5 Tricks for More Engaging Instagram Video Ads for Law Firms

Video ads on Instagram are a fun and interactive way for law firms to capture their audience’s attention and get them to perform an action. Law firms can serve video ads to their target audience in two ways: within the main feed or in the Story feed. If Instagram video ads are already part of your strategy, consider implementing one of the following tactics to enhance your efforts to achieve better results.

Stick to one goal with your Instagram video ads

Trying to accomplish more than one goal won’t lead to a higher return on investment (ROI) – and in fact, it can actually hurt your results. With too many choices, viewers end up not making any decision at all. To maximize your efforts, choose one goal for each ad. Whether you want to generate leads, focus on driving traffic to certain pages, or improve your brand image, you want to get people to take action toward only that goal. Instagram lets you add a call-to-action (CTA) but you can only add one link. You might consider creating a specific landing page for your ad if you haven’t done so already.

Consider feed consumption when creating ads

It’s essential to understand the way that the Instagram feed works and how to optimize video ads accordingly. For one thing, even though the ads can be up to 120 seconds doesn’t mean they should be. In fact, according to HubSpot research, videos that are 26 seconds long drive the most engagement on Instagram. Here are a few other tips around how to structure the video itself: 

• Make sure your message is conveyed in the first few seconds. Think about your audience’s pain points and your solution, and make sure that information is prevalent right away in your video. Move on to generating interest and desire by elaborating on those points. 
• Use concise wording for the script and overlay text. Don’t try to come across as sophisticated – just relay your message in the simplest terms possible. Forget legal jargon. Remember that on social the main goal is to capture and keep attention, and speaking clearly is more likely to get viewers to stick around.
• Create ads that don’t appear “ad-like”. People don’t scroll through social media to see ads, and many people don’t like the feeling of being sold to. Avoid sounding overly promotional in your ads. Try sharing tips or making content educational. For example, create a brief tutorial video ending in a CTA to download a more extensive white paper. 

Remember that Instagram is chiefly a mobile platform

The majority of people browsing Instagram are doing so on a device. That means whatever you post on Instagram should be optimized for mobile. To ensure that your videos are, publish on a test page organically and test on mobile devices. It’s also important to ensure that any landing pages your ads link to are mobile-friendly as well. 

Test several versions of your ads

Testing is always a savvy thing to do. That’s because no matter how well-crafted your law firm’s Instagram video ad is, there’s likely room for improvement. Before you go live, test all of the elements. Then, set a low budget with the initial goal of breaking even, and A/B test a few versions at that budget. Test things like video length, dimensions, colors, text, CTA etc. As a winner emerges, pause the other versions and ramp up your budget on the better performer. 

Engage with commenters

If you create compelling and interesting Instagram video ads, you’re likely to get comments. Make sure to regularly review and then respond to them. This will not only answer questions, but it shows that you’re responsive which is good for your brand perception. Remember, it’s called ‘social’ media for a reason!

Takeaway

There are over 1 billion people accessing Instagram each month! The platform continues to grow quickly and year over year, we see more and more law firms leverage the social media channel to engage their target audiences (2019 Social Law Firm Index). Whether your law firm has launched a video ad campaign, or is thinking about testing one out, follow the tips above to wow your audiences. By implementing these best practices, you’ll undoubtedly see better results and heightened engagement with your ads.

If you’re looking for more tips to manage your Instagram strategy from paid to organic, contact us for help today.