Bay Area Advertising & Marketing Blog

Don't Be a Roadside Attraction: This Secret Marketing Strategy Beats Billboards Every Time

Written by Steve DiNardo | May 20, 2022

Billboards are still a staple of personal injury marketing campaigns for a reason: U.S. drivers logged 3.23 trillion miles last year. With travel back on the rise, more people are on the roads providing a greater audience for your ads.  

The success of billboards is well-documented:  

  • 71% of drivers intentionally read messages on billboards. 
  • Up to 28% of drivers noted phone numbers and addresses on billboards for services they were interested in. 

While billboards are effective, there is an even better strategy for brand awareness and lead generation. Radio is a widely used and highly effective medium for getting noticed in the personal injury space. 

Combining the visual impact of billboards with their audio equivalent as part of your personal injury marketing strategy creates a synergy that significantly outperforms billboards alone. When you add in digital ads, you create a multisensory client experience that makes an even more significant impact. 

Using Billboards as Part of an Integrated Marketing Strategy  

There are anywhere from 300,000 to 500,000 personal injury cases each year, and between 93,000 and 135,000 personal injury lawyers compete for them. That means you must do more to make your firm stand out from the crowd. Billboards are a proven way to bring awareness to your firm, but it isn't necessarily a differentiator. With an integrated strategy, you can reach your potential clients more effectively and efficiently where they spend their time.  

Using an integrated strategy doesn't mean finding alternatives to billboards. It does mean adding new channels to expand your reach and introduce your firm to new audiences. Creating multiple touchpoints on various channels or devices lets you reinforce your message, creating a more holistic experience for your audience. Maintaining a consistent "voice" across your omnichannel strategy inspires trust and strengthens your brand recognition.   

Radio 

Why choose radio to pair with billboards for your personal injury law firm? Radio is your audio billboard. It allows the listener to focus on your message and remember it. Radio is 220% more effective at memory encoding, how your brain takes external information and stores it in short and long-term memory, than TV.  

Radio is an incredibly powerful medium for reaching a broad audience, creating brand awareness, and generating leads. When potential clients search for a firm to help them, they want recommendations from a familiar and authoritative voice, such as a local radio influencer. When your client sees your firm's name on a billboard, they take notice. When they hear about it again on the radio, they know it's a name they can trust.  

Digital Marketing 

One way to think of digital display ads is to consider them your online billboards. 57% of people that need an attorney search for one online. It is often their first time learning about your firm. Digital ads can make your firm more approachable and help communicate your expertise. 

OTT is a highly effective way for your law firms to reach the vast majority of people who have elected to move away from traditional cable television and stream their content. Videos posted on your website and YouTube can help you introduce your firm and explain how you can help your target client with their problems. Testimonials from satisfied clients help your target audience see how they could benefit from your legal expertise. 

Informational videos help answer frequently asked questions in an approachable and easily understood manner. Popular ones for potential personal injury clients may include: 

  • Who is responsible for accidents involving commercial trucks?  
  • What should I expect in a personal injury case? 
  • How much money is my personal injury case worth? 
  • How do I pay for medical treatment during a personal injury case? 

The Verdict Is In: Radio and Digital + Billboards Is a Winning Personal Injury Marketing Strategy   

Billboards have long been a staple of personal injury firm marketing. While it has proven to be a good way to make a broad audience aware of your name, the most impressive results come when it is part of an omnichannel strategy. Adding multiple touchpoints through different mediums allows you to reach more people in a compelling way by connecting with them where they spend their time. That could be through radio, online video ads, or streaming their favorite content. 

Having an integrated personal injury marketing strategy is the key to setting your firm apart from your competitors. It is not only vital for name recognition but to present yourself as the preeminent expert on personal injury cases. Giving your audience various ways to learn more about your specialty law services puts you top of mind when they need help. By working with a media partner experienced in personal injury firm marketing, you can expand your reach, brand recognition, and reputation.