Podcast Summary: The Law Firm Marketing Minute

Episode: “Why Your Facebook Ads Aren’t Working”
Host: Spotlight Marketing + Branding
Date: December 22, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Spotlight Marketing + Branding tackles a common frustration for law firm owners: underperforming Facebook ads. The host explains the crucial role of targeted audience selection in Facebook advertising and provides actionable strategies—for example, utilizing your firm’s existing email list—to boost ad performance and return on investment.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Leveraging Your Existing Email List for Facebook Ads

• Custom Audiences:
  The host emphasizes the importance of using your firm’s current email list in your Facebook ad strategies.

  • “If you have an email list, you should load that email list or you should work with us and we'll do it for you. Load this email list into your Facebook business manager and we can then build a target audience based on that audience.” (00:00)

• Two Strategic Uses:

  • Lookalike Audiences:
    Facebook can find new people similar to your best clients.
    • “We can create what's called a lookalike audience, which is basically when you tell Facebook, here are 300 past clients, now go find me 500 more people who look like these people.” (00:13)
  • List-Based Audiences:
    Target ads directly at people already on your email list.
    • “And you can build what's called a list based audience where you're literally targeting the folks on that email list. Okay. Two really good ways to target...” (00:26)

2. Retargeting and the Facebook Pixel

• Retargeting Website Visitors:
  The host describes the use of the Facebook Pixel—a tracking tool to re-engage users who have already visited your website.

  • “The fourth piece is retargeting, right? So we use what's called a Facebook pixel. We put it on your website and that means when someone visits your website, we can then follow them around every time they log into Facebook and Instagram and continually put your ads in front of them. Right. Really powerful.” (00:34)

• Why This Matters:
  This repeated exposure increases the chances of converting website visitors into clients.

3. The Core Challenge: Audience Targeting

• First Critical Question:
  Whenever Facebook ads “aren’t working,” the first thing to scrutinize is who is seeing your ads.

  • “The whole key here is we want to get your ads in front of the right people. If you have tried Facebook ads in the past, if they haven't worked for you, that's going to be my first question is what did your audience?” (00:50)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If you have an email list, you should load that email list...we can then build a target audience based on that audience.” — Host (00:00)
• “Here are 300 past clients, now go find me 500 more people who look like these people.” — Host (00:13)
• “We use what's called a Facebook pixel...we can then follow them around every time they log into Facebook and Instagram and continually put your ads in front of them.” — Host (00:34)
• “That's going to be my first question is what did your audience?” — Host (00:50)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:00–00:13: Introduction to email list targeting and building custom/lookalike audiences
• 00:13–00:34: Explanation of lookalike vs. list-based audiences
• 00:34–00:50: Retargeting fundamentals with the Facebook Pixel
• 00:50–01:11: Core advice—focus first on your audience if ads are failing

Tone & Style

The host’s approach is direct, practical, and focused on quick wins for law firm owners. The language is accessible—ideal for lawyers without deep marketing expertise. Throughout, the advice centers on actionable steps and demystifies technical strategies.

Bottom Line:
If your Facebook ads aren’t delivering, the episode encourages you to scrutinize your audience selection first—leverage your existing client data, use Facebook’s tools to build audiences wisely, and retarget visitors for better results.