Lawyer Advertising Rules: What You Need to Know about Law Firm Ads

lawyer advertising rules-smallDid you know that the keywords “lawyer” and “attorney” are two of the most highly valued and most expensive keywords on Googe Ads?

This indicates just how many people search for lawyers online.

One of the best ways to ensure that you get your share of the pie is to run optimized Google Ad campaigns. These are PPC advertising campaigns that can generate a steady flow of leads for law firms — but some still hold back due to the perception that lawyer advertising rules prevent them.

It’s no myth that there are advertising rules that lawyers must abide by, but plenty of misconceptions exist about these rules.

In this post, we examine attorney advertising rules and why they exist, plus we take a look at how law firms can advertise responsibly without being accused of unethical behavior.

We even cover the most common lawyer advertising channels and consider their pros and cons.

Let’s get into it.



Can lawyers advertise online?

There is a myth floating around that lawyers can’t advertise online or that it’s in some way unethical or unprofessional.

Did you know that the American Bar Association (ABA) actively encourages lawyers to advertise — but ethically?

So, attorneys and law firms can advertise, but they need to follow some fairly strict ethical rules outlined by the ABA and furthered by the state bar associations. For starters, your ad probably shouldn’t look like this one.

Bizarre Law Firm Ad

If you’d like to take a quick look at some equally strange and non-compliant ads, we’ve written an entire post on 20 bizarre lawyer ads.


What is ABA rule 7.2 on lawyer advertising?

The ABA and state bar regulators attempt to protect the public from misleading, deceptive and coercive ads from lawyers.

Rule 7.2 on Communications Concerning a Lawyer’s Services specifies that a lawyer can communicate information about their services through any platform as long as they abide by certain restrictions.

The ABA notes that:

  • Undignified advertising can detract from the public’s confidence in the legal system.
  • Lawyer advertising should help the public understand its legal rights and the judicial process.
  • Lawyer advertising should uphold the dignity of the legal profession.
  • Lawyers should be clear in the language they use and avoid any ambiguity.
  • Lawyers should consider using advertising and marketing professionals to assist in identifying/reaching an appropriate audience and developing/presenting a clear message to the audience effectively and appropriately.

So, responsible lawyer advertising that informs the public of valuable legal services (especially in traditionally underserved markets) is endorsed by the ABA.

Besides this, attorneys in the U.S. retain the freedom of expression under the First Amendment. So, although the legal profession can expect a higher level of scrutiny than most other professions with ads, advertising is NOT prohibited.

In fact, lawyer advertising should be a key part of any comprehensive law firm marketing strategy. Google Ads and Facebook Ads are highly effective and targeted ways to quickly generate high-quality leads when campaigns are run correctly — and other effective advertising channels are also available (more about this below).

A comprehensive digital marketing strategy for lawyers should include cost-effective, long-term lead-generation strategies like website marketing, search engine optimization, content marketing, email marketing, social media marketing, and legal advertising.


What can lawyers not do in legal advertising?

The ABA lays out the basic lawyer advertising rules in Rule 7.2. You can find more information in the ABA’s Aspirational Goals for Lawyer Advertising. The individual state bar associations also detail the regional responsibilities of lawyers when advertising.

These shouldn’t be too hard to follow. Start by avoiding the following, and you should stay off the radar.


Don’t say you’re an “expert” or a “specialist”

Lawyers cannot claim to be “experts” or “specialists” unless formally certified or accredited as such by an ABA-accredited organization authorized by your state, district, or U.S. Territory.

The following is an example of what not to do anywhere in the U.S. or Canada.

Expert Lawyer Facebook

Even the most experienced criminal defense attorney cannot claim to be a “criminal defense expert” unless certified as such. It’s best to avoid using these words in ads or marketing copy.


Don’t make false or misleading statements

It should be no surprise to any lawyer that deliberately making false statements is a no-no.

Not only is it highly unethical, but misleading clients about your services, success rates, or their chances of winning their case won’t win you any friends (or clients) in the long run.

For instance, if you advertise a free 30-minute consultation, make sure it’s around 30 minutes (not five or ten). Centra Lawyers LLP, a multi-practice law firm in British Columbia, is good to its word.

Lawyer Advertising Free Consultation
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The rules vary from state to state and province to province, but it should be obvious that using fictitious law firm/lawyer names or fake legal documents is also a no-no.

Also, avoid using superlative phrases like “the best,” “the most,” or “the cheapest” to describe your firm. They could be construed as untrue, confusing, deceiving, or misleading.

In the following example from an advertisement on the Avvo legal directory, family lawyer Andrew Aaron Zashin from Zashin & Rich uses the term “Best Lawyers’ Lawyer of the Year.” But this is the name of an award he’s received rather than a claim to be the best.

Lawyer Advertising Rules Avvo
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Don’t break the rules with client testimonials

Promoting your firm with genuine testimonials from satisfied clients is not misleading. In fact, it’s recommended for building credibility and trust, like Oykhman Criminal Defence in Calgary does.

Lawyer Advertising Testimonials
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Before posting testimonials on your law firm’s website or using them in your advertising, make sure they follow the guidelines. Most importantly, the ABA states that…

“Attorneys must not compensate or “give anything of value” to a person for recommending their services.”

Ensure that positive testimonials are provided according to a client’s free will and don’t create the expectation that new clients will achieve the same results.

Similar ethics rules usually apply to publications, awards, and bar association memberships. Law-related or legal industry publications/accolades and current bar associations or other professional association memberships are safe to use.


Don’t malign your competitors

Criticizing your competitors’ reputation, performance, or services isn’t recommended in any industry but is considered especially unprofessional in the legal profession.

Law firms should treat competitors fairly. If you compare your services to others, keep it accurate and fair. Anything less could be construed as false and misleading.


Don’t directly solicit your services

Attorney advertising that communicates a lawyer’s services, like this Google Ad from personal injury lawyers Morris Bart, is permitted.

Google Ad Personal Injury Lawyer
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However, soliciting your services as a lawyer is unethical and is prohibited. According to the ABA, solicitation is when you communicate to a specific person requiring specific legal services that you can provide these services for financial gain.

You can see where the dilemma lies for many law firms. With digital marketing channels offering many ways to target particular clients, the line between advertising and solicitation is blurry.

Generally speaking, targeted advertising direct to the general public is permitted. It becomes solicitation when it’s addressed to a specific person.


What else should lawyers know about lawyer advertising?

Now that you know what not to do with lawyer advertising, it’s best to familiarize yourself with some other responsibilities of law firms when marketing or advertising your services.


Do you need a physical office address?

This Florida law firm, Bryant Taylor Law, takes no chances and does what many firms do: features its full contact details in the footer of every webpage, including its office address.

Lawyer Advertising Office Address
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However, the pandemic changed how many attorneys operate. Remote meetings with clients and even online court appearances suddenly became acceptable as more firms adopted legal tech and law firm automation tools.

Cloud-based software makes it easy to conduct legal business from anywhere, at any time, on any device. So, many law firms have moved almost entirely online.

However, depending on the local advertising rules, you may still need a physical office address featured on your website and in your advertisements to meet local lawyer advertising regulations (both digital and traditional).

Check what applies in your area before starting your marketing campaigns — and, needless to say, comply with all the regulations.


Can you use your firm’s trade name?

Part of the duty of state bar associations is to protect the public by ensuring that firms are who/what they say they are.

Before using a trade name in lawyer ads, be clear on the identifying information you must include. In some jurisdictions, using a trade name is considered “beneath” the professional dignity of attorneys and could be misleading to clients.

In Missouri, law firm trade names have been allowed since 1993 — providing the name doesn’t imply a link to the government. Aaron, Sachs and Associates, PC sometimes uses its trade name autoinjury.com in its ads.

Lawyer Advertising Trade Name
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The marketing rules are being relaxed in many jurisdictions. New York, for instance, lifted its ban on the use of trade names in 2020.

So, in 2021, the law firm Genser Dubow Genser & Cona was able to rename itself Cona Elder Law, reflecting its main practice area.

Lawyer Advertising Rules Trade Names NY
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If you’re thinking of following in the footsteps of Cona Elder Law and changing your advertised name to a trade name, their article on changing to a trade name can help you take the required steps.


Are there other mandatory legal ad rules in your state?

In some states, the bar association sets minimum requirements for information that must be included in each advertisement.

For instance, identifying information, such as the name of at least one lawyer or the name of the law firm, may need to accompany each ad.

In some states, like New York, advertisements must be explicitly identified as “attorney advertising,” as in this example from the Rahman Law Firm.

You may also need to retain copies of traditional and digital advertisements for a certain period to comply with local bar requirements (in New York, it’s three years). In some states, you cannot use pending case information in ads. This means no testimonials from clients with pending matters are permitted unless informed client consent is provided in writing. When it comes to lawyer rates and fees, there are usually no fixed rules other than not claiming to be the cheapest, offering the lowest fees, or the biggest discounts. You can usually post the hourly or fixed rates you charge if you like. A few examples of state rules that bypass ABA rules are: Paid communications/advertisements must be identified as such in Georgia and Missouri Compensation for professional publicity in news items is prohibited in New York Advertisements must be legible and intelligible in Florida, Louisiana, and New York The golden rule is to understand and comply with your region's specific lawyer advertising rules. Each local bar association should have a page dedicated to lawyer advertising rules, like this example from the State Bar of Texas. Lawyer Advertising Rules Texas https://www.texasbar.com/Content/NavigationMenu/ForLawyers/MembershipInformation/AdvertisingReview2/RulesCommentsOpinion.htm
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You may also need to retain copies of traditional and digital advertisements for a certain period to comply with local bar requirements (in New York, it’s three years).

In some states, you cannot use pending case information in ads. This means no testimonials from clients with pending matters are permitted unless informed client consent is provided in writing.

When it comes to lawyer rates and fees, there are usually no fixed rules other than not claiming to be the cheapest, offering the lowest fees or the biggest discounts. You can usually post the hourly or fixed rates you charge if you like.

For this Florida firm, pricing is a major selling point, so it displays rates prominently on its homepage.

Lawyer Advertising Rules Pricing
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A few examples of state rules that bypass ABA rules are:

  • Paid communications/advertisements must be identified as such in Georgia and Missouri.
  • Compensation for professional publicity in news items is prohibited in New York.
  • Advertisements must be legible and intelligible in Florida, Louisiana, and New York.

The golden rule is to understand and comply with your region’s specific lawyer advertising rules. Many local bar associations have a page dedicated to lawyer advertising rules, like this one from the State Bar of Texas.

Lawyer Advertising Rules Texas
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Other best practices in legal advertising

A couple of other pointers regarding attorney advertising are:

  • Be as clear as possible in your ads — avoid ambiguity and lower the potential for misunderstandings and confusion, which can create issues.
  • If in doubt, hire experienced legal advertising and marketing professionals to assist in identifying and reaching the appropriate audience in effective and appropriate ways.

Summary: What can you include/not include in lawyer ads?

After all that information, it helps to boil it down into a summary. The following guidelines vary according to local state bar regulations, but they’re a good starting point for most law firms with lawyer advertising:

If you’re writing a law firm ad, you may want to include…

  • Identifying details. e.g., the name of at least one lawyer or the law firm (a trade name may be permitted)
  • Address and contact details
  • Identification as attorney advertising (if necessary)
  • Genuine legal awards/publications/testimonials from past clients
  • Bar association membership information
  • Rates/fees (but don’t offer discounts or claim to be the lowest)

If you’re writing a law firm ad, avoid the following…

  • Saying you’re an “expert” or a “specialist” unless you can prove it (or making any false statements)
  • Using other superlatives like “best” or “most trusted”
  • Using pending case information, including testimonials from clients with pending matters
  • Making up names of lawyers or law firms
  • Using fake legal documents
  • Maligning competitors

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Did you know that lawyers have been advertising since the 1800s?

Attorney advertising with newspaper ads was a thing even back in the 1800s, with Abraham Lincoln’s law firm among those advertising during the 1850s.

Lawyer Advertising - Abraham Lincoln
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However, in 1908, the ABA started to clamp down on lawyer advertising in its Canons of Professional Ethics. Business cards were permitted but many states passed regulations banning or severely limiting attorney advertising.

Since the 1970s, the matter of law firm advertising has been regularly kicked around the courts as the legal profession has attempted to balance freedom of speech and expression with protecting the public against false claims.

Many people hail 1977 not only as the year that Star Wars first made an appearance but also when legal professionals could truly engage in lawyer marketing. That year, the U.S. Supreme court ended all prohibitions against legal advertising in the famous Bates v. State Bar of Arizona case.

From then on, law firms could embrace different methods of promoting their practices. Many consider it the date of birth for billboards, radio, TV and print media advertising for lawyers.

Lawyer Advertising Rules 1980s Ad
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What does legal advertising mean in 2023?

The debate has moved from newspapers, magazines, Yellow Pages, bus benches, and billboards to TV and now online, with digital advertising channels increasingly dominating our lives.

Pay-per-click advertising, email marketing, and ads in legal directories and social media have become the norm. In 2019, the online advertising market was larger than print and TV, and that gap is only growing.

This is not surprising when you consider the advantages of digital advertising over traditional channels:

  • Digital advertising is more targeted and sends a more precise message to prospects, boosting response rates and ROI.
  • It’s easy to track and measure results from digital advertising, allowing you to adjust campaigns for better performance.
  • Digital advertising helps you actively engage with prospects instantly, establishing credibility and trust and building relationships.
  • Digital channels are likely where the majority of your target clients can be found most easily.

It’s likely that many of your competitors are already using digital advertising channels, but are they getting it right?

Let’s look at a few of the lawyer advertising channels you should consider.


Digital advertising options for lawyers in 2023

There are four main digital channels for attorney advertising, each with its own pros and cons. Let’s take a quick look at each one.


Google pay-per-click advertising

With pay-per-click (PPC), you bid on keywords that people seeking services like yours might use in searches. If you successfully set up your ad campaign, your ad appears for the relevant search(es).

You only pay when a prospect clicks an ad and visits your site.

Most PPC for law firms centers on Google Ads. While it’s easy to run campaigns, optimizing them is far from straightforward, and mistakes can be costly.

It’s best left to professionals because ad placements are determined by many factors, including your keyword bid and your quality score (Ad Rank). It can get complicated very quickly.

Pros:

  • Great for targeted campaigns
  • You decide the budget
  • You only pay if a prospect clicks through
  • Well-run campaigns can generate instant leads

Cons:

  • It can be difficult to get right and may require professional assistance to be successful
  • It can take a lot of time, a lot of investment — or both

Google Local Service Ads/Google Screened

Local Service Ads and Google Screened ads are featured above traditional Google Ads right at the top of the search engine results page. This makes them even more valuable than standard PPC ads.

If your law firm’s ad features here, you can generate a large amount of local search traffic. Considering many law firms rely heavily on local business, the opportunity to attract more of it should be a no-brainer.

Lawyer Advertising Local Service Ads

Local service ads for lawyers are designed to generate phone-call leads. They are pay-per-lead rather than pay-per-click but the same lawyer advertising rules apply.

Ads are ranked based on the firm’s number of positive reviews, proximity, bid, and other factors. In the above examples, each law firm featured in the ads is “Google Screened”, which verifies that the business is what it says it is — building in an extra layer of trust for potential clients.

Pros:

  • Verified trustworthy businesses
  • Great for targeted local campaigns
  • You decide budget
  • Leads generated immediately

Cons:

  • Usually requires professional management to be successful
  • Pay-per-lead rather than pay-per-click (though this can be a positive for some firms)

Facebook PPC advertising

Social media marketing doesn’t sit comfortably with all law firms but the opportunity to build awareness of your firm and generate new leads through social media should not be missed.

With 266 million monthly active users in the United States and Canada, Facebook is hard to ignore.

Lawter Advertising Facebook

With two billion monthly active users, Facebook is hard to ignore. The Facebook advertising platform provides instant access to the newsfeeds of highly targeted prospects. Depending on your practice area, this type of lawyer advertising may be an option for your firm.

Pros:

  • One of the world’s largest digital platforms in terms of reach/users
  • Highly targeted campaigns
  • Cost-effective when well managed
  • It can generate instant leads

Cons:

  • It can be challenging to manage campaigns successfully without professional help
  • Not suitable for all practice areas, e.g., criminal defense lawyers

LinkedIn advertising

LinkedIn is better known for its professional networking and lawyer branding opportunities than its advertising platform.

But as the world’s largest database of professionals (850 million and counting), law firms can use this broad reach to effectively market their practices. In particular, LinkedIn is home to many potential B2B clients.

According to a Salesforce report, LinkedIn users have twice the buying power of the average web user.

LinkedIn’s powerful targeting methods allow you to run ads that target a particular audience of professionals by location, company details, demographics, education, job experience, or interests and traits.

LinkedIn for lawyers offers sponsored content advertising opportunities, as well as sponsored messaging, dynamic ads and text ads.

Lawyer Advertising Rules LInkedIn Ads
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LinkedIn ads can help you get your messages into the feeds of your prospects but campaigns need to be managed well. LinkedIn users are less tolerant of advertising than Facebook users and you should be wary of overdoing it.

Pros:

  • Access to the largest network of professionals on the planet
  • Highly targeted and cost-effective campaigns, if managed well
  • Can generate instant leads
  • Can help with hiring as well as lead generation

Cons:

  • May require professional help to manage campaigns
  • The highest average cost per click of social media ads

YouTube advertising

Law firm video marketing is a key element of many firms’ marketing strategies, and the advertising opportunities on the platform shouldn’t be underestimated.

As the world’s largest video platform, with a highly engaged audience, and the second-largest social network on the planet, it’s easy to see how advertisers could benefit.

Lawyer Advertising Rules YouTube Ads
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YouTube allows you to run video ads in different formats and target specific keywords to get in front of the right audience. Ad options include display ads, overlay ads, skippable/non-skippable video ads, bumper ads and sponsored cards.

Pros:

  • Access to many potential clients on the second-largest social media network
  • Highly engaging video ads
  • Highly targeted ads by location, demographics, and behaviors
  • Relatively low cost

Cons:

  • Often requires professional help to shoot videos and manage campaigns
  • Sharp learning curve if you’re not used to video
  • Many ads are skippable

Web display advertising

The banner ads at the top of web pages used to be one of the main forms of online advertising — and they still exist.

Lawyer Advertising Rules Banner Ads
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Web display ads like these may not be limited to the tops of web pages anymore. They are of different shapes and sizes and may run down the side or foot of blog pages. They have generally become less intrusive than in the past as user preferences have changed.

Thankfully, pop-up display ads for law firms have largely disappeared as they have a high annoyance factor.

Pros:

  • Broad reach possible
  • Many different ad types are available
  • Easy to design and run campaigns
  • Generally, relatively low cost (depending on the host website)

Cons:

  • Less targeted than other advertising methods
  • “Banner blindness” – users may ignore (or not notice) them

Legal directory advertising

If you haven’t checked out the legal directories in a while, you may be surprised about how much great information they hold — they’re a lot more than a digital Yellow Pages for law firms these days.

Advertising on Avvo, Lawyers.com, FindLaw or other lawyer directories can also help you generate instant leads.

Lawyer Advertising Avvo

Many legal directories help potential clients find lawyers and access detailed information about various legal topics. This, plus the extensive SEO efforts of these directories, generates a large amount of traffic.

By creating a free profile on these platforms and showing your target audience why they should hire you, potential new clients may be sent your way. With a paid listing or advertising, these chances increase.

Pros:

  • High volume of traffic from searches on these directories
  • Searchers are looking for your specific practice area
  • Immediate contact with potential clients seeking your services
  • Free listings are available

Cons:

  • Unoptimized profiles provide little value (spend a little time optimizing yours)
  • Some directories do not provide exclusivity for leads, so you may be competing against other firms for the same business, despite paying a fee

Other digital marketing strategies

Many law firms generate plentiful leads and advertise their practices effectively without paid advertising.

The main channels to do this are listed below.


Website marketing

Most effective digital marketing strategies revolve around your website. So, if you’re serious about lawyer advertising, your law firm’s website is a good place to start.

The website may need a revamp of content and/or design to improve the user experience so that when potential clients click through from lawyer ads, it looks and acts the part. A fast, mobile-friendly, informative and easy-to-use website is needed — like this one from Trey Porter Law.

trey porter law
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SEO and local search optimization

Law firm advertising and marketing is sometimes clearly self-promotional, but it works on other levels too.

For instance, dollar-for-dollar, search engine optimization (SEO) for lawyers is one of the most effective ways to increase exposure and draw more clients into your firm.

SEO is the practice of optimizing your website for certain keywords on your pages and improving linking, structure, and speed to rank better in search engine results. This means that more visitors (potential clients) will click through to your website and read your content.

Lawyer Advertising Rules SEO

SEO works for general keywords like “personal injury lawyer” as well as more specific local keywords, such as “car accident attorney in Houston”. Both types of SEO demand your attention.


Content marketing

Content marketing for law firms is another effective, long-term digital advertising and marketing strategy.

By developing original and informative content, you improve organic search rankings and user experience, helping build awareness and trust in your firm.

Lawyer Advertising Rules Content Marketing
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Providing valuable, accurate legal information should not be viewed as “giving away your IP” but as a way to demonstrate your authority in your practice area. Often, this speaks louder with lead generation and relationship-building than direct advertising methods.


Podcasts

Podcasts can work on multiple levels for lawyers and are suitable for solo attorneys as well as large firms with deeper pockets.

Podcasts are an excellent way to demonstrate legal niche expertise both to peers (boosting standing and reputation) and potential clients in your target market (they’re more likely to trust and hire you if you’re well-known for developing great content).

In 2020, 100 million Americans listened to podcasts each month, and this number was expected to hit 125 million in 2022.

Lawyer Advertising Rules Podcasts
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The Kruse Law Criminal Defence Podcast, for instance, helps listeners understand not only the criminal justice system but ways to answer charges and the potential consequences of various convictions — and the podcasts are also available to watch on YouTube.


Email marketing

For many, email marketing is one of the most effective forms of digital marketing for lawyers. Well-managed campaigns offer one of the best return on investment rates of all marketing strategies.

Lawyer Advertising Rules Email Marketing
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Email marketing campaigns are highly targeted, automated and measurable. Once set up, they can help advertise a law firm 24/7 with very little effort.


Social media marketing

Commercial and other B2B law firms may consider LinkedIn as the main social channel on which to promote your business.

Family lawyers, estate planning attorneys and personal injury lawyers, on the other hand, can also consider the other main social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and even TikTok marketing.

Lawyer Advertising Rules Instagram
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Realistically, social media is where your target audience is likely spending much of its time, so you can’t afford to ignore it.

If you have reservations about social media marketing and advertising, try to overcome them, as you’re missing out on a rich vein for creating awareness and generating leads for your firm.


Traditional lawyer advertising options

Traditional advertising may seem “old hat” to firms that run online advertising campaigns, but the legal profession is not generally known for its early adoption of technology.

Lawyer Advertising Rules Traditional Advertising
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It’s not only “Better Call Saul” types of lawyers who still use TV ads and billboards. Plenty of law firms still use traditional offline forms of advertising, including:

  • Television
  • Radio
  • Print media – newspapers and magazines
  • Direct mail
  • Networking/business cards at live events
  • Billboards
  • Bus seat advertising

Success in the past for some firms makes it tough to change. And, even as the times change and advertising moves on, not everyone moves with it.

Think people don’t listen to the radio anymore?

A Nielsen survey reported that during the first quarter of 2020, 91 percent of adults in the U.S. listened to the radio each week, which is more than any other medium.

A small law firm might be able to reach its targeted local clients effectively through radio if it sends out the right messages that resonate.


Direct mail vs email marketing

A good example of traditional vs digital marketing is direct mail vs email marketing.

You’ve already read about most of the fundamental benefits of email marketing above. Direct mail is generally more expensive, less targeted and considered obsolete by many firms.

Yet, some law firms are still using it to great effect. The more people move online, the more effective they become at direct mail campaigns.

Lawyer Advertising Rules Direct Mail
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It may sound counter-intuitive but law firms can stand out with direct mail because people no longer expect to receive lawyer advertising through the mail. They expect to see it online, where it may be discarded as spam, but not in their physical mailbox. This has helped to send response rates up for direct mail.

The average response rate for direct mail is estimated at around 2.7- 4.4 percent, compared with email at around 0.6 percent.

So, before you go entirely digital, there may still be a place for legal advertisements mailed to prospects or old clients who you want to win back.


Billboard advertising

A quick word about billboard advertising. Your options these days extend beyond advertising on static billboards at busy highway intersections — though some firms still do that.

Personal injury firm, Pirnia Law in Los Angeles, has recently expanded its billboard collection from this.

Lawyer Advertising Rules Billboards
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…to include this moving billboard ad on a bus.

Lawyer Advertising Rules Bus Ad
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Could that work for you? Don’t discount it because most of your lawyer advertising efforts are online.


FAQs


What is the best form of advertisement for a lawyer?

For most small and medium-sized law firms, digital advertising is the most effective type of advertising and marketing. Not only can firms generate business leads at a fraction of the cost of traditional lawyer advertising channels (such as TV, radio, billboards and print media) but digital advertising campaigns are also highly targeted and easily measurable.


How to advertise as a lawyer?

Lawyers can advertise their legal services effectively using both digital and traditional media channels. Depending on your practice area, advertising budget and target audience, you may choose to run ad campaigns using pay-per-click (Google Ads, Facebook Ads, etc.), pay-per-lead (Local Service Ads), web display ads, YouTube or legal directories — or stick to more traditional advertising channels like radio TV, billboards and print media. Most solo attorneys and smaller/medium-sized firms find digital advertising more targeted and cost-effective than traditional channels.


What kinds of advertising do lawyers commonly use?

Going back a decade or two, traditional channels like print media, radio and billboard ads came to mind with lawyer advertising. Nowadays, people are just as likely to think of pay-per-click Google Ads, local service ads, social media advertising, websites, and email marketing. Lawyer advertising has increasingly moved online and digital channels are now commonly used by almost every law firm — even those that still also use traditional advertising strategies.


Can a lawyer mention rates in advertisements?

Yes, it’s fine to mention your law firm’s rates in advertisements, providing it’s done clearly, accurately and without ambiguity. Particular care should be taken to avoid terms like “discount,” “lowest,” or “limited time” as this could be considered potentially misleading and unethical according to the legal standards in place.


Ready to add lawyer ads to your marketing armory?

With so many effective digital advertising channels now available to law firms, generating a steady flow of targeted and high-quality leads for your firm is a very realistic goal.

Solo attorneys can compete on an even playing field with larger firms but only by staying within the ABA and state bar advertising rules. These rules may evolve as online advertising evolves, so staying up-to-date and on the right side of the line is important.

If you’re honest and ethical and understand your state’s rules, you should have no problems. Your ads will be compliant and generate new business for you.

Find out more about your lawyer advertising options during a free consultation with one of our professional legal marketing specialists.

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