To help lawyers advertise on Facebook, we asked marketing professionals and business leaders for their best Facebook ads tips for lawyers. From optimizing for mobile to using lookalike audiences and geotargeting, there are several strategies to use for Facebook ads.
Here are eight actionable Facebook ads tips for lawyers:
- Start With Your Audience Insights
- Optimize for Mobile
- Consider the Goal of Campaign
- Think Outside the Box
- Use Lookalike Audiences and Geotargeting
- Make a Funnel for Video Retargeting
- Incorporate Phenomenal CTAs
- Show the ‘Human’ Behind the Practice
Start With Your Audience Insights
Above all, aim for relevance. Check out the Audience Insights for your Facebook page to see who is already potentially in your orbit, and go from there. Facebook Ads gives you the option of targeting certain demographics or interests, and you can go as specific as you want. For instance, a personal injury firm is probably going to have more luck with a younger demographic than with retirees, so have ads that can reach that demographic and resonate with it.
Court Will, Will & Will
Optimize for Mobile
My best Facebook ads tip for lawyers is to optimize for mobile devices. According to Statista, mobile accounts for almost half of all web traffic and over 80% of social media market reach. With a sensitive area of service like law, visitors are more likely to click-through on a personal mobile device than on a shared desktop device such as a work, family, or public use computer, as there is typically a lower possibility of bystanders discovering that viewing history on mobile.
Ensuring that your ads are optimized for small screens means grabbing the attention of a wider audience and boosting reach, click-through, and conversions.
Michael Alexis, TeamBuilding
Consider the Goal of the Campaign
Lawyers and law firms wanting to run Facebook ads need to consider the goal or purpose of the campaigns before creating any copy, content, or landing pages. At any stage of the buyer’s journey, your content needs to be relevant and valuable to the intended audience. For those at the top of the funnel, ads linking to educational pieces with little self-selling or promotion on your website or featuring an informative video should go a long way in terms of engagement and clicks.
For those closer to converting into clients, you’ll want to ensure your business is at the forefront of their minds. To do this, your content should revolve around how and why your service will benefit them, compared to competitors, and address their pain points.
Amber Reed-Johnson, Giraffe Social Media
Think Outside the Box
In order for your strategy to succeed, your ads need to be compelling and refreshing, which simply isn’t possible if you stick to the norm and use the same messaging as your competitors. Law firms are allowed to be witty in their communication, and everything doesn’t always have to be somber. Consider breaking out of the box and using striking imagery and an eye-catching headline that sends the right audience your way.
Riley Beam, Douglas R. Beam, P.A.
Use Lookalike Audiences and Geotargeting
Lookalike audiences are one of the most powerful automated targeting tools available on Facebook. One (or more) of your campaigns is doing well with one or more custom audiences; the only issue you may have is wanting more people like the one you defined.
It’s working great, but you’re not sure how to double, triple, or even 10-fold the segment audience that’s converting into lead forms and phone calls to your law business. Lookalike audiences enable this.
Facebook uses AI and machine learning algorithms to analyze user data to uncover trends and commonalities. It looks at not only their profiles but also their behaviors and hobbies. After absorbing this data, it searches for other users on the platform who share similar patterns and activities.
Notably, Lookalike Audiences are established on a national scale. So, when creating a lookalike audience, it will ask for the country.
Steve Scott, Spreadsheet Planet
Make a Funnel for Video Retargeting
If you want to extend your advertising reach beyond Google, TV, and other channels, Facebook has a lot to offer. Retargeting people who have previously interacted with your posts and adverts are a great tool.
This is exactly how a Facebook Video Retargeting Funnel works. Create a 10-minute video ad on Facebook and tailor it to your local market. This video’s goal is to get it in front of as many people as possible in your market.
Many people won’t watch the video since it’s a lawyer talking about a specific legal issue. But many will. These few possibly have a legal issue relating to or similar to the video’s content. This audience will likely view a chunk, if not the whole video.
In this manner, you can show them other videos on the same topic. It targets users based on how much of the last video they watched. Finally, you can send a video or static picture ad to that niche group, encouraging them to call or arrange an appointment with your firm.
Edward Mellett, Wikijob
Incorporate Phenomenal CTAs
A couple of things I’ve learned over the years from testing Facebook ads for lawyers is that you need a great call to action, and it needs to be very clear what the offer is. In addition, the images work best when they have a very limited number of words so that attention can be focused on how professional you look in them instead.
In addition, it’s best to optimize your ads for conversions because campaign targets don’t seem to work as well with low traffic and CTR rates (click-through rate). Instead of advertising in general for free consultations or consultations starting at $1,000 per hour, ads have better results when you advertise starting at $250 per hour or something close.
Claire Westbrook, LSAT Prep Hero
Show the ‘Human’ Behind the Practice
When it comes to marketing law firms, the challenge most of the time is the failure to resonate with the target audience. When crafting Facebook ads, use active, conversational copy that reads personally to the reader.
When using images, use photos of your lawyers talking to clients or simply interacting with customers. With law firms, your customers need to perceive you as more than their legal consultants but also a friendly ear that will take the time to listen to their stories.
Francine Kaye Acelar, Formicidae, LLC
