Arnold Sotelo is a Peruvian entrepreneur, Founder and CEO of International Media Group (IMG), and a digital expert and negotiator.
In the mass tort space, most conversations are about litigation timelines, medical records or potential compensation. But something much more important happens before any case is reviewed by a law firm: how we’re reaching potential victims.
After more than 15 years in this field, I can say with confidence that advertising is no longer just a marketing tool—it’s the first filter between someone’s pain and the possibility of justice. And right now, that filter is not working the way it should.
From Regulated Media To Unfiltered Digital Reach
Legal ads used to be on TV and radio, with rules, disclaimers and standards. People who responded usually had a basic understanding of what to expect.
Now, everything is online. Campaigns run across Facebook, Google, YouTube and even TikTok. Anyone with a small budget can reach thousands of people instantly. But many ads out there use emotional messaging, mention compensation without context, or even quote dollar amounts as if outcomes are guaranteed.
Yes, those ads generate traffic, but they can also cause serious problems. I’ve witnessed intake centers get flooded with people who were misled, didn’t qualify, or expected something no lawyer can deliver. That leads to wasted time, overworked staff and people who feel disappointed before they even speak to a law firm.
The Fraud Nobody Wants To Talk About
There’s another side to this that I believe doesn’t get discussed enough: Bad advertising also attracts people who want to take advantage of the system. In the past few years, there’s been a rise in people submitting false claims. And I believe a lot of them were pushed to do it by marketers who promised they would get paid just for signing up.
Not all of them are scammers in the traditional sense. Many are just trying to make money in a difficult situation and were convinced that saying “I had this condition” is enough to get a payout. But it doesn’t work that way. Instead of receiving money, they help clog the system with claims that go nowhere and make it harder to find real victims. This creates a cycle: Bad ads attract bad leads, real victims get lost, law firms waste resources trying to sort through it all, and trust in the system drops.
What I’ve Learned After Years In The Industry
I’ve worked with law firms, led ad campaigns, tested messaging, trained intake teams and tracked how leads turn into cases or don’t. What I’ve learned is that when you focus on clarity and honesty in the ad, the entire process works better. You don’t always get more volume, but you do typically get better quality. When someone understands the case type before they even call, intake is much more likely to go smoothly and waste less time.
That’s hard to do in today’s market. Attention is short. Platforms reward drama and hype. But if we don’t fix the way we advertise, we’re just adding noise to a system already under pressure.
How We Can All Get Involved In Fixing This
In my experience, firms and marketers generally want the same thing: good cases that lead to good outcomes for people who really need help. Law firms can’t expect marketing partners to carry the full load; they need to define what standards they want and help enforce them. In the same vein, marketing agencies should be aware of what their messages mean to the person on the other side. Strong intake screening, tools to detect fraud, and internal processes that focus on quality leads can allow firms and agencies to take responsibility for what they can control.
Even when everything is done right, there’s still something you can’t stop: Some people will lie on the phone. One way to counter this is by training employees in your intake centers to ask the right questions, notice patterns and flag issues early rather than relying primarily on scripts. You can also use technology to verify cases and share feedback, then use that information to refine your ad strategy and reduce future noise.
Better Ads. Better Outcomes. Real Trust.
This industry doesn’t need more advertising—it needs better advertising. If the first thing someone sees is misleading, we’ve already lost their trust. Let’s stop chasing short-term wins and focus instead on building long-term credibility. That means no more false promises. No more vague claims. Just honest information about what people can expect and what they can’t.
Legal advertising in the mass tort space shouldn’t be about clicks but rather about guiding someone through one of the most serious decisions they may ever make. That responsibility starts with the first word they read or hear—and that first message should be the truth.
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