Marketing for accounting firms is about getting your firm found by people who need an accountant, within what NBC PG 01, Brazil’s accountant code of ethics, accepts in advertising. The rule asks for informative, moderate and discreet ads, with no comparison to colleagues and no exaggeration about your experience. In practice, the client arrives through Google Search and Maps, and checks the firm on its website and LinkedIn before sending a message.
This guide does not replace reading the rule or consulting the CRC (Regional Accounting Council) in your state, which is the body that oversees it.
What NBC PG 01 says about advertising
NBC PG 01 is the Federal Accounting Council (CFC) rule that sets accountant conduct. It is listed on the CFC general profile standards page, and the table below summarizes the items that affect marketing, read directly from the text.
| Item | What the rule says | What changes in your marketing |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Advertising must prioritize its technical and scientific nature, and commercialization is prohibited | Ad copy that looks like a bargain counter is out |
| 12 | Advertising must be merely informative, moderate and discreet | Describe the service, without shouting |
| 13 | The professional keeps the data that supports the message | If your site claims something, you must be able to prove it |
| 15 | Disproportionate claims, disparaging comparisons and actions that mislead good faith are prohibited | No “best firm” and no badmouthing another |
| 4(r) | Registration number, name and category in every ad, sign and business card | The CRC number appears in the ad, on the site and in the profile |
| 5(o) | It is prohibited to give a reference that identifies the client, breaching confidentiality, unless authorized | Client cases only with their authorization |
| 6(d) | The accountant may list titles, specializations, services offered and work performed | Saying what you do is allowed |
The rule does not mention Google Ads, Instagram or Business Profile by name. Item 11 applies to “any form or medium of communication”, meaning what holds for the sign on your door holds for your ad.
Who the right client is for your firm
The right client is one your firm can serve well and bill sustainably. Accounting contracts are recurring, so the wrong client stays on your books for years, and the cost of bringing them in is only the beginning.
Before choosing a channel, answer four questions in writing:
- What type of company do you serve best, such as MEIs (individual micro-entrepreneurs), Simples Nacional companies (Brazil’s simplified tax regime), independent professionals or retail?
- In which city or region do you provide service?
- Which service comes first: company registration, monthly accounting or income tax returns?
- What type of client is more work than return?
A firm that talks to everyone writes copy that convinces no one. Marketing for accounting firms works best when the page, the ad and the profile speak to one client profile, about the problem they have today.
Marketing for accounting firms: the channels that bring in clients
Digital marketing for accountants relies on four channels, and each one catches the person at a different moment. Someone searching “accountant near me” wants to solve it now. Someone reading a LinkedIn post is just getting informed and will remember you later.
| Channel | Who it reaches | Where to start |
|---|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | People searching for an accountant nearby, on their phone | Category, services and reviews |
| One page per service on your website | People searching for a specific service | One page for each service |
| Google Ads | People searching urgently, like near the tax filing deadline | Search campaign with a fixed budget |
| LinkedIn and Instagram | People who don’t need you yet, but will | Content that explains deadlines and obligations |
Google Business Profile
Your Google Business Profile is free and shows up on the map before any website, when the search includes a city or “near me.” It’s the most overlooked channel for small firms and the cheapest one to get right.
What makes a difference:
- Primary category chosen from Google’s list, such as Accountant or Accounting firm, whichever best describes what you do. The guide on Google Business Profile categories explains how to choose.
- Services added one by one, with a short description, such as company registration, accounting for MEI (Brazilian microentrepreneurs) and individual income tax return filing.
- Address, hours and phone number matching your website.
- Real photos of the office and the team.
- Your name and CRC number in the description, per item 4(r).
Reviews matter too, but accountants have to be extra careful: reply without exposing the client. Write “thank you for your feedback” and don’t comment on figures, deadlines or the service hired, because of item 5(o). The step-by-step is in how to reply to Google reviews, and how to ask for them is in how to get Google reviews without buying them.
The complete profile setup is in the Google Business Profile optimization guide.
One page per service on your website
One page per service converts better than a single page with everything, because people search by service too. Someone typing “open an MEI” doesn’t want to read about balance sheets.
A good set to start with:
- Company registration, explaining what you do and what the client needs to bring.
- Accounting for MEI, covering the annual return and what changes when the business grows.
- Individual income tax return filing, with what the client sends and how long it takes you to return it.
- Monthly accounting for Simples Nacional companies (Brazil’s simplified tax regime).
Each page opens with the answer, shows what the first meeting looks like and ends with a WhatsApp button or a short form. The accountant’s name and CRC number stay visible, which meets item 4(r) and builds trust.
Don’t promise deadlines or savings you don’t control. If the site says “we open your company in 24 hours,” item 13 requires you to be able to prove it, and item 15 prohibits exaggerated claims.
Google Ads during income tax season
In accounting marketing, Google Ads works well when demand has a date. In the weeks of the individual income tax filing in Brazil, searches for someone to file the return peak, and the firm at the top during that window talks to people ready to hire.
A few practical points:
- Search campaign, with keywords like “income tax return filing” plus the city, not a campaign for all of Brazil.
- Negative keywords from day one, so you don’t pay for clicks from people looking for courses, jobs or accountant salaries. The list is in negative keywords in Google Ads.
- A dedicated page for the ad, never the home page.
- A fixed daily budget, set in advance. The article on how much to invest in Google Ads helps you work out the numbers.
- End the campaign right after the deadline, so the budget doesn’t keep running without demand.
The ad copy is where the rule weighs most. Compare:
- Informative: “Accounting for MEI and Simples Nacional in Campinas. Appointments by schedule. Name Surname, Accountant CRC-SP 000000.”
- Against the rule: “The best firm in town! Open your company in 24h, with no red tape and clearance-sale prices.”
The first one describes and identifies. The second compares, exaggerates and treats the service like a commodity. The registration number goes in the ad under item 4(r), and since ad space is short, the most prudent reading is to reserve one of the descriptions for your name and CRC. If you’re unsure about the format, ask your CRC.
The Google Ads account can stay with the firm itself or with a specialized Google Ads management team. Either way, the account needs to measure contacts, not just clicks.
LinkedIn and Instagram
LinkedIn and Instagram don’t bring in the client in a hurry. They bring the one who will need you later and remembers your firm when the time comes. Content in accounting marketing is naturally educational, and item 11 asks for exactly that technical, informative tone.
Topics that tend to work:
- Explain a deadline business owners often miss, like the MEI annual return.
- Answer a question that reaches the firm’s WhatsApp every week.
- Show a rule change and what it requires from business owners.
LinkedIn reaches business owners and independent professionals who buy by referral. The LinkedIn for business guide shows how to set up the page and what to post. On Instagram, the format is the same, with shorter language.
Firms that want to see how another regulated niche solves the same equation can read marketing for lawyers, which follows the same logic of informing without promising.
How to know where the client came from
Without measurement, accounting marketing becomes guesswork. For a small firm, three records solve most of the problem:
- Ask “how did you find us?” at first contact and write down the answer in a spreadsheet.
- Use UTM links in ads and bios, as explained in the UTM guide.
- Count WhatsApp button clicks and form submissions as contacts, not just page visits.
The difference between a contact and a client matters. One hundred contacts that don’t close cost more than ten that do, and you can only see that when the contact is tracked through to the contract. The technical path is in Google Ads conversions with CRM.
What usually goes wrong in accounting marketing
- Ads with “low price” or “the best in town,” which item 15 treats as an exaggerated claim.
- Service pages without the accountant’s name and CRC number.
- Clients named in a post or testimonial without written authorization.
- A Google profile without the right category, without services and without replies to reviews.
- A tax season campaign that keeps running after the deadline.
- All ads pointing to the home page.
Frequently asked questions
Can an accountant advertise on Google Ads? Yes. In Brazil, NBC PG 01 applies to any channel and requires advertising to be informative, moderate and discreet, with the name and registration number.
Can I advertise my service prices? Brazil’s accounting rules don’t ban stating a price outright, but they prohibit commodifying the profession and making exaggerated claims. Promotions and storefront-style discounts sit at the limit. If in doubt, check with your CRC (the regional accounting council).
Can I show my clients’ names on my website? Only with their authorization. Item 6(d) allows listing clients when they authorize it, and item 5(o) prohibits references that break confidentiality.
Can an accountant use Instagram and LinkedIn? Yes, with technical and informative content. What the rules prohibit is exaggeration, disparaging comparisons and actions that mislead third parties’ good faith.
Which marketing channel brings in the most clients for an accounting firm? It depends on the city and the service. For people searching near home, Google Business Profile is usually the first. Google Ads comes in when demand has a date, like the income tax return.
Where to start
With the free Google Ads audit you see what the firm’s account is doing today, from the search term to the contact. If the firm doesn’t advertise yet, the free Google Business Profile audit shows how your profile compares with competitors in your area.