The Plaintiffs’ Bar Goes Digital – Increasing Information to Consumers

Online legal marketing by consumer lawyers apparently shocks Big Business. Big Business has funded a study about legal marketing on the Internet that’s actually pretty interesting to read.

Would you believe that law firms which represent consumers will spend over $50 million on Google keyword advertising in 2012? That’s the estimate in a 38-page study, The Plaintiffs’ Bar Goes Digital. The study was just released by the Institute for Legal Reform, a front-group for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Multinational corporations have been waging war on consumers’ legal rights by spending millions lobbying in Washington, D.C. and every state capitol. They also have spent the past twenty years or more funding so-called “tort reform” publicity campaigns with millions spent to limit individuals’ legal rights.

Don’t consumer lawyers have the same right as Big Business to communicate directly to the public?

Both consumer lawyers and legal marketers will find lots of interesting nuggets in the study. The study, which is based on its own “estimates,’ say the biggest law firm spending money on Google keywords is Danziger & De Llan. The Institute suggests that the Danziger firm will spend over $16 million on Google keywords. This easily beats spender number 2, The Sokolove Firm, which will spend a little over $6 million according to Institute estimates.

The Institute’s study doesn’t stop with Google AdWords. It also covers online legal marketing on Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and other social media. The only opinion I seem to share with the Institute is that sponsored websites, Facebook Pages, etc. should disclose their sponsorship by law firms. The current Rules of Professional Responsibility already call for disclosure in all legal marketing, even though those Rules may not always be followed.

The Institute spared no expense in creating the study. There are lots of interesting charts, lists and other graphics. If you’re simply curious about online legal marketing, the study is entertaining, although possibly unreliable in some areas. If you’re involved in online legal marketing for consumer law firms, The Plaintiffs’ Bar Goes Digital is a must-read.

And if you’re a consumer lawyer, or a legal marketer who works on behalf of consumer law firms, I invite you to explore cutting-edge technology that leapfrogs everything discussed in the Institute’s study. We’re building iPad and iPhone apps that let you market directly to consumers on their mobile devices. And we’re launching ethical, high-quality publications for both the Internet and the iPad, iPhone, and eventually Android and Kindle.

Visit the website of Digital Media Advocates, Inc. and/or ConsumerNews.com and then give us a call or fill out a contact form if you want to know more.