For many CPAs who take on leadership roles in growing their practice areas or firms, managing marketing can be an intimidating challenge. While these professionals excel in their craft, marketing often feels like a different world—one driven by creativity, psychology, and long-term brand-building rather than the data-driven, structured mindset of accounting. The good news is that with a strategic approach, CPAs can confidently oversee marketing efforts, make informed decisions, and drive measurable growth.
Why Marketing is Challenging for Non-Marketers
- Lack of Formal Training — Most CPAs haven’t been trained in marketing fundamentals, making it difficult to assess performance, evaluate investments, or provide strategic direction.
- The Complexity of Marketing — Marketing is vast, covering everything from branding and messaging to digital advertising, SEO, and content marketing. Without a clear framework, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.
- Creative vs. Analytical Thinking — While accounting is highly structured and rules-based, marketing requires a blend of creative storytelling and analytical measurement. This left-brain/right-brain dynamic can create discomfort for those unfamiliar with marketing’s nuances.
This article aims to provide a structured way for CPAs to confidently lead marketing efforts by focusing on strategic clarity, buyer insights, sales alignment, and measurable KPIs.
Step 1: Get Clear on Your Growth Goals
Before investing in marketing, define what growth looks like for your firm or practice area. Work with your marketing team to analyze:
- Existing client data — Where do your best clients come from? What industries, services, or engagements are most profitable?
- Market trends — What areas are growing in demand? Where are competitors investing?
- Attainable growth — What level of revenue growth is realistic over one to three years?
A good marketer will help analyze these factors and create a plan that aligns marketing investments with tangible growth opportunities.
Step 2: Leverage Marketing to Understand Buyer Behavior
One of the most valuable roles marketing can play is uncovering how potential clients make decisions. Work with marketing to:
- Interview existing clients — Ask what triggered their search for a CPA firm, what criteria they used to evaluate options, and what ultimately led them to choose your firm.
- Analyze the buyer journey — Understand the steps prospects take before hiring a CPA, including online research, referrals, or specific pain points they need to solve.
- Use these insights to shape messaging — Translate what you learn into a brand platform that includes:
- Firm positioning — How your firm differentiates itself.
- Ideal client profile — The characteristics of the clients you want to attract.
- Primary client needs — The specific problems your target audience is looking to solve.
- Three uniques & value proposition — A clear articulation of what makes your firm the right choice.
With a well-defined brand platform, marketing can create messaging and campaigns that directly connect with how buyers think and what they value.
Step 3: Align Marketing with Sales
One of the biggest gaps in professional services marketing is the disconnect between marketing and sales. Unlike other industries where dedicated sales teams handle lead conversion, many CPA firms rely on partners and senior professionals to generate business.
To ensure marketing supports sales efforts effectively:
- Clarify the sales process — Define the typical steps from lead generation to closing a client.
- Use marketing to accelerate the funnel — Marketing should not only attract leads but also help close them faster through:
- High-quality proposals
- Thought leadership content that builds credibility
- Case studies and testimonials to reinforce trust
- Sales enablement materials to address common objections
By ensuring marketing efforts align with how the firm wins business, you can maximize marketing’s impact on revenue.
Step 4: Establish KPIs That Matter
To manage marketing effectively, focus on measurable performance indicators directly influencing revenue. Key metrics should include:
- Website traffic growth — Track organic traffic month-over-month and year-over-year.
- Lead conversions — Monitor contact form submissions and inbound inquiries.
- Lead quality and conversion rates — Assess how many marketing-generated leads become clients.
- Proposal win rates — Evaluate the percentage of proposals that result in new engagements.
- Marketing’s contribution to revenue — Measure the percentage of new business that originates from marketing efforts.
Having clear KPIs ensures that marketing efforts are accountable and aligned with business objectives. If marketing isn’t producing measurable results, it’s easier to diagnose and refine strategies.
Final Thoughts
For CPAs stepping into leadership roles with marketing responsibilities, success comes down to strategic clarity, buyer insights, sales alignment, and measurable accountability. Rather than feeling overwhelmed, use marketing as a tool to:
- Define clear growth objectives.
- Understand and attract ideal clients.
- Support and enable sales efforts.
- Measure success with meaningful KPIs.
By approaching marketing with a structured, data-driven mindset—just like you would with financial management—you can lead marketing efforts with confidence and turn it into a powerful driver of firm growth.