Local CTV Advertising for Law Firms

Most law firms serve local markets. Your clients come from a specific geography: your city, your metro area, your DMA.

CTV is often positioned as a national advertising tool. But it’s equally powerful for local campaigns, with targeting precision that local broadcast can’t match.

This guide covers how to run CTV for local law firms.

Local CTV Fundamentals

Why CTV for Local

Traditional local TV challenges:

• Station buys (limited targeting)
• High minimums
• Scheduling inflexibility
• Poor measurement
• Reaching outside your service area (waste)

CTV local advantages:

• Geographic precision (zip code level)
• Audience targeting within geography
• Lower minimums
• Flexible scheduling
• Measurable outcomes

Geographic Targeting Options

Level	Description	Use Case
DMA	Nielsen’s market definitions	Primary market coverage
State	State boundaries	Multi-DMA, state-licensed
Zip codes	Specific zip codes	Exclude areas you don’t serve
Radius	Miles from a point	Office-centric targeting

For most local firms, DMA targeting with zip exclusions is the right approach.

Local vs. National CTV

Factor	Local CTV	National CTV
Geographic scope	Single DMA or region	Multiple DMAs or national
Audience size	Smaller	Much larger
Budget minimums	Lower ($15-30K)	Higher ($50K+)
CPM	Slightly higher	Slightly lower
Competition	Less	More

Local CTV is viable at lower budgets because you need less reach. See CTV budgets by market size for specific recommendations.

Market Size Strategies

Small Markets (Under 300K Households)

For detailed guidance, see our small market CTV guide.

Characteristics:

• Smaller audience pool
• Faster frequency buildup
• Less competition
• Lower budgets viable

Strategy:

• Budget: $12-20K/month
• Broader targeting (don’t over-segment)
• Frequency caps to prevent saturation
• Faster creative refresh

Opportunity: Dominance is achievable. $20-30K/month can own small market CTV. Learn how PI firms dominate their local DMA.

Mid-Size Markets (300K-800K Households)

Characteristics:

• Meaningful audience
• Moderate competition
• Standard budgets work

Strategy:

• Budget: $25-50K/month
• Balanced targeting (geo + 1-2 behavioral layers)
• Standard frequency management
• Regular creative rotation

Opportunity: Strong presence without massive investment.

Large Markets (800K-2M+ Households)

Characteristics:

• Large, diverse audience
• Significant competition
• Higher budgets required

Strategy:

• Budget: $50-100K+/month
• Can support tighter targeting
• Multiple audience segments
• Sophisticated optimization

Challenge: Competing with larger spenders. Focus on targeting efficiency, not just reach.

Geographic Targeting Deep Dive

Master local CTV targeting strategies to maximize efficiency in your market.

DMA Targeting

DMA (Designated Market Area) is Nielsen’s definition of TV markets. There are 210 DMAs in the US.

When to use:

• Primary market coverage
• Standard media buying
• Comparing to broadcast

Considerations:

• DMAs don’t follow political boundaries
• May include areas you don’t serve
• Check what’s included before launching

Zip Code Targeting

Target or exclude specific zip codes.

Use for exclusion:

• Zip codes outside your service area
• Areas with poor case economics
• Competitor-dominated territories

Example: Philadelphia DMA firm excludes South Jersey zips where they’re not licensed.

Radius Targeting

Target households within X miles of a point (usually your office).

Best for:

• Office-centric service areas
• Suburban practices
• Multiple office coverage

Considerations:

• May be too tight (inventory limitations)
• Doesn’t follow actual traffic patterns
• Consider drive time vs. straight-line distance

Custom Approaches

Multi-radius: Separate radii around multiple offices

Hybrid: DMA targeting with zip exclusions

Custom polygon: Some platforms allow custom geographic shapes (less common)

Competing with Larger Firms

The Challenge

In most markets, one or two firms dominate TV advertising:

• More billboards
• More broadcast time
• More name recognition

You can’t outspend them. But you can compete differently.

CTV Competitive Advantages

Targeting efficiency: They reach everyone. You reach the right people.

Measurement: They guess at results. You know what’s working.

Flexibility: They’re locked into schedules. You can optimize in real-time.

Niche focus: They go broad. You can focus on specific case types, demographics, or geographies.

Strategic Options

Option 1: Target their gaps

• Audiences they under-serve
• Geographies they ignore
• Case types they don’t emphasize

Option 2: Out-convert

• Better creative
• Better landing pages
• Better intake
• Same reach, better results

Option 3: Own a segment

• Specific practice area
• Specific demographic
• Specific geography within the DMA

Option 4: Integrate better

• CTV + search protection (they may not do this)
• Connected measurement
• Full-funnel optimization

The Long Game

Large firms built their brand over years. You won’t catch up in months.

But CTV enables:

• Consistent presence at manageable cost
• Compounding awareness over time
• Measurable progress

Start now. Be patient. The gap closes over time.

Budget Allocation for Local

Typical Local Budget Framework

Channel	% of Total	Purpose
CTV	40-50%	Awareness, demand creation
Branded search	10-15%	Capture CTV demand
Generic search/LSA	20-30%	Capture existing demand
SEO	10-15%	Long-term organic
Retargeting	5-10%	Reinforcement

By Total Budget

Monthly Budget	CTV Allocation	Viable?
$15K	$7-8K	Marginal, very small markets only
$25K	$12-15K	Viable for small/mid markets
$40K	$18-22K	Solid for mid markets
$60K	$28-35K	Strong for most markets
$100K+	$45-55K	Competitive in large markets

If your total budget doesn’t support minimum CTV investment for your market, focus on search until you can afford awareness.

Local Creative Considerations

Localizing Your Message

References that resonate:

• City/neighborhood names
• Local landmarks
• Local sports teams (carefully, licensing applies)
• Weather/regional context

Local credibility signals:

• “Serving [City] for 25 years”
• Local address/office footage
• Community involvement

Production Approaches

Option 1: Full local production

• Shoot in your market
• Feature local recognizable elements
• Higher cost, higher relevance

Option 2: Localized templates

• Professional production base
• Localized graphics, VO, and tags
• More efficient, less distinctive

Option 3: Generic with local tags

• Non-geographic production
• Local information in end card
• Lowest cost, least local feel

For local firms competing against established brands, local production value can differentiate.

Measuring Local CTV

Local-Specific Metrics

Reach within DMA: What percentage of your target market have you reached?

Frequency within DMA: How many times has the average household seen your ad?

Share of voice: How does your presence compare to competitors?

Attribution in Local Markets

Branded search lift: Are searches for your firm name increasing?

Website traffic by geography: Is traffic coming from your target area?

Call geography: Where are callers located?

Benchmarking

Local campaigns often perform better than national:

• Less competition for inventory
• Audience more relevant
• Local messaging resonates

Expect slightly better verified visit rates and conversion rates in well-targeted local campaigns.

Local CTV vs. Local Broadcast

Comparison

Factor	Local Broadcast	Local CTV
Targeting	Station/program selection	Household-level
Measurement	Ratings estimates	Actual impressions
Minimum buy	Often $30-50K+	$15-20K+
Flexibility	Low (scheduled)	High (real-time)
Waste	High	Lower
Reach potential	Massive	Growing

When to Use Each

Hybrid approach: Broadcast for mass reach + CTV for targeted reach = full market coverage.

The Transition

Most local firms should:

1. Start with CTV (testable, measurable)
2. Prove results
3. Add broadcast if budget and goals support
4. Optimize mix over time

Implementation for Local Firms

Common Local Mistakes

Over-targeting: Small market + tight demographics + behavioral = no impressions

Under-budgeting: $8K/month in a market that needs $20K

No search protection: Creating demand, competitors capturing it

Impatience: Expecting results in 30 days

Ignoring creative: Generic spot in a local campaign

The Taqtics Approach

We specialize in local CTV for law firms:

Right-sized recommendations: We’ll tell you what budget makes sense for your market. No point running under-funded campaigns.

Geographic precision: Targeting configured for your actual service area, not arbitrary boundaries.

Search integration: CTV + branded search as one system, capturing what we create.

Local exclusivity: Competitors in your market can’t access our audiences.

Next Steps

References

1. BIA Advisory Services. “Local TV Advertising Poised for Growth in 2025.” November 2024. https://www.bia.com/press-releases/local-tv-advertising-poised-for-growth-in-2025-led-by-legal-and-automotive-industries/

2. TV News Check. “Local TV Advertising Poised For Growth In 2025, Led by Legal & Auto.” November 2024. https://tvnewscheck.com/business/article/local-tv-advertising-poised-for-growth-in-2025-led-by-legal-auto/

3. Nielsen. “The Gauge Data Center.” 2025. https://www.nielsen.com/data-center/the-gauge/

4. MNTN. “Connected TV Advertising: Why You Should Choose MNTN Performance TV.” May 2024. https://mountain.com/blog/connected-tv-advertising-why-you-should-choose-mntn-performance-tv/