Humor in Personal Injury Lawyers Ads? Seriously?
For the most part, lawyer TV ads are serious and formulaic. Most still talk about how long a law firm has been around, reputation, academic background and pedigree. The ads haven’t changed much in thirty years. And humor in lawyer ads is essentially taboo. Which could be a big mistake. Consider insurance company ads from Geico, Liberty Mutual, All State. Not only do these sophisticated marketers perpetually use humor in their ads despite addressing a serious subject, they even make light of accidents. Think All State’s “Mayhem” character shown in various accident scenarios. You may contend they can get away with it because insurance companies are selling policies before the accident occurs while PI attorneys are signing up clients after the accident when victims are in a different state of mind. But based on empirical evidence, Brantley Davis Ad Agency disagrees.
Ten years ago, a brand new PI law firm in the South hired us to put them on the map. They were unknown and as a new firm did not have the resources to match competitors TV spend. Our TV ads and marketing had to work twice as hard. So we decided to try humorous ads. And fortunately, humor delivered serious results. Calls and cases climbed. Affection for the brand grew. Attorneys at the firm could feel the brand energy in the market, in their neighborhoods, everywhere they went. And to their credit pushed us, the ad agency, to take the humor level up even higher. We laughed. It was a blast. Case growth picked up even more. Today, the law firm has expanded from one market to three and is one of the largest, most successful firms in the state. And they’re still running our funny ads.
So, why did humor work? Because the ads brought a smile to our target market’s face and they grew to love the brand. They didn’t really care about the traditional law firm Unique Selling Propositions. They just wanted a likable lawyer. And were sold on our client’s law firm before even getting into an accident.
Additionally, because the ads were fun and different, they broke through the clutter, putting less pressure on media budgets. The creative simply worked harder.
So, the next time your ad agency asks you to consider injecting a little humor into your law firm ads, take them seriously. The results just may put a smile on your face.
Personal Injury Law Firm Web Design: Think Mobile First. It’s The Right Call
A new law firm client recently asked us to take a look at their re-designed website. They’d partnered with a well known, relatively expensive web company. And indeed, the website looked good. Design was clean and crisp, visuals were alluring. Everyone seemed pleased. Until a Brantley Davis Digital account executive pulled the site up on mobile. Unfortunately, the site looked atrocious: no shot of the attorney featured in the TV ads; no “Free case review;” no phone number, just lots of words. And this site was created by a purported digital leader in PI law firm design. The client was mystified and perturbed, as they should be.
Because research shows that lower income Americans use mobile for online access at much higher rates than more affluent people. Many don’t even have PCs. And as we all know, folks from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are much more likely to call a PI attorney after an accident. If you have any doubts about mobile use, studies abound on the web. Here’s one from Pew Research Center https://www.pewinternet.org/
“Reliance on smartphones for online access is especially common among younger adults, non-whites and lower-income Americans.”
Pew Research Center 2019
At Brantley Davis Ad Agency, we’ve seen this play out in PI lawyer PPC campaigns for years. The exact percentages vary market to market, but typically our Google analytics show 70%-80% of all personal injury PPC clicks and conversions are generated through mobile devices.
Why do professionals who design PI lawyer websites often marginalize mobile design? The answer is probably quite simple. They design on a massive PC all day. Designers fall in love with the gorgeous visuals spanning the full width of their 24” Mac screens forgetting that a mobile screen is what drives calls and cases.
So the next time you redesign your website or create a landing page for a mass tort, think mobile first. It’s the right call.
Coronavirus Cut TV Rates Up to 50%. Keeping Rates Low Is Key to Higher Profitability
The Coronavirus wreaked havoc on businesses across America, including PI law firms. Auto traffic plummeted by 90% in some cities and so did car accident cases. Several law firm analysts even contended cases signed during the pandemic would be worth less because of victims’ limited ability to receive medical treatment. But there was a silver lining. Though TV viewing exploded as people were trapped in their houses, Brantley Davis negotiated sharply lower TV ad rates in April and May of 2020. Up to 50% lower. In addition, we were also able to negotiate 2 for 1 bonus spots. And the bonus spots weren't just airing 12 midnight to 6am. 95% were running 6a-12m. We know because we were checking post logs weekly. And the lower rates and hundreds of bonus spots paid off. Law firm call traffic started to pick up and so did cases. As important, cost per case decreased in some markets during the height of the pandemic.
So, how can PI law firms hold onto lower TV rates as political campaigns kick into gear and retailers begin buying up TV inventory again, driving up rates? That’s the big question. Think about it. If your TV costs are 25% lower, your firm’s cost per case would theoretically be 25% lower and profitability would increase exponentially.
The answer to keeping rates low and no charges airing is relatively simple. But it is labor intensive and requires adept negotiating skills. Like to know more? Call Brantley Davis at 202-775-8181 or email bd@jbdadagency.com. Brantley works with some of the nation’s leading PI law firms and has been developing successful law firm media strategies for almost thirty years. He’d love to learn more about your firm and help make it more profitable.
P.S. Ask about our free competitive market analysis. You may be surprised by the tactics your competitors are employing.
PI Lawyer TV Ad of the Month. A Testimonial Ad.
Testimonials are everywhere: TV, websites, Youtube. A rare few are gorgeous, most are mediocre, and some are comical, bordering on parody. But do testimonials work in PI lawyer TV advertising? UNEQUIVOCALLY, YES. Testimonials have been a major component of Brantley Davis Ad Agency PI law firm marketing success for the last decade. However, creating effective testimonials isn’t easy. Below is an example containing many of the elements common in impactful testimonial ads. The actress is attractive but not a highly paid fashion model. She is likable and slightly vulnerable. Her lines are delivered in a subdued, almost tentative manner, the way a real client might speak. The end product is a compelling performance that drives calls and clicks. But take a look and let us know what you think. Would she convince you to call?