Accountancy Firm: 7.5X ROI
80+ leads in 6 weeks for a brand new service, 7.5X ROI and still growing.
The before and after
None. Brand new offer, no audience
80+ leads in the first 6 weeks
Untested
7.5X and still compounding
No track record for this product
Multiple clients on monthly retainer
The fuller story
A brand new fractional CFO service with no track record and no demand. Nobody was searching for it because most founders didn't know they needed it yet.
So we aimed squarely at startups getting ready to raise money. That's the moment a founder suddenly realises their numbers need to be in order.
The situation
An established accountancy firm was launching a brand new Fractional CFO service. No existing demand. No track record for this product. No audience built yet.
What we did
We ran LinkedIn Ads to founders and Finance Directors. Layered Google Ads on high-intent CFO search terms. Tightened the website so paid traffic also lifted SEO.
The result
80+ leads in the first 6 weeks. Several converted to clients straight away. 7.5X ROI on the initial spend. That ROI keeps growing as Fractional CFO clients stay on monthly retainer.
Why it worked
James's read on what actually moved the numbers.
Find the moment the problem becomes urgent
Fundraising is when a founder's finances go from 'later' to 'right now'. Aiming every ad at that moment created demand for a service nobody was searching for.
Give before you ask
Cheat sheets, frameworks and a quiz gave value up front. That's how a brand new offer got 80+ leads in 6 weeks without a single testimonial.
Retainers keep paying
7.5X was measured on the first spend. Fractional CFO clients stay monthly, so the real return keeps climbing.
Who we targeted
Founders and Finance Directors on LinkedIn.
Google Ads on high-intent CFO search terms.
Creative angles
Founder advertorials
Tabloid-style article ads telling the founder's story and why startups raising money turn to them.
Why it worked: A new service has no reviews. A story about the person behind it fills that gap and makes a cold audience trust them.
Turn a founder story into a tabloid-style advertorial in minutes.
Build your exposé adRaw, tabloid-style facts
Blunt headline facts about what goes wrong for founders who aren't ready to raise.
Why it worked: A surprising fact stops the scroll. It also makes the problem feel urgent to someone who had never thought about it.
Cheat sheets and frameworks
Downloadable cheat sheets and frameworks founders didn't know they needed before raising.
Why it worked: Founders preparing to raise are hungry for anything that makes them look ready. Giving it away free starts the relationship.
- Clean monthly management accounts
- A forecast you can defend line by line
- A cap table that adds up
- Runway calculated honestly
- Who owns finance after the round
A quiz lead tool
A short quiz to show founders how ready they really are.
Why it worked: It tells the founder where they stand and tells the firm who is worth a call.
How the funnel worked
- Step 1
LinkedIn Ads and Google Ads
- Step 2
Tightened website
- Step 3
Enquiry
- Step 4
Monthly retainer client
What you can take from this
New services can be launched with paid
80+ leads in the first 6 weeks, with several converting straight away.
Retainers compound ROI
7.5X on initial spend keeps growing because clients stay on monthly.
Website work pays twice
Tightening the site helped paid traffic convert and also lifted SEO.
Run this play yourself
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