High-growth accounting firms refer to firms targeting significant expansion in their client base within the next 12 months. Intuit Quickbook’s Growth and Marketing Maturity Benchmarking Report 2025 reveals that high-growth firms are optimising their digital presence, combining websites, social media, and relationship-driven strategies to boost client acquisition.
The report draws on insights from 460 accounting practices across Australia to plot how firms perceive and blend multiple marketing levers to attract new clients. It sheds light on how high-growth firms approach marketing and how they compare to firms with more moderate and conservative outlooks on growth.
Key stats you need to know
- Almost 3 in 10 (29%) high-growth firms see their digital presence as very or extremely effective in expanding their client base.
- Websites (62% of firms), social media (44%), and referrals (39%) are the most common marketing channels used by Australian accounting firms.
- Firms with aggressive growth ambitions utilise multiple marketing channels - a diversified, online approach and relationship-led initiatives offline.
Effectiveness of digital presence strongly scales with growth outlook
- High-growth firms are 3x more likely than moderate-growth firms and 7x more likely than conservative firms to rate their digital presence as very or extremely effective.
- Majority of moderate-growth (52%) and conservative (74%) firms rate their digital presence as minimally effective or not effective at all.
High-growth firms are far more confident in the ability of their websites and social media to attract new clients. Two-thirds (66%) appraise their digital presence as at least moderately effective, including 29% who say it is very or extremely effective, compared with just 9% of growth firms and 4% of conservative firms who share that view.
Skepticism in the effectiveness of digital presence rises as growth outlook declines. While 15% of growth firms say their digital presence is not effective at all, this jumps to nearly one-third (32%) among conservative firms.
“High-growth firms don’t just show up online, they optimise their digital presence to capture and convert demand. What we are seeing is a clear strategic divide between those that treat digital as a growth engine and those that see it as a mere requirement ” said Michael Johnson, Director at Agile Market Intelligence.
High-growth accounting firms combine digital investment with relationship-building strategies
- Website/SEO and social media are the top-two marketing choices for accounting practices, but high-growth firms lead in online advertising, content marketing and newsletters.
- High-growth firms consistently outspend the market on digital marketing.
- Firms focused on aggressive growth also emphasised relationship-led initiatives: referral programs (48% vs 39%), events and networking (43% vs 29%), and partnerships with professional organisations (35% vs 26%).
While digital channels remain the dominant marketing choice, led by website/SEO (78% of high-growth firms vs 62% overall) and social media (50% vs 44%), high-growth firms stand out through broader channel adoption and higher investment in online advertising (33% vs 16%) and content marketing (28% vs 12%).
The report reveals how high-growth firms differentiate themselves by investing in multiple marketing channels, and pay attention to relationship-building opportunities. High-growth firms lead the market in referral programs (50% vs 44% overall), in events/networking (43% vs 29%), and in partnerships with other professional services (35% vs 26%).
“High-growth firms aren’t just spending more on digital, they’re blending it with relationship-driven strategies that actually convert prospects into clients,” said Michael Johnson
About the research
Intuit Quickbook’s Growth and Marketing Maturity Benchmarking Report 2025 is based on quantitative research conducted by Agile Market Intelligence, reflecting the sentiments of 460 accounting practices across Australia, and collected between September and October 2025. The study provides a data-driven roadmap for accounting practices to accelerate growth by examining the behaviours, investments and strategic choices that distinguish high-growth firms.
You can download the report here.
Intuit Quickbooks is hosting The High-Growth Practice Benchmark, a data-driven discussion on Growth & Marketing Maturity Report. The session uncovers how top performers use the right strategies, systems and technology to achieve success. Register for the webinar here.
