Last Updated on August 12, 2026
Most accountancy practices spend 2 to 3 percent of revenue on marketing and call it prudent.
The practices that grow spend 5 to 10 percent, and they grow two to three times faster. That is not a coincidence and it is not a bigger budget buying the same thing. It is a different decision about where clients come from.
Here is what accountancy marketing actually costs in 2026, from our UK accountant marketing cost research.
What practices actually spend
| Practice revenue | At 3% (holding) | At 7% (growing) | At 10% (scaling) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under £150k | £375/mo | £875/mo | £1,250/mo |
| £150k-500k | £375-1,250/mo | £875-2,917/mo | £1,250-4,167/mo |
| £500k-2m | £1,250-5,000/mo | £2,917-11,667/mo | £4,167-16,667/mo |
| £2m+ | £5,000+/mo | £11,667+/mo | £16,667+/mo |
A typical small practice lands at £500-2,500 a month. The column you pick is a strategy decision, not an affordability one.
What each channel actually costs
| Channel | DIY cost | Outsourced cost | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | £0 | £200-500 one-off | Do first |
| Review collection | £0 | £100-200/mo | Do first |
| Referral programme | £50-200 per referral | n/a | Do first |
| Website | £500-1,500 template | £2,000-8,000 custom | Do first |
| Local SEO | £0 | £500-2,000/mo | Build phase |
| Citation building | £0 | £200-500 one-off | Build phase |
| Google Ads | £1,000-3,000/mo | plus management | Build phase |
| Email newsletters | £50-200/mo | n/a | Build phase |
| LinkedIn organic | £0 | £0-500/mo | Build phase |
| Blog content | £0 | £100-400 per post | Build phase |
| Video content | n/a | £500-2,000 per video | Scale phase |
| Networking events | n/a | £50-300 per event | Scale phase |
What a client actually costs to win
| Search term | Cost per click |
|---|---|
| Tax accountant | £6.80 |
| Small business accountant | £5.20 |
| Accountant near me | £4.50 |
| Self-assessment help | £3.80 |
| Bookkeeper near me | £3.10 |
Google Ads produces a lead at £40-120. Organic search produces a client at £150-400 all in. Referrals convert at 30 to 50 percent, the highest of any channel in the profession, and cost £50-200 in incentive.
Set that against a client who stays for years and pays every month. Accountancy has recurring revenue, which means acquisition cost is a one-off against an annuity. Our research put average SEO return at 748 percent over 18 months.
The waste number is the uncomfortable one. Around 30 to 40 percent of accountancy marketing spend goes to channels with no measurable return at all.
Where to start if you have nothing to spend
The £0 starting plan
- Complete your Google Business Profile. Services, specialisms, sectors, real photos of real people.
- Ask every client you have just saved money for to leave a Google review. Ask in January and after year end.
- Build a simple referral ask into your process rather than hoping for it.
- Publish your fee structure, or at least your fee ranges. Buyers filter on price whether you help them or not.
- Answer the five questions clients ask you most, in writing, on your own website.
Referrals are already your best channel. Most practices leave them entirely to chance.
What to stop paying for
- Generic accountancy ads. Bid on the specialism, the sector or the problem. Bidding on accountant puts you against every firm in the county.
- Agencies reporting rankings. Rankings are not clients. Ask for cost per enquiry or change agency.
- Content nobody searches for. Writing about the Budget is not a strategy if nobody is searching for your take on it.
- A slow website. More than 60 percent of accountancy searches happen on mobile.
- Networking with no follow up. £300 a year on breakfasts with no system afterwards is a social habit, not marketing.
The bottom line
Accountancy is a recurring revenue business, so acquisition cost should be judged against years, not months. Most practices judge it against the invoice in front of them and underspend for a decade.
Get referrals on a system, get reviews on a system, then decide which column of the table you are actually in.
Not sure where your money is going?
Run a free check on your business and get specific budget recommendations.
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