The options for reaching potential clients through cable networks and websites are practically endless, but a law firm’s budget for such enterprises usually isn’t. Each time money is doled out to buy media time and exposure, the intent is to get high returns at an affordable cost.

Putting a law firm’s presence in front of the exact, targeted faces at exactly the right time and at exactly the right price is the magic combination. This task is not accomplished by coincidence but is instead achieved through constantly studying and experimenting in the field of media buying.

What Is Law Firm Media Buying?

The extensive research involved with finding the best placement for legal advertisements at the lowest possible price in the exact time slots necessary is no small feat. The strategic process involves plans, negotiations, and the purchase of desirable multi-platform ad spaces.

Law firm media buying involves exactly what the name implies: an outflow of financial assets to purchase something that is seemingly less tangible but will ultimately capture people’s interest. Ad creatives that will be placed in the view of these individuals must have the right context delivered in the right place in order to effectively increase sales, conversion rates, or brand awareness. In essence, the law firm is renting a time slot on all potentially productive platforms to get its presence placed front and center.

What Types of Media Are Available?

The term “media” has taken on a life of its own these days. Twenty years ago, a law firm could never have dreamed of the platforms it would be using in the current decade. Because change occurs so rapidly now in this arena, a law firm must constantly work to stay abreast of the trends.

There is no one-size-fits-all media combination for all legal firms to use. The winning set will be intensely individualized and never uniformly applied across the board. Each law firm must answer strategic questions for itself and then customize a buying strategy that targets the exact platforms that will reap the best benefit for the investment.

Subject to a firm’s budget, market, and goals, the following media platforms are recommended:

TV

  • Local and affiliate stations
  • Cable TV
  • Broadcast TV

Radio Ad Placements

  • Local, national and regional radio
  • Satellite radio
  • Syndicated radio

Print and Direct Mail

  • Magazine ads
  • Newspaper (run-of-paper ads and targeted premium ads)
  • Community publications, wraps, and fliers
  • Marriage mail, coupon inserts, shared mailing
  • Free-standing inserts
  • Direct mail from targeted mailing lists

Digital Media

  • Banner ads
  • Digital video ads
  • Pay-per-click ads
  • Digital rollout campaigns corresponding with TV ads
  • Email blasts and campaigns

Outdoor

  • Local theater ads (movie theaters / performing arts)
  • Bench ads and bus wraps
  • Billboards (static and digital)

As mentioned, each law firm’s ultimate list will be specific to its own goals, market, and budget. Some firms choose to focus mostly on traditional ads in newspapers and on television. Other firms prefer emphasizing digital campaigns or combinations of the above-mentioned platforms.

Law Firm TV Commercials

When an attorney or group of attorneys chooses to put a law firm’s presence into a television advertisement and send it into the homes of thousands of residents, this firm has the potential to become a household name. One of the most highly effective means of getting brand recognition is to step up to television advertising. By doing so, the firm now has a persona, style, and voice that can effectively work to generate new business.

A specific audience can be targeted in this way, and the firm’s unique message can be seeded into the public’s mind through this wide-reaching avenue. For decades, big brands have effectively used television ads because of the persuasive powers and efficiency of the method. Why shouldn’t law firms do the same?

Law Firm Radio Advertising

Attorneys in small firms have an interesting prospect presented to them through the platform of radio marketing. Local radio shows can offer a ten-second-long promotional sponsorship. A local NPR affiliate can do the same and immediately increase a law firm’s brand awareness within the community. A one-minute-long radio commercial can play during rush hour and reach thousands of potential targets.

Law Firm Email Advertising

Without question, an attorney’s most cost-effective and most powerful marketing tool has to be email marketing. Through emails, millions of major businesses worldwide are targeting their prospects, nurturing clients, and helping their businesses grow. The benefits and power of having a strategic email marketing platform include:

  • Quick results
  • Spreading the information
  • Personalized messages
  • Tracking and measurability
  • Easily determine the frequency and timing of messages

Law Firm Print Advertising

A specific level of professionalism accompanies a law firm’s appearance in a newspaper, trade publication or magazine. A print medium still offers a certain level of respect for a business. If the only place a potential client sees a law firm’s presence is online, a degree of suspicion or lack of trust could potentially develop. After all, how easy is it to simply put down a $20 bill to get an advertising spot on most websites? A powerful plus with a printed advertisement is the ability to include the firm’s website address, so prospective clients can have easy access to both forms of advertising, the printed one and the online location as well.

Effectively Create a Legal Marketing Strategy

Beyond the scope of successfully representing clients in the courtroom arena, a law firm is faced with the challenge of effectively marketing its legal services so clients can even know about the positive results of choosing the firm. If a law firm’s efforts in this regard are going to be fruitful and sustainable, the media plan should include the following:

  • Generating awareness of the brand and message
  • Increasing the reach
  • Building buzz
  • Making the firm paramount in viewers’ minds
  • Opening new avenues for acquiring clients

Of course, for a law firm to get the most punch from its advertising dollar it must use tough negotiations for the best rates, take advantage of frequency discounts, and investigate merchandising opportunities. Additionally, any effective advertising done by a law firm gives it the ability to:

  • Show support for specific causes, issues, and non-profit organizations
  • Give vital information to targeted prospects in a timely manner
  • Control all of the “what, when and where” issues in the firm’s message
  • Create and reinforce a specific overall image
  • Highlight certain areas of expertise
  • Promote events like workshops and seminars
  • Generate highly targeted or mass awareness

Legal Marketing with Broughton Partners

Law firms looking to find clients for specific case types related to mass torts can work with Broughton Partners. We provide qualified retainers for various case types to law firms who want to save time and are unable to dedicate hours of each day towards legal marketing. 

Contact our team today to learn more about receiving qualified retainers and for a free consultation.