For years, accounting firms have treated marketing budgets as a line-item percentage, often hovering between 2% and 3% of firm revenue. But recent trends reveal a smarter shift underway. High-growth firms are spending differently, not necessarily more.
The most successful accounting firms are evolving their marketing strategies, a shift that can be seen in the last three Association for Accounting Marketing's biannual budget benchmark studies. As a result, strategic reallocation, organizational structure and market focus are driving better outcomes without bloated budgets.
Spend shrinks, but efficiency climbs
In 2021, firms averaged 3.0% of revenue on marketing, including compensation. That dropped to 2.5% by 2023, and further to 1.68% in 2025. Despite this downward trend, high-growth firms continue to outperform their peers. In 2025, high-growth firms achieved an average annual growth rate of 38.4% — a staggering seven times higher than their low-growth counterparts.
Interestingly, high-growth firms in 2025 allocated 2.5% of their revenue to marketing (including compensation), which is nearly double that of firms with average growth. This shows that while the industry at large is tightening budgets, the firms that are growing fast are still placing strategic weight behind marketing.
High-growth firms have consistently reallocated their spend toward tactics that build connection, visibility and conversion. Here's what that looks like over time:
- Regional and local marketing. In 2021, budget control was largely centralized. By 2023, things began to decentralize, and by 2025, high-growth firms were allocating 57% more budget to regional/local efforts than their peers. This shift allows messaging and engagement to align closely with local market dynamics, something broad national or regional campaigns can't replicate.
- Conferences and events. In 2021, virtual events and webinars surged due to pandemic constraints. But by 2023, there was a return to hybrid models. In 2025, high-growth firms led a full revival of in-person events, allocating 21% more budget here than low-growth firms. Notably, these events also include client appreciation and relationship-building, likely tied to an increased focus on the client experience as a way to drive loyalty and referrals.
- Video content. Digital maturity has increased every year, but the 2025 study shows a sharp pivot toward video. Nearly 64% of high-growth firms plan to increase video production budgets. Why? Video outperforms static content in explaining complex services, humanizing firms and driving engagement across platforms.
- Employer branding. One of the most telling shifts is in recruitment marketing. In 2021, this was a footnote. By 2023, it became a secondary focus. In 2025, it's a top priority. High-growth firms plan to spend even more on employer branding and recruiting next year, reflecting the fierce talent market.
Smart firms should use these insights to pressure-test their own budgets. Don't just compare your percentages, compare priorities. Are your dollars going to where growth is happening? Be sure to align spending to growth potential.
What high-growth accounting firms don't do
Just as revealing as where money flows is where it doesn't. Looking back to 2021, firms leaned heavily on traditional advertising, centralized branding, and combined business development and marketing teams. These approaches have steadily lost favor:
- Traditional advertising. Once a staple, traditional advertising is now a budget relic. Across the past five years, spending in this area has steadily declined. In 2025, it is the smallest slice of the budget for most high-growth firms.
- Blended biz dev/marketing teams. In 2021, many firms had combined marketing and business development roles. But by 2023, top-performing firms began separating the functions. By 2025, 62.5% of high-growth firms had distinct, cross-functional biz dev and marketing teams. This structure allows each to develop deep expertise and focus.
These shifts become areas for strategic eliminations. Where are you still spending out of habit, not impact? You want to intentionally subtract. That discipline is part of what sets high-growth firms apart.
The organizational structure supports strategy
Budget allocation is only half the story. High-growth firms are also reorganizing their teams to better execute on a go-to-market strategy. One key trend is the ratio of marketers to total employees.
In 2025, high-growth firms maintain approximately one marketer per 49 full-time equivalents, compared to one per 57 at low-growth firms. This seemingly small difference has an outsized impact. More marketing capacity means better campaign execution as they can better support revenue-generating initiatives.
High-growth firms also support more practice areas with their marketing teams. The 2025 study shows that most high-growth firms support between five and eight industry-specific practice areas. This segmentation allows for targeted messaging, deeper expertise and clearer differentiation.
Lessons in smarter spending
So, what should firms take away from this data?
- Reallocate, don't inflate. Instead of focusing on growing the budget, make your goal the strategic distribution of spending. High-growth firms are putting dollars where they convert, including events, video, regional activation and employer branding.
- Segment for relevance. Broad campaigns are losing steam. Build support around verticals, regions and services with differentiated value propositions.
- Fund relationship acceleration. Business development and marketing alignment is key, but separation is powerful. Each function should have its own focus, team, budget and metrics.
- Use events to close, not just show up. Events that deepen client relationships or drive targeted introductions are expected to see an increase in budget dollars compared to broad conferences.
- Bet on video and brand. High-growth firms are planning to increase video production as they tell better stories with richer media and human-focused branding.
Ultimately, smarter spending means being ruthlessly clear about what marketing is meant to do and funding it accordingly. Every line item should defend its place in the strategy. If it doesn't, it's time to reallocate or remove.
Spend with intention, not assumption
Growth doesn't come from adding dollars. It comes from rethinking how marketing supports the business. Firms that are growing fastest are better aligning dollars to results. Every tactic used maps to a strategic goal. Every dollar supports a revenue lever: nurture, convert, recruit or retain.
Marketing is about clarity. The firms pulling ahead are those that treat every dollar as a strategic decision, not a sunk cost. Choose with intention. Spend with precision. Grow with alignment.
