GMS got a 12% lead-to-opportunity conversion rate thanks to Ecommerce Leads.
Written by Diogo Matos 
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Published on 28 August 2025
In July/2025 I reached out to Blake and Ethan from GMS Media Group. GMS is one of the top Australian Paid Media agencies, having worked with a wide range of clients in the country.
Despite having a wide network and a consistent pipeline of inbound leads, they know that a sustainable agency builds multiple acquisition channels to diversify their risk. Inbound leads can dry up, and referrals are dependent on the CEO. Building an agency on these foundations means you're handicapping your growth and leaving money on the table.
However, if you build an outbound channel, you're ensuring you'll get a consistent stream of clients, independent of others. All you need is to document your outreach process - so you do it consistently - and to find stores that actually have the problem you solve.
And it was with that in mind that we jumped on a call. Even though they were on the other side of the world (and I did the meeting at 11:30 PM!), the call wasn't about picking demographics. It was about defining what an Australian or Kiwi store looks like when it's ready to outsource paid media — the problem, not the filter:
Australian and Kiwi stores, doing at least 6-digits in revenue, showing the signals that they're ready to outsource their paid media.
Signals tracked for GMS Media Group
- Estimated Google and Meta ad spend, monthly
- Active Meta ads - 10%+ increases and decreases (ramping, or just stopped)
- Meta ads started again / Meta ads stopped (often a fired agency)
- Google Shopping ad count — 10%+ increases
- High paid activity with no growth (spend without return)
- High ad spend with no in-house marketing person (outsourcing footprint)
- Decision maker name, email, and LinkedIn, allverified
Ecommerce Leads turned that definition into detection and sent weekly reports with the stores that just started matching — with all the information GMS needed to reach out. On their end, GMS contacted every store by phone, email, and Linkedin - the best combination of channels if you want to have effective outreach.
After 3 reports, I checked in with Ethan, the Sales Manager at GMS. From 73 leads sent, they've managed to start 9 new opportunities, leading to a 12% lead-to-opportunity conversion rate.
Compared to the usual performance of cold email campaigns for agencies - which hardly get a 2% reply rate, not to talk about opportunity rate - this is a massive improvement.
Ecommerce Leads has been a game-changer for us at GMS. They consistently deliver 20–30 high-quality leads each week, tailored to the exact demographics and geographical locations we request. Beyond just contacts, they provide valuable insight into each brand’s current paid media strategy and spend, giving our team real substance when reaching out. This edge has helped us stand out against other agencies and connect with ecommerce brands doing genuinely interesting things in their space. A reliable and highly valuable partner to our growth pipeline.
Ethan Fishburn, Sales Manager at GMS Media Group
Want the same for your ICP? See every signal we detect, or book a demo and bring one problem — we'll tell you how many stores have it right now.