Industries
LinkedIn lead generation for marketing and advertising agencies, from two agency workspaces
An ads agency wrote to 677 local business owners and 196 replied (29%), which led to 14 call requests and 9 confirmed meetings. A done for you cold email agency ran 2,858 LinkedIn conversations and 37.6% replied, but only 7 conversions were recorded. Replies came easily in both. The offer decided the meetings.
Published by Sellinger AI. Numbers and settings checked on 19 October 2026 against the fact register. Report an error.
- local business owners and leaders messaged by one ads agency (data date 9 October 2026)
- 677
- replied, 29%. 14 asked for a call and 9 meetings were confirmed
- 196
- people messaged by a second agency from 1 May 2026, 37.6% replied (1,074)
- 2,858
- leads recorded as converted in the second agency's CRM, plus 9 at the meeting stage
- 7
Two agencies, two audiences
Paid ads agency. Uberwood Agency sells Meta and Google advertising to small US businesses for a flat monthly fee. Its agents wrote from four team profiles to owners of landscaping, HVAC, spa and real estate businesses, asked one question about how they win customers and offered a 15 minute strategy call with a named business development lead.
Outbound agency. Sales Automation Systems is a done for you cold email agency. It ran Sellinger under its own brand, with one AI persona per LinkedIn account, to start conversations for its own offer. The account is no longer active on Sellinger.
| Measure | Ads agency | Outbound agency |
|---|---|---|
| People messaged | 677 owners and leaders | 2,858 on LinkedIn |
| Replied | 196 (29%) | 1,074 (37.6%) |
| Share of replies to the first message | 70% | 65% |
| Calls asked for or meeting stage | 14 asked, 9 confirmed | 9 at the meeting stage |
| Recorded conversions | Not tracked in Sellinger | 7 |
| Median agent reply | 18 minutes inside winning threads | 2.4 minutes |
The two studies count differently, so do not subtract one column from the other. Definitions are in each case study.
What the agents did
- One question that owners think about every day: what is the single biggest constraint on your customer acquisition right now.
- A follow up with an angle typical for the owner's industry, not a plain bump. Follow ups added 43% more replies for the ads agency.
- Answers in minutes. One HVAC owner got six replies in 28 minutes. A spa owner went from first reply to a booking in 45 minutes.
- A person took the call. In 4 of the 14 call requests the agency founder stepped in to reschedule or phone.
What did not work
- The offer matters more than the agent. When a Connected TV plan B was added to the pitch, replies kept coming, but 181 conversations where it came up produced no meetings.
- Reply volume is not a result. The outbound agency's 37.6% reply rate came with 7 recorded conversions. A reply rate says the opener gets answered, not that the offer sells.
- Of the ads agency's nine meetings, five were with target buyers. The other four were with marketers and consultants.
- Beyond the second follow up, very few people replied.
If you resell outreach
Agencies that run outreach for clients can use the white label program: a portal on your own domain, unlimited client workspaces, and separate limits per client. The outbound agency above used it. The agencies use case explains the cost per agent and how margin works.
Common questions
Can an AI agent generate leads for a marketing agency?
What reply rate do agencies get on LinkedIn?
Is the outbound agency still a customer?
Can an agency resell Sellinger?
Sources and method
Every number comes from the linked case study, which states its base, its data date and what did not work. Sources: Uberwood Agency case study (snapshot 9 October 2026, all 196 replied threads read) and Sales Automation Systems case study (checked 19 October 2026, SAS workspace only).
Related: Uberwood case study, Sales Automation Systems case study, partners, use case for agencies.
