Every marketing channel has trade-offs. Some create demand, others capture it. Some scale indefinitely, others hit walls. Here’s how to evaluate what’s available.
Channel Categories
Marketing channels serve different purposes:
Option A
Option B
Understanding each channel’s role prevents mismatched expectations.
📺 CTV (Connected TV)
Type: Demand creation | Best for: Awareness building, brand recognition, market presence
Pros
- + 90% household reach through streaming
- + Television credibility in living room environment
- + 94-96% completion rates, meaning people watch your full message
- + Precision targeting unavailable on broadcast
- + Measurable attribution via verified visits
Cons
- − No instant click-to-convert
- − Requires search protection to capture demand created
- − Higher production costs for quality creative
- − Takes time to build momentum (90+ days for full effect)
Cost structure: CPM-based, $35-50 for quality inventory
Verdict: Essential for growth-focused firms. Creates demand you can own.
🔍 Paid Search (Google/Bing Ads)
Type: Demand capture | Best for: Catching active searchers, branded protection, competitive defense
Pros
- + Reaches people actively looking for lawyers
- + Immediate lead flow when launched
- + Highly measurable (click → conversion)
- + Precise geographic targeting
- + Flexible budget scaling
Cons
- − Expensive ($200-500+ CPC for competitive PI terms)
- − Only captures existing demand (doesn't create it)
- − Competition drives costs up continuously
- − Limited scale (only so many people searching)
Cost structure: CPC-based, varies dramatically by keyword and market. Branded terms: $50-150 CPL.
Verdict: Necessary for capture, but can’t build a firm on search alone. Best combined with demand creation.
✅ Local Services Ads (LSAs)
Type: Demand capture | Best for: High-intent local searches, Google-verified credibility
Pros
- + Prime placement above traditional ads
- + Google Guaranteed badge builds trust
- + Pay-per-lead (not per click)
- + Strong for mobile local searches
Cons
- − Limited control over targeting
- − Competition within categories
- − Lead quality varies
- − Not available everywhere
Cost structure: Pay-per-lead, averaging $378 per lead for PI.
Verdict: Worth having if available. Supplements but doesn’t replace other search.
🌐 SEO (Organic Search)
Type: Demand capture (long-term) | Best for: Sustainable traffic, credibility, branded search support
Pros
- + Lower marginal cost per lead once established
- + Compounds over time
- + Builds credibility and trust
- + Captures branded searches for free
Cons
- − Slow to build (6-18 months for results)
- − Requires ongoing investment
- − Algorithm changes create volatility
- − Competitive for generic terms
- − Can't create demand
Cost structure: Monthly retainer or project fees.
Verdict: Foundation worth investing in, but not a growth engine by itself.
📡 Traditional TV (Broadcast/Cable)
Type: Demand creation | Best for: Mass reach, older demographics, event advertising
Pros
- + Massive reach in single placements
- + Established credibility with some demographics
- + Strong for live sports and news
- + Built the biggest PI brands historically
Cons
- − Declining viewership (broadcast down 21%, cable down 39% since 2021)
- − No precision targeting
- − No attribution (correlation at best)
- − High minimum commitments
- − Can't optimize mid-flight
Cost structure: Negotiated rates, significant minimums. Attribution difficult to measure.
Verdict: Still has a role for mass reach and older demographics, but CTV increasingly preferred.
📱 Social Media Ads (Meta, LinkedIn)
Type: Hybrid (awareness + capture) | Best for: Retargeting, mass tort recruitment, specific demographics
Pros
- + Precise demographic and interest targeting
- + Good for retargeting website visitors
- + Lower CPMs than many channels
- + Visual creative options
Cons
- − Users in social mode, not buying mode
- − Lower intent than search
- − Privacy changes reduced targeting
- − Credibility lower than TV environment
Cost structure: CPM or CPC-based. Retargeting CPL is lower.
Verdict: Useful supplement, not a primary channel. Best for retargeting and specific campaigns.
🛣️ Billboards
Type: Demand creation | Best for: Geographic awareness, highway visibility, brand presence
Pros
- + High visibility in specific locations
- + Brand building in service area
- + Works well with memorable slogans
Cons
- − No targeting (everyone sees it)
- − No attribution
- − High cost per targeted impression
- − Message must be extremely simple
Cost structure: Monthly location fees. Attribution essentially unmeasurable.
Verdict: Brand building tool for firms with budget to spare after digital channels optimized.
📻 Radio
Type: Demand creation | Best for: Drive time awareness, specific format audiences
Pros
- + Lower cost than TV
- + Frequency can be high
- + Good for memorable jingles/taglines
Cons
- − Fragmented audience
- − No visual component
- − Limited targeting
- − Declining listenership
- − No attribution
Cost structure: Spot rates by market/station. Attribution difficult.
Verdict: Minor role in most strategies. Better options available.
📬 Print/Direct Mail
Type: Demand capture | Best for: Highly targeted direct response, specific case types
Pros
- + Can target specific addresses/demographics
- + Tangible, sits in homes
- + Works for specific scenarios (Medicare set-aside, etc.)
Cons
- − Expensive per contact
- − Response rates declining
- − Slow execution
- − Limited scale
Verdict: Niche applications only. Not a primary channel.
🎯 The Optimal Channel Mix
For most PI firms in growth mode:
| Channel | Budget % | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 📺 CTV | 35-45% | Demand creation |
| 🔍 Paid search (branded) | 10-15% | Capture created demand |
| 🔍 Paid search (generic) | 15-20% | Capture market demand |
| 🌐 SEO | 15-20% | Foundation |
| ✅ LSA | 5-10% | Supplemental capture |
| 📱 Social/retargeting | 5-10% | Reinforcement |
This mix creates demand AND captures it. Firms with different profiles adjust:
Established Brands
More capture, less creation. You already have awareness
New Market Entry
More creation, build capture. You need to build awareness first
Competitive Markets
Heavier CTV + branded protection. Own the demand you create
📋 Channel Selection Framework
Ask these questions:
Channel Selection Framework
Create or Capture?
New firms need creation; established firms can lean on capture
What Can We Measure?
Prefer attributable channels with clear ROI tracking
What Scales?
Search has caps; CTV scales further into new audiences
What Integrates?
Channels that feed each other beat silos
Time Horizon?
SEO takes 6-18 months; CTV and search work faster
References
- Nielsen. (2025). Connected TV: Transforming advertising trends. https://www.nielsen.com/insights/2025/connected-tv-transforming-advertising-trends/
- IAB & Innovid. (2022). CTV takes center stage. https://www.iab.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Innovid_CTV-Takes-Center-Stage.pdf
- Nielsen. (2025). Streaming reaches historic TV milestone. https://www.nielsen.com/news-center/2025/streaming-reaches-historic-tv-milestone/
- Grow Law. (2025). LSA for personal injury lawyers. https://growlaw.co/blog/lsa-for-personal-injury-lawyers