Best Marketing Channels for PI Firms

CTV 35-45% for demand creation, search 25-35% for capture, SEO 15-20% foundation. CTV CPL: $200-500. Create demand and capture it.

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)
Key Data
$200-500 Typical CPL

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)
Key Data
$300-800 Typical CPL (competitive)

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
Key Data
$300-500 Typical CPL

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
Key Data
$100-300 Typical CPL (established)

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
Key Data
$150-400 Typical CPL (cold)

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
Key Data
$500-1000+ Typical CPL

Verdict: Niche applications only. Not a primary channel.

🎯 The Optimal Channel Mix

For most PI firms in growth mode:

ChannelBudget %Role
📺 CTV35-45%Demand creation
🔍 Paid search (branded)10-15%Capture created demand
🔍 Paid search (generic)15-20%Capture market demand
🌐 SEO15-20%Foundation
✅ LSA5-10%Supplemental capture
📱 Social/retargeting5-10%Reinforcement

This mix creates demand AND captures it. Firms with different profiles adjust:

1

Established Brands

More capture, less creation. You already have awareness

2

New Market Entry

More creation, build capture. You need to build awareness first

3

Competitive Markets

Heavier CTV + branded protection. Own the demand you create

📋 Channel Selection Framework

Ask these questions:

Channel Selection Framework

1

Create or Capture?

New firms need creation; established firms can lean on capture

2

What Can We Measure?

Prefer attributable channels with clear ROI tracking

3

What Scales?

Search has caps; CTV scales further into new audiences

4

What Integrates?

Channels that feed each other beat silos

5

Time Horizon?

SEO takes 6-18 months; CTV and search work faster

References