What Is Connected TV and Why Should Law Firms Care?

A decade ago, the concept of “connected TV” meant ensuring your plasma screen was plugged into a power outlet. Today, “connected TV” has taken on a whole new meaning and revolutionized the way advertisers reach new clients. Streaming content providers like Hulu, AppleTV, Paramount+, and Roku devices are some of the big names in “connected TV.” Any company that streams premium content through an app, device, or service falls under this banner and may unlock your law firm’s ability to reach clients economically with your ads in all forms of media, not just TV.

Just Like Shooting Wamp Rats

In the past, executing a fruitful media buy on television was as complicated as taking down the Death Star in one shot. A hefty TV campaign is not worth the expenditure for many law firms because positive ROI is far from guaranteed. It’s hard to reach a mass audience inexpensively, even if the budget is within your means. It’s also a bit of a Jedi mind trick to confidently purchase media with limited to non-existent metrics regarding the best frequency and timing of the ads. The documents a TV station or cable company provides to prove your commercials aired are about as useful as a broken lightsaber. If you know, you know.

Connected TV providers offer laser-focused, data-driven targeting of potential clients at a budget that doesn’t require an empire. The notion that you must spend-spend-spend on TV ad placements in prime time, the local news, or daytime programming to succeed is history. This is not to say that traditional TV stations and cable companies don’t maintain value for the mass tort law firms that advertise so often you feel stalked. Connected TV has leveled the playing field, and now everyone can advertise like they run the galaxy. 

Amazon Prime Opportunities

Connected TV providers wisely discerned how to wield control over their audiences to increase the allure of using them as an advertising resource for your law firm. The advent of DVR technology created a new “liberty” for users to enjoy: skipping commercials. If you’re willing to admit you recorded a TV show on VHS in your life, you know the magic of this feature.

Most commercial breaks are forced on connected TV providers, and the “skip ad” function is disabled. This is how they separate themselves from TV stations and cable companies. If a user wants to continue enjoying content, it comes with a price, their attention. A connected TV provider can command a user’s attention, as well as determine if your law firm might be of interest to them. Paired with your guidance on demographics, “connected TV” providers use highly specific subscriber data to help you make smart choices.

At that point, you place your ad with confidence, knowing that whoever sees it is a more qualified lead, and you didn’t have to re-mortgage your house to accomplish it. However, if you can’t evoke a sense of glitz and glamor with your law firm’s content, all of this may be naught.

La La Land More Clients

Possessing a wealth of data is imperative when choosing where and when to place ads. Equally as important to your law firm’s success is the quality of the ads themselves. Whether print, radio, television, or an Instagram reel, the content should look like a million bucks. Don’t resist the urge to “Go Hollywood” with the creation of your content. This doesn’t mean you have to break your budget, but you need to get creative.

What is the point of spending inordinate amounts of time and resources on research if the content looks like it was captured on a flip phone or a subpar microphone? Reaching your audience is not enough. Impressing potential clients with in-camera tricks, rich audible landscapes, and bright color choices or fonts deeply support your team’s efforts to put your message before their eyes and ears. Creating content that speaks to them gets potential clients to talk to you.

If It’s in Your Wheelhouse, Swing Away…

So, how do you know if your law firm is suitable for this advertising method? In truth, the efficacy of connected TV – like any other tool – is directly related to your level of savvy. While connected TV may not suit everyone, it’s available to you as a resource when the situation arises. However, suppose your law firm specializes in personal injury, pharmaceutical mass torts, class action lawsuits, family law, immigration law, and similar areas of expertise. In that case, connected TV can be a fastball right down the middle of the plate for your law firm to crush over and over.

Takeaway:

Streaming services that offer ad-supported premium content (aka “Connected TV”) have revolutionized the idea of how media is purchased, placed, and implemented. The traditional methods of reaching new potential clients via network/cable TV and radio are limited compared to the precision audience targeting, prognosis for success, and cost-efficiency of running ads on a service like Hulu, HBO Max, or even Spotify. If your law firm specializes in personal injury, mass torts, class action, etc., reaching a specific population sector is crucial to winning cases. Connected TV opens a cost-effective path for those potential clients. When you run an ad with a Connected TV provider, don’t be afraid to go Hollywood and produce content that mirrors or surpasses the highest quality media. Combining these efforts may lead to a consistent source of generating quality leads and clients while keeping you in line with or ahead of industry trends.

We specialize in advising clients on creating dynamic content and where to buy media to maximize its efficacy. To learn more about how we can help your firm don’t hesitate to reach out today.