding is essential when establishing your law firm in the community. Many marketers make the mistake of overestimating the popularity of their law practice. Make your logo, website, and phone number visible in every ad campaign. 

In addition, create consistency across your firm’s digital prescience. This tip applies to ads, your website, and social media. All marketing strategies must stay consistent with the color scheme, font, and tone. Doing so will make your law practice more recognizable to new clients.

Information Overload

Pick a purpose for your campaign and stick to it! A common marketing mistake law firms make is simultaneously focusing on too many topics. Instead, identify a goal for your marketing campaign and make sure all ad content aligns with that goal. For example, if you have a personal injury law firm and want to increase the number of motorcycle accident cases your lawyers represent, emphasize your expertise in that area. Don’t mention other accident cases you cover - that will confuse your audience and muddy the message. You want the viewer to see the ad and think, “that law firm helps motorcyclists.”

The most engaging ads are clear and concise. Therefore, keep all video marketing commercials under 30 seconds. A time limitation helps keep your messaging focused and allows for flexibility of use. For example, CTV ads must be under 30 seconds.

Passive Messaging

If you don’t tell potential clients to do something after seeing your ad, they will forget your law firm exists. Effective marketing campaigns have a clear and direct call to action. Successful law firms use these call-to-actions to generate new business:

Make the action as easy as possible. For example, you can incorporate direct links and QR codes into CTV video ads. Potential clients can immediately connect with your law firm via phone, TV, or computer. Building your client funnel couldn’t be easier!