When marketers mention advertising these days, they are usually talking about digital ads, such as paid social, paid search and display advertising. But this is the legal industry — a sector where tradition remains strong. Part of this tradition is print advertising.
Law firm print ads run in a number of publications, from daily and weekly newspapers to professional association publications. While the overall number of print opportunities has shrunk over the years, there still is a market for this ad medium.
If your firm plans to run advertisements in a print publication, here are a few things to consider.
Imagery: Don’t feel like you have to feature an attorney photo in your ad. Restricting your visuals to an attorney headshot limits creativity and will increase the odds that your ad will look like those of your competitors. If you do choose to use an attorney in your ad, try to pick an interesting environment — perhaps a courtroom in front of a jury — and consider having the attorney interact with the environment to give the photo a sense of action and movement. You’ll also want images that speak to a target industry or issue. Be unique, don’t shy away from humor, and make sure images and copy work together to tell the same story.
Copy: When it comes to copywriting for an ad, less is more. Too much copy can muddle the focus, detracting from the main message you wish to deliver. Instead, you’ll want to have a phrase or headline that stands out from the rest of the ad copy. Ideally, this bold, punchy statement will have some attribute that makes it memorable, such as word play or humor. Also, don’t feel the need to conform to your firm’s style guide when writing ad copy. Sometimes even traditional grammar rules can be overridden if that works for the pacing of the ad.
Rerunning Ads: You might think that a fresh approach with each ad run is the right approach. But one of the fundamental rules of advertising is to embrace repetition. That’s because it takes multiple viewings of a single ad for it to stick in a viewer’s mind. A good minimum frequency is three runs of the same ad.
How Can Jaffe Help You with Your Print Ads?
Jaffe’s team of marketing strategists, creative talent and production experts work collaboratively to assist clients with the entire process of print ad development. We work with our law firm clients to understand their brands and key messaging, as well as their target audiences, to develop creative ad concepts that break the mold of traditional lawyer advertising. Whether you are marketing directly to consumers, corporate professionals or other attorneys, Jaffe can develop ads that resonate and look great.
If you’re interested in learning more about Jaffe’s print ad capabilities, contact Terry M. Isner, Owner/CEO, Marketing & Branding, at tisner@jaffepr.com.