You’re an accountant. You’ve got numbers coming out of your ears, your clients are waiting for their tax returns, and marketing feels like the last thing on your mind, right? I get it. The hard truth is marketing your firm is not optional anymore. It’s imperative if you want to grow your monthly services client base and keep your pipeline full of ideal clients.
But how much should you really spend? I mean, there’s no “one-size-fits-all” answer here, right? Well, let’s break it down.
The Small Business Association (SBA) suggests that small businesses should spend 8 -10% of their revenue on marketing. Sounds simple enough, right? But, if you’re aiming for hyper-growth or trying to scale your firm to the next level, you might need to increase that. Think more like 15-20%.
If you’re just relying on word-of-mouth or clients who come to you because they have to file taxes, you're leaving opportunities on the table. Clients don’t see you as an investment, they see you as a necessary expense. You’re that thing they pay for once a year and then forget about. But here’s the deal: if you want to build a firm that scales (and I mean, scales with clients who see your value) you need to market yourself.
Think about it - how are you different from every other accountant out there? You’re not if you’re just offering the same services everyone else does. But you are if you position yourself as a trusted advisor, offer monthly or quarterly services, and really focus on helping clients increase the value of their businesses and their own wealth. The more proactive you are in marketing your value, the more clients will see you as an investment, not just a bill they have to pay.
Okay, let’s talk percentages. Since the SBA recommends around 8-10% of your revenue to be spent on marketing if you want to grow steadily, let’s break that down:
So, you’re ready to invest in marketing - awesome! But how do you spend it wisely? Here are a few ways that adding in a CRM to your business will give you the most bang for your buck:
Look, you can't just throw spaghetti at the wall and hope it sticks. You need clear, consistent messaging that hits your ideal clients right where it counts. Invest in a messaging playbook, something that defines your unique value and speaks directly to your audience's pain points. To keep that messaging consistent across every channel, you need a central hub - a CRM. It's where you store and deploy your brand's voice, ensuring you're always on message.
You know content is king, right? But churning out blog posts and social media updates shouldn't feel like a full-time job. Create killer content (blog posts, videos, social media gold) that positions you as the expert and builds trust. To make this sustainable, you need to automate. A CRM like Cajabra lets you schedule, publish, and track everything. Automate those social media posts, measure engagement, and free up your time for what really matters.
Let's be real, website visitors are gold. But if you're not capturing them, you're leaving money on the table. Implement systems to grab those leads like AI-powered chat widgets, booking links, lead capture forms that work while you sleep. A CRM automates the whole shebang. Lead capture, qualification, scheduling - it's all done for you. No more missed opportunities, just a steady stream of qualified leads.
Most people aren't ready to buy right away. That's where email marketing comes in. Nurture those leads, build relationships, and guide them down the sales funnel with automated email sequences that deliver real value. To make this work efficiently, you need automation. A CRM automates email segmentation, personalization, and follow-up. Consistent communication means higher conversion rates. It's that simple.
Your online reputation is your lifeline. Proactively manage it - ask for reviews, respond to feedback, and build a stellar reputation. And don't forget your existing clients! Implement a system for regular communication to keep them happy and coming back for more. To stay on top of this, you need a centralized system. A CRM lets you track reviews, automate review requests, and schedule those client check-ins. It's about building loyalty and creating raving fans.
You want people to find you, right? Optimize your website for search engines and run targeted paid ads. But don't just throw money at it - track your ROI and see what's working. To understand your marketing performance, you need a system that tracks it. A CRM lets you track the performance of your SEO and paid ad campaigns. You'll know exactly where your leads are coming from and what's driving results.
The bottom line? Your marketing is an investment, not an expense. And if you’re serious about growing your accounting firm, you need to treat it that way. Whether you're sticking with the 8-10% recommendation for steady growth or going all-in at 15-20% for hyper-growth, the tactic is to be intentional with your spending. It should be invested in a technology system, a CRM, that allows you to automate and streamline your sales and marketing processes.
Marketing is your ticket to getting clients who value you - not just as an accountant, but as a trusted financial partner. At Cajabra, we know that juggling marketing while managing client work can feel like balancing the books with one hand tied behind your back. That’s why we’re here to help. Remember, you can't make money if you don’t make a move.
