Opening an accounting firm is a dream for many accountants. Over 85,600 firms are in the US, marketing their services and trying to make their clients happy. Your firm is up against a lot of reputable, well-educated professionals.

You need a way to stand out from the crowd and differentiate your services from others.

How? That’s a great question. We wanted to know what firms are doing today to grow.

So, we asked four marketing experts: What’s one piece of marketing advice you would provide around growing a firm?

Build a Strong, Trust-Based Brand In today’s experience-driven, digital-first market, building a strong, trust-based brand–fully aligned with client experience (CX) and go-to-market (GTM) strategy–is not optional; it’s a growth imperative.  The most impactful marketing functions operate as structured, repeatable systems that drive revenue by seamlessly integrating with sales and CX.  I’ve seen firsthand how leveraging AI, automation, and data-driven insights transforms marketing into a growth engine, enabling personalization at scale, creating targeted demand generation, and strengthening client relationships.  The key is reinforcing value at every touchpoint and tracking meaningful metrics like pipeline contribution and retention. – Gabe Tevrizian, CPM®, Director of Growth at Councilor, Buchanan, & Mitchell (CBM)

Simplify to Amplify Simplify to amplify. Focus on fewer, high-impact marketing and sales strategies that clearly align with your core values and business objectives.  Instead of chasing every new trend, invest deeply in understanding your ideal clients and the services you provide—then consistently deliver messaging and experiences that resonate with them.  This focused approach naturally attracts clients who genuinely connect with your firm and the employees who serve them, enabling sustainable growth. – Merrick Aurora, Chief Marketing Officer at Lutz

Grow From Within I think the best advice I can give for growing a firm is to grow from within. It really starts with the culture. When your people are happy and feel valued, they’re going to deliver better results—not just for the firm, but for your clients, too. If employees genuinely like their job and the people they work with, they’re more likely to go the extra mile, be more productive, and feel connected to the firm’s mission. And when they personally align with the firm’s values, they become more passionate about the firm’s success. That energy translates directly into a better experience for your clients.

Now, this is where marketing comes in. You can’t expect the outside world—whether it’s potential recruits or clients—to know what your culture is like without marketing it. Marketing is how you showcase the firm’s values and why it’s a great place to work, so you can attract the right talent and, in turn, continue to deliver exceptional service to clients. It also gives clients and referral sources insight into your culture, which is important because they want to feel good about who they’re doing business with.

At the end of the day, accounting is pretty black and white—numbers don’t lie. But people still want to work with people they like and who align with their values. It’s a people business. Sure, one firm might produce better quality work than another, but the real difference comes down to the experience you provide. If you can communicate that positive culture through your marketing, it helps grow both your client base and your team.

And as you grow, you’ll need more people to maintain that level of service, so recruiting becomes just as important as client retention. Marketing plays a huge role in making sure you attract the right kind of people to help maintain that standard. It’s all about creating a culture where people thrive, and that’ll keep clients and employees happy as the firm grows. – Jacqueline Engelsman, Director of Marketing and Business Development at RRBB

Build the Right Foundation Growing a top firm isn’t just about running more campaigns; it’s about building the right foundation. For us, that’s meant aligning marketing with business development and being intentional about how we attract clients. Depending on your resources, leverage both internal and external support to hit your goals. Marketing isn’t just for bringing in new business. It’s a powerful tool for showcasing your firm’s culture and values to potential hires. And lastly, start with what you have, but build toward systems that can scale. Whether it’s your CRM, campaign tracking, or content creation process, take small steps toward a more streamlined and measurable approach. Even without perfect data, you can still make progress—and that’s what drives sustainable growth – Sarah Campbell, Director of Marketing at Squire & Company