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5-Step Guide to Creating Mass Tort Marketing Campaigns

Written by

Michael Shligersky

PPC Specialist

June 4, 2025

Finding qualified plaintiffs starts with strategic, well-executed marketing campaigns.

While many firms opt to outsource this function to third-party vendors, an increasing number are exploring how to manage plaintiff acquisition in-house.

This 5-step guide outlines a practical framework for building high-impact mass tort marketing campaigns, tailored specifically for plaintiffs’ attorneys. Unlike class-action class members who are represented automatically once a class is certified, mass-tort plaintiffs must be signed one-by-one. This means that your marketing has to operate at scale to reach and retain thousands of individuals.

1. Create High Impact Ads

An effective campaign does two things: it makes potential plaintiffs aware of your case and prompts them to take the next step toward signing on to your case. To do that, every part of the marketing process , from ads to landing pages to intake, must be aligned and cohesive.

Here are 6 tips to help you create effective ads:

Start With a Hook

Your ad is the entry point to your campaign. It should “stop the scroll,” meaning it needs to be bold, eye-catching, and compelling enough to make someone pause as they’re quickly scrolling online. Whether it’s through a striking visual, a surprising headline, or a provocative question, the goal is to interrupt the user’s routine, grab their attention in the first second, and make them curious enough to engage.

Copy that reflects a plaintiff’s actual experience tends to perform better than legal or medical jargon. Avoid overly technical or abstract phrasing that may confuse or alienate the reader.

The goal is to clearly connect a real-world experience to the legal action using straightforward, accessible language.

Here are a few examples:

“Do you live near the Bayfield chemical site?”
“Were you exposed to contaminated water without knowing it?”
“Is your 401(k) losing value because of poor investment choices?”

Use Geo-Specific Copy When Applicable

Mention affected locations directly in your ad text when the case involves environmental exposure or jurisdiction-specific claims.

Example: "Live near the East Springfield train derailment site? You may qualify for legal action."

Avoid Language That Overpromises

Stick to compliant, non-committal phrasing. Instead of writing “You will receive compensation,” write:

“You may be entitled to compensation,” or “You may be eligible to join a lawsuit.”

Keep the Call-to-Action (CTA) Direct and Actionable

A call to action on a mass tort ad or landing page is a clear prompt, like “See If You Qualify” or “Get a Free Case Review” that encourages potential plaintiffs to take the next step toward joining a lawsuit.

Be sure to use clear and direct CTAs in your copy.

A/B Test Ad Elements to See Which Perform Best

A/B testing involves running two versions of an ad with a single key difference, such as the headline, image, or call to action, to determine which performs better. Use this strategy to compare elements like headline variations, image versus video formats, long versus short copy, and emotional versus clinical tones to find what resonates most with your audience.

Each version is shown to a different segment of your audience, and the results help you understand what’s working and what needs improvement.

Some advertising platforms, such as Meta’s Ads Manager, offer built-in A/B testing tools to run these comparisons.

It’s important to note: More than half of website traffic comes from mobile devices, so keep in mind that most users will be completing this process from their phones. Therefore, it’s important to optimize both ads and landing pages for mobile devices by:

Ensuring fast load times by compressing images and minimizing code.
Using large, readable fonts and strong color contrast for easy reading on small screens.
Making buttons large, centered, and easy to tap with clear, action-oriented text.
Leveraging visual hierarchy, like bold colors, spacing, and size, to guide users through pages.
Testing ads and landing pages across multiple devices and browsers to catch design issues early.

Include Required Disclaimers

Every mass tort ad and landing page must comply with legal advertising laws as outlined in the American Bar Association's rules 7.1-7.4. This means you'll need to include the necessary disclaimers on your ad and landing page copy. And depending on the subject matter and jurisdiction you're targeting, you may be required to include more specific disclaimers, as well.

For example:

FDA/FTC compliance for drug and device cases may require language such as, "Do not stop taking prescribed medication without consulting your doctor."
State bar disclaimers often mandate phrases like, "Attorney Advertising" or "No attorney client relationship is created unless and until a retainer is signed."
TCPA consent language should be included if you plan to contact leads via phone or text. A standard line might be, "By submitting this form, you consent to receive calls or messages from our firm, even if your number is on a Do Not Call list."

Disclaimers should be clearly visible and placed in a manner consistent with platform guidelines. Including them up front not only protects your firm but also ensures clarity for prospective plaintiffs.

For firms targeting plaintiffs in specific jurisdictions, always check local bar rules.

2) Use Ad Targeting To Attract Qualified Leads

Digital advertising platforms offer incredibly precise targeting options, allowing you to reach the right potential claimants with tailored messaging.

Start by selecting the advertising platform(s) that best match your audience. Meta, which includes Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, is often the most common for legal advertising because it offers detailed geographic, behavioral, and interest-based targeting.

Depending on your case type and target audience, other platforms to consider include:

Google Search Ads (Pay-Per-Click (PPC)): This form of advertising allows you to pay for your law firm’s ad to appear at the top of Google search results when someone types in a relevant phrase, such as “lawsuit for chemical exposure.” You only pay when someone clicks on your ad, making it a targeted way to reach potential plaintiffs who are actively searching for legal help.
TikTok: TikTok ads can perform well, but the company’s April 2025 policy bars personalized ads (including legal services) to users under 18 and closely scrutinizes ad copy that could appeal to teens.
Reddit: Reddit is useful for engaging with niche communities built around shared experiences. You can target specific subreddits that relate directly to the legal issue involved.
X (formerly Twitter): X can complement your ad mix, particularly for organic updates and remarketing. But its paid legal-services inventory is limited, and overall ad spend on the platform remains below pre-2022 levels, according to eMarketer. Treat it as a supplementary, not primary, source of qualified plaintiffs.

Choose the platforms that align best with your audience’s habits and demographics. Then, refine your targeting based on the specifics of your case:

Location: Target people in affected areas, such as those living near a toxic exposure site, within certain zip codes, or in states where litigation is active.
Demographics: Use filters such as age, gender, income, or parental status when they are relevant to your case profile. For example, baby formula cases or pension disputes may benefit from this kind of filtering.
Interests and behaviors: Reach users based on their online activity, such as visiting certain websites, engaging with relevant content, or searching for health-related information.
Custom audiences: Upload lists of users who have interacted with past campaigns or build lookalike audiences to reach people with similar characteristics.

3) Build Easy-to-Navigate Landing Pages

Once a potential plaintiff clicks your ad, they should be directed to a landing page with an intake form. A well-optimized landing page includes more detail about the case, your firm, and makes it easy for users to take action. Landing pages must be clear, fast, and intuitive. If you’re building these pages yourself, consider using platforms like Instapage or Unbounce, or consult with a designer to create a reusable landing page template.

Here are some tips to create the most effective landing pages:

Use concise language and include only visuals that reinforce the message. Avoid clutter or distracting elements that dilute focus.
Establish trust early by including credibility signals such as law firm logos, attorney photos, client testimonials, security badges, and a short privacy statement (ex. “Your information is 100% confidential”).
Add a clear, emotionally resonant headline that speaks directly to the user's experience (ex. “You May Be Entitled to Compensation for [Condition]. Check Your Eligibility Now”).
Keep the intake form short and targeted, focusing on core eligibility questions like age, location, diagnosis, and product or exposure history. Organize form questions in a logical, step-by-step flow, use plain, accessible language, and avoid legal jargon.
Ensure the Submit button is prominent, clearly labeled with a CTA, and placed where it’s easy to find without scrolling.
Design for mobile first. Just like ads, your landing pages need to perform just as well on mobile devices as they do on desktop. Test your page on different devices to ensure quick load times and a smooth user experience.
Create urgency but avoid pressure tactics. Phrases like “Claims are time-sensitive” or “Limited time to file” can encourage action without being exploitative.

4) Streamline Your Intake Process

Once leads start coming in, your intake system must be ready to process them. The goal is to determine eligibility, establish contact quickly, and move qualified leads toward signed retainers while maintaining a strong, respectful user experience.

Depending on your firm’s size, you may have a single intake specialist or a dedicated intake team. For higher-volume mass tort campaigns, a team is typically necessary. Intake professionals are often the first point of real human contact for a potential plaintiff, so their role is important for both client experience and case success.

Here’s how a strong intake workflow might look:

Leads are funneled into a CRM or case management platform, such as Salesforce, where form data is automatically captured and organized. You can also store documentation, such as medical records, proof of product use, exposure timelines, or insurance information, in your CRM.
Each lead is tagged, scored, or routed based on key qualifying factors like injury, location, date of exposure, or product use. This triage step allows the team to prioritize high-value leads and filter out those who don’t meet criteria.
An intake specialist then reviews the lead and follows up via phone, email, or text. These follow-ups are essential not just for verifying facts, but for building trust and answering questions that may arise. Personal contact increases the likelihood of conversion and sets the tone for a professional attorney-client relationship.
If the lead is deemed eligible, a retainer agreement is sent via an e-signature tool like DocuSign or HelloSign. Once the document is signed, the lead becomes a client and is handed off to the legal team for case development.

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Pro Tip: When you're reaching out to potential plaintiffs after they’ve submitted an intake form, it helps to start with a script or template. This keeps your messaging consistent, especially when you're handling multiple campaigns or case types. But it's just as important to be ready to set the script aside.

The people you're contacting have likely gone through something difficult. Make sure your team knows how to listen, speak clearly, and offer real empathy. A little compassion can make a big difference in qualifying stronger plaintiffs and setting the stage for a smoother litigation process.

5) Monitor Campaign Performance and Analyze Results

Targeting is not something you can set once and ignore.

As your campaign runs, you will need to monitor performance and adjust campaigns as needed. This may involve excluding low-performing demographics, narrowing your location radius, or shifting your budget to the platforms that generate more qualified leads.

But don’t stop at ad campaign metrics alone. To truly optimize for success, make it a habit to regularly review every part of your funnel, from ad creative and landing page experience to intake follow-ups and qualification processes. A breakdown at any point in the journey can result in wasted ad spend or lost plaintiffs.

Analyze where users drop off, which intake scripts lead to better conversions, and whether your signed plaintiffs are meeting case criteria. The more visibility you have into each step, the more effectively you can refine your strategy.

Meta Ads Manager, for example, allows you to track how different audience segments respond to various ad creatives. Paired with Google Analytics, you can go a step further by understanding what happens after someone clicks, like how long they stay on your site, whether they complete the intake form, and where drop-offs occur.

Key metrics to track include:

Cost Per Signed Retainer (CPSR): This is the most important metric for legal campaigns. It indicates the dollars you spend, on average, for every prospect who actually executes your retainer agreement. CPSR rolls all media and intake costs into a single figure that measures full-funnel efficiency. Because revenue is realized only when a plaintiff is formally retained, CPSR is the clearest, non-negotiable yardstick for judging a mass-tort campaign’s success.
Cost Per Lead (CPL): This is the average amount of advertising spend it takes to get one person to complete your intake form. A lower CPL is only a good result if those leads actually meet your case criteria. Inexpensive but unqualified leads waste your budget just as much as expensive ones. Always evaluate CPL in the context of your case economics. If your average cost per lead rises above the point where the campaign is financially viable, it’s time to adjust.

For example, if your goal is to secure 10,000 signed retainers on a $200,000 budget, you would need a CPSR of $20. That figure is well below current market norms, where CPSR typically ranges from $350 to over $2,500 depending on the docket. A realistic planning model distinguishes between cost per lead CPL, which measures raw leads, and CPSR, which reflects converted clients. It also accounts for typical close rates, which often fall between 5% and 15%.
CTR (Click-Through Rate): This measures the percentage of people who saw your ad and clicked on it. A low CTR may indicate that the creative or targeting needs work. A high CTR suggests that your ad is relevant and engaging.
CVR (Conversion Rate): This shows the percentage of users who completed the desired action after clicking on your ad, such as submitting a form. If your CVR is low, your landing page or form may be the issue, even if your ad is performing well.
Bounce Rate: This measures the percentage of users who clicked your ad but left the landing page quickly without taking any action. A high bounce rate may indicate that your page takes too long to load, is poorly designed, or does not match the message of your ad.
Lead Quality Score (Manual or Automated): This is a rating of how closely a lead matches your case criteria, such as jurisdiction, exposure, or timeline. It helps you evaluate whether you are attracting the right people.

Secure Qualified Mass Tort Plaintiffs With Darrow

You need strong plaintiffs to move a case forward.

While many firms choose to build and manage their own mass tort marketing, doing it well takes time, expertise, and constant optimization. Others turn to third-party vendors, only to end up juggling compliance risks, unvetted leads, or unclear ROI.

If you’re looking for a more strategic, hands-on partner, Darrow can do the heavy lifting for you.

Darrow's Plaintiff Services team offers plaintiff attorneys a streamlined, expert-led solution for identifying, qualifying, and onboarding high-quality plaintiffs in mass tort and complex litigation. Designed for plaintiff-side firms looking to accelerate case development without sacrificing precision or compliance, Plaintiff Services delivers credible, motivated individuals who align with your legal theory and litigation goals.

Whether your matter was sourced by Darrow or originated internally, our team works alongside yours to define ideal plaintiff profiles, craft strategic messaging, and launch outreach campaigns. Every lead is evaluated for eligibility, credibility, and readiness to serve as a representative.

The result: only vetted, case-aligned plaintiffs are introduced to your firm, complete with supporting documentation, legal context, and real-time visibility inside Darrow’s PlaintiffLink Hub.

Unlike traditional fee-based lead generation, Darrow’s model is outcome-driven. Our incentives are tied to your success, not click-through rates. We combine the power of AI-driven insights, class modeling, and legal expertise to ensure every step of the process, including outreach, intake, qualification, and retention, is handled with care and precision.

From the moment a case moves forward, our Plaintiff Services team offers full-service support: launching customized campaigns, managing intake directly through our secure Portal, and staying actively involved until retention is complete. You’ll never be left managing compliance, coordination, or communication on your own.

Contact Darrow to learn more.

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