Wondering how to get clients as a bookkeeper? Or how to go from square one with initial marketing to establishing a strong base of satisfied clients? Here’s an easy-to-follow lead generation strategy that gives you step-by-step tips on how to build your firm from the ground up.

How to Get Leads for a Bookkeeping Business

Consistently generating quality bookkeeping leads requires a strategic mix of industry research, networking, and marketing to attract new clients. Ideally, lead generation will involve tapping into existing resources while experimenting with proven marketing techniques to build your client base. With that said, here are seven bookkeeping lead generation strategies you can follow to drive qualified leads to your accounting firm.

1. Start with People You Know

The first phases of launching a bookkeeping business are often the most difficult. At this point, you have minimal credibility and momentum, and you’re simply looking to get the ball rolling with your marketing and lead generation. Often the best way to gain initial traction is to leverage your current network of people you know, such as family, friends, and old classmates and colleagues. Because you have built-in rapport, many of these people will be willing to take a chance on you when a stranger may not. And because many people need help with their finances, you may be surprised at how receptive they will be to any bookkeeping services. Typically, the best way to go about this is with systematic outreach where you let people you’re still in contact with know that you’ve started an accounting business and that you’d love for them to become your bookkeeping client. For those who you’ve lost touch with, spend some time reconnecting with them to rebuild some chemistry, and let them know that you’re searching for bookkeeping clients. If all goes well, this can help you generate your very first accounting leads, with a decent percentage converting.

2. Pick an In-Demand Niche

Being a generalist bookkeeper where you work with clients across a variety of industries increases the size of your potential client pool. However, this makes it harder to stand out, which can make it trickier to generate quality leads and grow your bookkeeping business. That’s why it often makes more sense to “niche down” with lead generation and place your focus on in-demand bookkeeping niches in the accounting industry. While you won’t likely have the same volume of potential clients, this can be beneficial for four main reasons.

1. There’s less competition
2. It’s easier to market your accounting services to prospects
3. It’s easier to build trust with a business owner
4. You can often earn higher rates because of your expertise

The key is to carefully research different industries and narrow it down to one or two that have high demand and that you’re knowledgeable and passionate about. According to 2024 research, some of the most profitable industries were:

• Real estate
• Healthcare
• Construction
• E-commerce
• Restaurant and hospitality
• Non-profits

It’s important to perform your own research in this stage of lead generation, but these industries should serve as good starting points.

3. Ask for and Get Referrals

No matter how advanced your marketing efforts are, word-of-mouth referrals continue to be one of the best ways to generate high quality leads. For perspective, of accounting firms surveyed, 80.9% said referrals were their main source of client leads.

Further, “leads generated from referrals boast a conversion rate 30% higher than those from other marketing avenues.” This means you’ll want to make it a habit of asking for and getting referrals from your existing clients, as it can be a major contributing factor to the growth of your bookkeeping business. But what’s the best way to go about getting client referrals? First, focus on consistently offering excellent client service that goes above meeting expectations. That’s a precursor. To get your first batch of client referrals, it’s usually best to reach out to your most satisfied clients. Ask for referrals at strategic times, such as after a client is delighted with your service or after a project has been successfully completed. Timing is critical for 1) getting referrals and 2) ensuring bookkeeping clients speak highly of you. Also, it’s important to make the referral process as simple as possible. For example, you would want to give clients a straightforward online form with only a handful of questions rather than a long-winded form that takes 10+ minutes to complete.

4. Publish Advice on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn

When it comes to accounting marketing channels, social media is one of the most tried and true. Bookkeepers who use social media see an average ROI of 250%, and it’s the perfect place to gain exposure while also building credibility. In particular, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn are some of the best networks for accounting lead generation, as they all have massive user bases and are perfect for professional networking. While there are several ways to leverage these platforms, publishing free advice directed toward business owners is one of the best techniques because it organically grabs a user’s attention and gets them to engage without being pushy about it. Some examples could include:

• Strategies for organizing tax receipts
• How to automate repetitive accounting tasks
• A breakdown of different tax deductions

This allows you to provide valuable content to build initial rapport and get your foot in the door with a prospective client. Once a person is comfortable with you and a base level of trust has been established, you can then point them to the next steps of the lead generation process where they can learn more about your accounting firm and become a potential customer. From there, they can check out your services and officially hire you as their accountant.

5. Do a Local SEO Campaign

Would you believe that 97% of bookkeeping clients search online to find local accounting firms? It’s true. Whether a client is looking to hire a remote bookkeeper or find someone in their local area, nearly all begin their research with a search engine. To ensure your accounting firm gets in front of the largest percentage of users, it’s smart to launch a local SEO campaign for lead generation, which includes the following. First, begin by claiming and optimizing your Google Business profile.

It’s completely free, and you simply fill out your contact information, add photos, and link to your website. That alone can have a tangible impact on your search engine exposure within Google. Next, tailor your bookkeeping website specifically for local clients. Some strategies include incorporating your city and state names into website URLs, headers, and keywords. You may also want to create an “About Us” page that strategically targets local users by explaining where you’re located and highlighting your role within your community. Also, be sure to create local-centric content on your blog and social platforms to pull in targeted local prospects in your area. Of course, if you don’t have the time or feel comfortable using local SEO for client acquisition yourself, you can always hire SEO services and use their expertise for generating leads.

6. Run Search Engine Ads

Organic SEO where users find your business by optimizing content for search engines is an excellent way to generate quality leads. The only downside is that it typically takes three to six months to see tangible results, which can slow down your lead generation efforts. If you’re looking to leverage search engines to generate accounting leads but want dramatically quicker results, running search engine ads is a great option. For this strategy, you focus on targeted keywords to find your ideal client, concentrating on your niche and city. If, for instance, your main niche was real estate and you were located in Miami, you might run search engine ads for “Real estate bookkeeper in Miami.” The goal here is to get your ads in front of exclusive leads, where a sizable percentage of prospects who click on your ads go on to convert and become clients. Note that running search engine ads in the bookkeeping industry comes with a considerable cost of around $3 per click, which is higher than many other industries.

Therefore, it’s important to set a budget and use caution as you go through the learning curve. But once you get a feel for which ads are working and resulting in a solid ROI, you can steadily increase your budget to capture more accounting leads and optimize your sales funnel.

7. Launch an Email Marketing Campaign

When it comes to ROI, email marketing is hard to beat. Results vary, but on average, a lead generation company earns a staggering $36 for every $1 spent on email marketing.

The process is simple. Offer your audience incentives for signing up for your newsletter. Some ideas include free guides, checklists, and eBooks. Once someone has subscribed and become a new lead, start by sending them a welcome email to introduce yourself and the specific bookkeeping services you offer. Then, send a steady drip of email content with valuable insights, such as accounting tips, resources, case studies, and success stories. Keep nurturing your list, gradually building trustworthiness until a lead is ready to become a client. Also, be sure to include well-placed calls-to-action so subscribers know exactly what action they should take (e.g. contacting you for a free consultation).

Get Keeper to Grow Your Bookkeeping Business

A big part of making your bookkeeping business reach its peak potential is using the right tools to streamline and automate. One particular platform that can help in nearly all aspects is a bookkeeping practice management software like Keeper. Keeper integrates with both QuickBooks Online and Xero and helps you achieve seamless communication with clients and team members, automates file review, efficiently gathers W-9s and 1099s, produces in-depth financial reports, and much more. Get a full overview of Keeper’s robust capabilities here.