Editor’s note: This post was originally published on July 14th, 2020 and was updated on July 15th, 2021, for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

Does your Personal Injury law firm invest in digital marketing? If you haven’t yet looked into the benefits of Facebook Ads, you might be missing out on an opportunity to sign more cases with a relatively lower CPA.

Law firms that invest in digital marketing, often concentrate their efforts on SEO for organic traffic and Google Ads for paid campaigns. In a previous article, we explained why you should opt for PPC first, but there are many other channels that can drive traffic, conversions, and new cases to your PI law firm as well. The two most prominent, uncaptured opportunities we see are the Display Network and Facebook Ads. In today’s article, we’ll uncover the added value Facebook Ads can bring to your Personal Injury law firm’s digital marketing strategies and back it up with real-life examples for your particular practice area.

In a previous article, we explained the most critical and effective Facebook Ad placement strategies for law firms, we looked into the initial strategy an attorney can follow, and we gave some general tips on how you can benefit from Google Ads. Now we’re going to focus more specifically on Facebook Ads for PI lawyers.

  • If you are new to Facebook Ads, we’d suggest starting with a strategy that includes the most placement options. That way you can begin gathering data and identifying what stands out particularly for your Personal Injury law firm. The impressive part of this channel is that clicks cost comparatively less than they do on search networks. Therefore when you fully optimize your PI campaigns, you’ll get new leads and eventually clients with a lower CPA (Cost Per Acquisition). Remember, don’t rush  your decisions. It’s crucial to monitor your results and track your conversions before you decide on what yields the maximum ROI for your Personal Injury practice.
  • If you are experienced with Facebook Ads and are looking to improve your performance and conversions, then you should start by reviewing your historical metrics. Identify missed opportunities and find out what you should exclude from your campaigns.

Fact: The month of July 2020 is heavily affecting Facebook Ads, as there is an ongoing boycott wave with the # StopHateForProfit. A lot of companies, including some law firms, have decided to participate in the initiative. If your community is actively supporting the cause, you could benefit from joining and using it as a PR tool. Otherwise, you can work with Facebook Ads for your PI law firm with potentially lower CPCs (Cost Per Click).

Every time we talk about Facebook Ads (and/or the Display Network), we inevitably discuss the potential of remarketing and retargeting for law firms through Facebook Ads. That’s because social networks give powerful targeting tools to advertisers. Let’s take a look at how your PI law firm can benefit from them, with real-life examples.

  • PI Facebook Ads
  1. Let’s consider that your personal injury law firm is located in Austin, TX and you want to target people who could be involved in a car accident. Where do people usually go after such an unfortunate event? Could be a doctor, an emergency room, or a vehicle repair shop. If you know your local market, you’re probably already aware of some relevant places. With some additional research, you can identify even more valuable locations around you. Once you have that list in hand, you can start targeting specific audiences that have been around that location and could need your services.

Below you can see an example of how we started adding high intent places for a car accident Facebook Ad campaign.

It doesn’t stop there though. Next to your location targeting, you can add interests that make your ads more specific, even to the point of narrowing it down to people who have visited one of the places and share related interests. Here is an example of how you can start targeting your desired audience, including interests.

Fact: If you narrow your audience too much your ads might not run on Facebook. Detailed targeting would apply to law firms who are running multi-state or national campaigns.

  1. Facebook Ads are also an opportunity to approach your local Hispanic community and target prospective clients that spend time on social networks. Latinx use social media to form and retain connections with friends and family. In fact, they are among the demographic groups with the heaviest mobile usage (mobile traffic shows high intent) and are more likely to click on paid ads compared to their English-speaking counterparts. All these factors make it clear that with transcreated messaging and the right focus on the customer’s journey towards conversion, you can increase your PI caseload with Hispanic clients at a CPA that is relatively lower than it would be in search networks. Remember that you shouldn’t direct your paid traffic to your homepage or other generic pages but to dedicated landing pages that load fast, offer a solution, and include specific calls to action.

Tip: Combine your PI Facebook Ads with the Display Network. That way, you’ll be able to take advantage of the full range of remarketing and retargeting ads, attracting prospective clients through the targeting tips we explained above and people who have already visited your website but haven’t yet converted through banner ads.

It’s time for our key takeaways:

  • People often disregard Facebook Ads and don’t understand their value. You shouldn’t overlook them, though, as they can actively contribute to your personal injury law firm’s success with digital marketing.
  • Evaluate the Facebook Ad Placements and identify what suits your needs and goals. Keep investing in those that yield the highest ROI for your law firm.
  • Facebook Ads are ideal for localized and interest-specific retargeting. Conduct your research and set up your campaigns to include the locations showing high intent and their matching interests.
  • Facebook Ads in Spanish can be your tool to attract your Latinx community.

Do you have more questions on Facebook Ads for your PI law firm? Don’t hesitate to contact us! We are the leading bilingual Social Media experts for law firms in the U.S.

July 15th update

The boycott wave we talked about in this article might be well behind us, but another challenge has been raised for Facebook and, subsequently, attorneys investing in Facebook Ads. The iOS 14.5 update has brought limitations to targeting options, as Apple’s becoming increasingly user-centered and privacy-focused. The update allows users to “choose not to track,” meaning that Facebook gathers less data about their locations and interactions. The result could limit access to target audiences and overall targeting options. However, even though this privacy update is an obstacle, Facebook ads are still a vital tool for attorneys who want to optimize their marketing ROI, raise brand awareness, and stay top of mind.