June 26, 2020
Yes, lawyers are allowed to advertise, but there are several rules and regulations by which law firms must abide. For instance, state and national Bar Associations dictate what exactly a firm can say in specific formats of media. For instance, the American Bar Association (ABA) lists out advertising rules in the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct. Rule 7.1 states that lawyers may not falsify their services while advertising.
The ABA’s Rule 7.2 states that lawyers have the right to advertise their services through any media, along with other regulations that address compensation for recommending a lawyer’s services, giving gifts for appreciation, identifying yourself as a certified specialist, and identifying your law firm in ads.
The ruling of Bates v. Arizona State Bar resulted in the Supreme Court determining that legal advertising was protected under the First Amendment, as affirmed by the Legal Information Institute.
How Lawyers Can Advertise
There are a variety of ways in which lawyers can advertise, but it is important to note that your state bar association can regulate legal advertising as well. Some common ways for law firms to advertise include:
- Television ads
- Billboards
- Radio ads
- Print ads
- Direct mail
- Law firm websites
- Social media
- Referral services
Your law firm’s website and social media are two great places to begin advertising because they allow you to connect directly with your current and potential clients. By using blogs, videos, social media posts, and ads, your law firm can begin to attract new clients to your business by providing leads with information or services they might need.
Leads could potentially become clients if you utilize inbound marketing to your landing page through social media platforms. When you are trying to attract the right customers to your law firm—such as ones affected by a similar personal injury or mass tort—you should produce relevant content on your website and social media platforms.
Once you have created digital content such as blogs or videos, you can begin to share them across social media, to filter more page visitors directly to your landing page.
Using Facebook to Advertise Law Firms
Law firms use advertisements for many reasons, one of which likely includes growing their business. The goal of Facebook ads is to do just that—and the features incorporated within Facebook make it simple and effective for law firms to grow their reach online.
When your law firm begins working with Facebook’s interface to produce ads, the possibilities are seemingly endless when it comes to reaching a target audience. That is because Facebook ads allow you to target an audience based on a user’s:
- Geography
- Demographics
- Personal interests
- Behavior data provided by Facebook
Facebook ads allow law firms to circulate hyper-focused advertisements that reach the right audiences, at the right time. When a mass tort begins scouting participating clients, your law firm can create the Facebook ad and choose the exact locale in which you would like to advertise, which helps your ROI (return on investment).
Ad Tracking on Facebook
You can also track how effective your Facebook ads are, instead of doing the guesswork often required by other modes of advertising. Facebook allows you to track how successful an ad is in real time, which you cannot do with print ads or even TV ads. When data is available this quickly, you can make any needed changes to your ad campaigns quickly as well.
Ad Engagement on Facebook
Facebook ads also allow you to engage with your target audience. Once a user clicks on your Facebook ad, it can direct them to your law firm’s custom landing page (which can be used to further pinpoint qualified leads). Your firm can also establish credibility via social media (or on your own website) by connecting with potential clients via postings or by using your legal knowledge to answer questions.
Educate Potential Clients with X Social Media
Now that you know how lawyers are allowed to advertise, you don’t want to miss this opportunity.
At X Social Media, we specialize in designing and implementing Facebook ad campaigns for the legal industry. Our team of in-house ad specialists creates your ads and your campaigns with your law firm’s vision and approval every step of the way.
To learn more about X Social Media’s Facebook advertising opportunities—and other legal marketing services we offer—call us today at (888) 670-0006.
