20 Sales Opportunities for an Australian Performance Marketing Agency
Performance marketing agencies sell results, so their own pipeline has to show them too. This cold email lead generation case study from Australia shows how we contacted 13,000 prospects in three months for an Australian Google and Meta ads agency, earning 398 replies and 20 sales opportunities. The whole campaign ran on the Instantly cold email platform.
The Challenge
Our client is an Australian full-service digital agency built around paid advertising: Google Ads and Meta Ads, plus the work that makes ads convert, including web design, conversion rate optimisation and email marketing. Its clients are ecommerce and DTC brands and service businesses that rely on ads for leads.
Like most agencies, new business came mainly from referrals and word of mouth. The founders wanted a steady flow of sales conversations with business owners who already invest in advertising, without hiring someone to prospect full time.
Our Strategy
1. A Focused Target List
We built the list around businesses that look like the agency’s best clients: ecommerce and DTC brands and lead-driven service businesses. At smaller companies we went straight to founders and owners; at larger ones, to marketing and growth leaders with budget authority. Every contact was verified before entering a sequence.
2. Proof-Led Messaging
Business owners hear “we’ll grow your business” from agencies every week. Our copy led with the agency’s own proof instead: the brands it has scaled, the ad spend it manages each month, and a low-effort next step in the form of a free marketing plan.
3. More New Prospects, Fewer Follow-Ups
Compared with the previous quarter, we moved sending volume away from long follow-up chains and toward fresh prospects. Total emails fell 24.3% while new prospects in sequence rose 24.5%, which kept inbox volume healthy and put more new names in front of the copy that was working.
4. Sending on Instantly
All sequences ran on Instantly. We used it to manage sending across the campaign’s inboxes, schedule follow-ups, and track every reply in one place. The numbers in this case study come straight from the campaign’s Instantly analytics.
5. Reply Handling and Hand-Off
Every reply was read and classified. Positive replies went to the client as opportunities with the full email thread attached, so the agency’s team picked up conversations that were already warm.
The Results
Cold email funnel (last 3 months)
Hover over a stage to see its conversion rate.
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Platform | Instantly |
| Campaign Period | 3 months |
| Emails Sent | 41,400 |
| Prospects Contacted | 13,000 |
| Replies Received | 398 |
| Reply Rate | 3.06% |
| Positive Replies | 20 |
| Positive Reply Rate (of replies) | 5.03% |
| Sales Opportunities | 20 |
| Estimated Pipeline Value | $20K |
Compared with the previous 3 months
Hover over a card for detail.
The headline number is efficiency. The campaign sent 24% fewer emails than the previous quarter and produced more than three times the opportunities. Better targeting and sharper copy did the work, not extra volume.
Cold Email Lead Generation in Australia: Key Takeaways
The main lesson from this cold email case study is that selling agency services by cold email is hard, because almost every business owner has been pitched by an agency before. It still works when the message carries the agency’s own proof, speaks to businesses that already spend on ads, and asks for something small.
The same approach works for any agency selling services to businesses. See how our AI-powered cold email service works, read about lead generation for marketing agencies, or compare our pricing.
Staying Compliant with Australia’s Spam Act
Cold email to Australian businesses is governed by the Spam Act 2003. Commercial emails need consent, which can be inferred when a business address is conspicuously published and the message is relevant to the recipient’s role. Every email must also identify the sender and include a working unsubscribe option, with requests honoured within five business days. Targeting by role and keeping messages relevant matter for compliance as well as for reply rates.
For another Australian campaign, see how we generated 20 positive conversations with fire-safety decision-makers across all seven states.
Common Questions
How many opportunities did this cold email campaign generate?
20 sales opportunities in three months, from 13,000 prospects contacted and 398 replies, with an estimated pipeline value of $20K.
What reply rate did the campaign achieve?
3.06% of prospects replied, up 35.5% on the previous quarter. 5.03% of those replies were positive, and every positive reply was passed to the client as an opportunity.
Who did the campaign target?
Founders and owners of ecommerce brands and service businesses that rely on paid ads, plus marketing and growth leaders at larger companies.
Which cold email platform did the campaign use?
Instantly. Sequences, sending and reply tracking all ran on the Instantly platform, and the results shown here come from its campaign analytics.
What does Digital Symantec handle in a cold email campaign?
We build and verify the prospect list, write the copy, set up and manage sending, read and classify every reply, and hand positive replies to your team with full context.
Is cold email legal in Australia?
Yes, when it follows the Spam Act 2003. Messages need express or inferred consent, must identify the sender, and must include a functional unsubscribe that is honoured within five business days. Inferred consent generally covers business addresses that are conspicuously published, where the message relates to the recipient’s role.
Do you run cold email lead generation for Australian businesses?
Yes. We work with agencies and B2B companies in Australia, including clients in Sydney, and run campaigns for Australian businesses as well as Australian companies selling overseas.
How much does cold email lead generation cost?
Our AI-powered cold email service is priced at $1,800 per month (USD). Volumes, setup and tools are confirmed in each proposal. See our pricing page for details.
Running an Agency or B2B Company in Australia?
Whether you’re in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth or Adelaide, we can build the same kind of cold email pipeline for your business: Australian prospect lists, Spam Act compliant sending on Instantly, and positive replies delivered straight to your team. See our B2B lead generation services for Australia.