The Internet is an undoubted gateway to the world, enabling interactions and experiences that may never have happened otherwise. The possibilities presented by the Internet can, however, present a somewhat paradoxical problem: the hordes of professionals and business who take advantage of the power of the Internet in disseminating messages can render it an overpopulated space. This, in turn, can have an adverse effect, rendering the messages of many businesses invisible in the crowd. This is why it’s crucial for all entrepreneurs, including those in the legal field, to find new and innovative ways to spread awareness of their services and make the most of their potential. This means staying on top of the marketing strategies that are both effective and non-competitive, which is a difficult intersection to find – especially while operating under the time demands that often go hand-in-hand with a legal career. Among the most useful of these strategies is the use of retargeting ads, a new-enough staple in marketing that it is both tremendously useful and under-used.

What is retargeting?

Retargeting works by keeping track of the pages someone visits online, monitoring the products they demonstrate an interest in and their general browsing history in order to get an idea of what appeals most to them as a consumer. This information is harnessed by advertisers to create and display ads that are either specifically geared towards these displayed interests or that display to people whose interests are compatible with the services being advertised. Theoretically, this strategy will increase the likelihood that consumers will engage with the seller’s advertisement and, consequently, purchase the product. The practical experience seems to supplement the theory: this strategy has been shown to increase consumer response to ads by around 400%.

What’s in it for attorneys

Retargeting holds considerable potential benefits to attorneys for an array of reasons. Unlike staples like Google Ads, review sites, or even traditional billboards, it is still a fairly untapped source of marketing for your firm. Of course, if fewer of your competitors employ a certain marketing strategy, it follows that the strategy in question is a less competitive space for you to advertise. This increases the likelihood that legal consumers will flock to your website and seek out your services rather than your competitors’. The novelty of this strategy is eclipsed only in its efficacy. Because retargeting includes evaluating consumers’ search and purchase histories, it harnesses this information to display the most effective ads to the most relevant groups of people possible. Of course, the more specific your ad appeals to an audience, the higher the chance these ads will sell your services.

How to harness the benefits of retargeting

As is the case with most new marketing strategies, the most daunting part of the process is knowing where and how to begin. As is often the case, a variety of platforms, particularly search engines and social media, offer retargeting ad opportunities to businesses. If your firm has a social media presence (which it absolutely should), most experts recommend prioritizing this form of advertising on these platforms instead of search engines. This is because, due to the ubiquity of platforms like Facebook, you’ll increase the likelihood that your ad will be seen. Facebook is also highly recommended due to its user-friendly retargeting platform.

The basis of retargeting is to allow you, the advertiser, to carefully select the demographics of your target audience. This can include general criteria like age and location, and it can extend to marital status (on social media like Facebook, where this information is available), income, and search history. Perhaps most usefully to attorneys,  you can select a criterion for your ad’s audience to be people who have recently visited your firm’s website. This is extremely effective because it will specifically target those who have already expressed interest in your services. This root of interest, combined with messaging in your advertisement that will hopefully appeal to the other criteria you’ve specified, will make your firm all the more appealing.

Most platforms will allow you to set an objective for the retargeting ads you place. These can range from increased traffic to your website to conversions. What this does is determine where the advertisement links to your website, your inbox, or your social media, depending on what is most relevant to your goal.

Conclusion

Whatever your objective, firm size, or budget level, retargeting is at the forefront of marketing technology, allowing businesses to appeal directly to the documented and proven interests of consumers in a space that is still minimally competitive. By harnessing the power of retargeting ads, you will elevate your firm’s online presence – and business prospects – to an unprecedented level.