SMS Marketing & Two-Way Texting in HighLevel

Overview

HighLevel includes native SMS capabilities, allowing businesses to send text messages, automate SMS campaigns, and engage in two-way conversations with contacts - all from within the platform. This eliminates the need for separate SMS providers like Twilio or TextMagic.

SMS Capabilities

• One-to-One Messaging: Send individual texts to contacts from the conversation inbox
• Bulk SMS Campaigns: Send promotional messages to segmented contact lists
• SMS Automation: Trigger texts based on actions, dates, or pipeline changes
• Two-Way Conversations: Receive and respond to incoming texts in real-time
• MMS Support: Send images, videos, and files via multimedia messages
• Scheduled Messages: Queue messages to send at specific dates/times

Phone Number Options

HighLevel Phone Numbers: Purchase numbers directly through the platform ($2-5/month per number)

Bring Your Own Twilio: Connect your existing Twilio account for full control

Number Types:

• Local numbers (area code-specific)
• Toll-free numbers (800, 888, 877, etc.)
• Dedicated shortcodes (enterprise only)

SMS Automation Triggers

Automatically send texts when:

• Contact fills out a form
• Appointment is booked, confirmed, or cancelled
• Pipeline stage changes
• Tag is added or removed
• Birthday or anniversary date arrives
• Custom date field value is reached
• Contact hasn’t responded in X days

Message Personalization

SMS messages support the same merge fields as emails:

• {{contact.first_name}}
• {{contact.full_name}}
• {{contact.email}}
• {{appointment.start_time}}
• {{custom_values.field_name}}

Conversation Inbox

All SMS conversations (along with emails, Facebook messages, and Instagram DMs) appear in the unified inbox:

• View complete conversation history per contact
• Assign conversations to team members
• Add internal notes and tags
• See message delivery status (sent, delivered, failed)
• Attach files, images, or videos to replies

Compliance & Best Practices

TCPA Compliance:

• Obtain explicit consent before sending marketing texts
• Include opt-out instructions in first message (e.g., “Reply STOP to unsubscribe”)
• Maintain “Do Not Contact” suppression lists
• Send messages only between 8am-9pm recipient’s local time

Message Guidelines:

• Identify your business in the first message
• Keep messages under 160 characters when possible (to avoid splitting)
• Avoid excessive punctuation (!!!) or all caps (SPAM indicators)
• Limit frequency to prevent opt-outs (recommended: max 2-3 per week)

SMS vs. Email: When to Use Each

Use SMS For:

• Time-sensitive notifications (appointments in 24 hours)
• Urgent reminders (appointment starting in 1 hour)
• Confirmations requiring immediate response
• Re-engagement of inactive contacts

Use Email For:

• Detailed information or long-form content
• Promotional campaigns with images and links
• Newsletters and educational content
• Formal communication requiring documentation

Use Case Example: Appointment Reminders

Scenario: Dental practice wants to reduce no-shows.

Automation Sequence:

1. Patient books appointment online
2. Immediate confirmation SMS sent: “Your appointment is confirmed for [date] at [time]. Reply CONFIRM to verify.”
3. 7 days before: Reminder SMS with link to reschedule if needed
4. 1 day before: Final reminder SMS with directions link
5. 2 hours before: “Your appointment starts at [time]. See you soon!”
6. After appointment: “Thank you for visiting! Please leave us a review: [link]”

Pricing & Limits

• SMS cost: $0.01-0.04 per message (varies by country)
• MMS cost: $0.03-0.08 per message
• Incoming messages: Free
• No monthly minimums (pay only for messages sent)