Is CTV Advertising Worth It for Law Firms?

The honest answer: it depends entirely on your situation.

CTV advertising works when the conditions are right and fails when they're not. Most of the firms disappointed with CTV results either started before they were ready, expected the wrong outcomes, or quit before the channel had time to work.

Here's how to know if CTV makes sense for your firm.

When CTV Is Worth It

You have budget to sustain it.

CTV isn't a test-it-for-a-month channel. Minimum viable budgets:

• Smaller DMAs: $15-25K/month
• Mid-size markets: $30-50K/month
• Major metros: $50K+/month

Below these thresholds, you won't generate enough frequency to build awareness. Your ads will run, but not enough people will see them enough times to remember your firm when they need a lawyer.

You have search coverage.

This is the most common mistake. CTV generates awareness and demand. It doesn't capture that demand — search does.

When someone sees your CTV ad Tuesday night, they don't call you Tuesday night. They might search "car accident lawyer [city]" two weeks later when they actually need help. If you're not showing up in that search, your competitor captures the demand you created.

CTV without search coverage is paying to advertise for your competitors.

You can wait 90+ days.

CTV is a brand-building channel that works over time. The path looks like this:

1. Week 1-4: Ads running, minimal visible impact
2. Month 2: Slight uptick in branded searches, maybe direct traffic
3. Month 3: Clearer pattern of increased brand awareness
4. Month 4+: Compounding effect as frequency builds

Firms that bail at day 45 because "nothing's happening" never give the channel time to work.

Your market has enough population.

CTV targeting works at scale. In a DMA with 500K+ TV households, you can reach meaningful audience segments affordably. In a small market with 50K households, you're either reaching everyone constantly (annoying) or not reaching anyone enough (ineffective).

You have intake capacity.

If CTV works, it generates leads. If you can't answer phones, respond to web forms quickly, and convert leads to cases, you're burning the investment.

When CTV Isn't Worth It

You expect immediate phone calls.

CTV is not pay-per-click. You won't see direct "I saw your commercial and called" attribution on day one. The path from impression to case is indirect and takes time.

If your firm needs cases next week, CTV is the wrong channel. Run more search ads.

You have no search presence.

Repeating because it matters: CTV drives demand to search. If you're invisible in search results, you're paying to advertise for whoever is visible.

Fix search first. Then add CTV.

Your budget is under $10K/month.

At $10K/month, you're getting maybe 400-500K impressions. Spread across a month in even a mid-size market, that's not enough frequency to build recognition.

Save up. Launch when you can sustain $15-20K+ for at least three months.

You can't commit to 90 days minimum.

CTV is not a one-month experiment. The learning curve — for both the platform and your audience — takes time. Firms that test for 30 days and quit never had a fair trial.

If you're not ready to commit budget for a quarter, you're not ready for CTV.

Your market is too small.

In rural areas or small metros, CTV's precision targeting has less value because there's not enough scale. Traditional local TV or radio might serve you better at lower cost.

The ROI Question

"What's the ROI on CTV?" is the wrong question. Here's why.

Attribution is messy.

Unlike search (click → call → case), CTV works through:

• Branded search lift (they search your name)
• Direct website traffic (they type your URL)
• Increased conversion rates on other channels (they've heard of you)
• Word of mouth (they mention your ad to friends)

You won't trace most CTV-influenced cases back to a specific commercial. You'll see aggregate patterns: more branded searches, more direct traffic, higher conversion rates on leads.

Better questions to ask:

• Did branded search volume increase during the campaign?
• Did direct website traffic increase?
• Did our lead-to-case conversion rate improve?
• Are people mentioning they've seen our ads?

Industry benchmarks:

CTV delivers roughly 23% higher ROI than traditional broadcast for campaigns with proper targeting — primarily because you're not paying to reach households outside your target audience.

But "ROI" varies wildly based on:

• Case values in your practice area
• Your intake conversion rate
• Your market competition
• Your creative quality
• Your channel coordination

What CTV Actually Does

Understanding this helps set proper expectations:

CTV builds familiarity.

When someone needs a lawyer, they're more likely to search for (or click on) a name they recognize. CTV creates that recognition through repeated exposure.

CTV makes other channels work better.

Paid search converts better when people have seen your TV ads. Social ads perform better. Even referrals convert better when the prospect has already heard of you.

CTV establishes credibility.

Being on TV signals legitimacy. People associate TV advertising with established, successful firms. This perception influences behavior even when they don't consciously recall your specific ad.

CTV doesn't replace anything.

It amplifies everything else. Search captures CTV-generated demand. Social retargets CTV viewers. Your website converts CTV-warmed leads. CTV is connective tissue, not a standalone channel.

The Realistic Timeline

Here's what actually happens when you launch CTV:

Month 1: Foundation

• Ads launch, impressions accumulate
• Minimal visible impact
• Attribution shows few direct conversions
• This is normal — don't panic

Month 2: Early Signals

• Branded search volume starts increasing
• Direct website traffic may tick up
• Some anecdotal "I saw your ad" mentions
• Still early — stay the course

Month 3: Patterns Emerge

• Clear lift in branded searches
• Website traffic patterns visible
• Leads may mention TV exposure
• Platform optimization improving delivery

Month 4+: Compounding

• Frequency builds brand recognition
• Multiple exposures per household
• Conversion rates on other channels improve
• Full attribution picture emerges

Firms that succeed with CTV commit to this timeline. Those that quit at week 6 never see the payoff.

Budget Reality Check

Let's do the math for a mid-size DMA:

Assumptions:

• Target market: 500K TV households
• Target audience: Adults 25-54 (roughly 60% of households)
• Effective reach goal: 50% of target audience
• Frequency goal: 4-6 exposures per month

The math:

• Target households: 300K
• 50% reach: 150K households
• At 5 frequency: 750K impressions needed
• At $30 CPM: $22,500/month

Below this, you're either reaching fewer households or reaching them less often. Neither works well for awareness building.

What $15K/month actually buys:

• ~500K impressions
• Reaches ~100K households
• At ~5 frequency
• Covering ~33% of target audience

It works — but you're reaching a third of your potential market. Competitors spending $45K are covering the rest.

The Pre-Launch Checklist

Before investing in CTV, confirm:

Search coverage:

• Ranking page 1 for primary keywords
• Running paid search for competitive terms
• Google Business Profile optimized
• Website converts visitors to leads

Tracking infrastructure:

• Call tracking (CallRail, etc.) in place
• Website analytics configured
• Branded search volume baseline established
• CTV pixel installed for attribution

Intake readiness:

• Phones answered promptly
• Web form response within minutes
• After-hours coverage for leads
• Lead-to-case process documented

Budget commitment:

• $15K+ monthly minimum secured
• 90-day minimum commitment planned
• Creative production funded
• Search budget maintained alongside CTV

Creative readiness:

• Professional commercial produced
• Multiple lengths (:15, :30) available
• Message tested/approved
• Compliant with bar rules

Missing any of these creates friction that undermines CTV performance.

The Honest Assessment

CTV advertising is worth it for law firms that:

• Have budget to invest properly ($15-20K+ monthly)
• Have search coverage to capture demand
• Can commit to 90+ day timelines
• Operate in markets with sufficient scale
• Have tracking and intake infrastructure ready

CTV advertising is not worth it for firms that:

• Need immediate case flow (use search)
• Can't sustain budget for a quarter
• Have no search presence
• Operate in very small markets
• Expect direct-call attribution like radio

The channel works — CTV ad spend is growing 14-16% annually because advertisers see results. But it works for firms that approach it correctly, with realistic expectations and proper infrastructure.

If you're not ready, that's fine. Fix the gaps first. CTV will still be there when you're prepared to do it right.

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Evaluating whether CTV fits your situation? Let's talk through the specifics of your market and readiness.