How to Launch an SMS Campaign in GoHighLevel — Get More Leads

You're sitting on a goldmine of contacts, but traditional email campaigns are hitting the spam folder. Your open rates are tanking. Your team is frustrated. Sound familiar?

SMS campaigns are the answer—and GoHighLevel makes launching them dead simple. With SMS, you're reaching customers directly in their pocket with a 98% open rate. No algorithm. No spam folder. Just instant, personal communication that converts.

In this guide, I'll walk you through launching your first SMS campaign in GoHighLevel—from setup to delivery to tracking results. By the end, you'll have a system running that generates more leads and closes more deals. And if you haven't explored GoHighLevel yet, grab your free 30-day trial here—that's double the standard 14-day offer.

Why SMS Campaigns Outperform Email (And Why Now)

Let's be honest: email is broken. The average open rate for business emails is around 21%. SMS? 98%. Your customers are checking their phones 96 times per day. They're *expecting* messages there.

Here's what makes SMS different:

• Instant delivery. Your message lands in seconds, not hours.
• Personal. SMS feels like a text from a friend, not a broadcast.
• No algorithm. You're not competing with Facebook's feed or Gmail's filters.
• Compliance-friendly. When done right, SMS builds trust, not spam complaints.
• Higher conversion. Text campaigns generate 3-5x the response rate of email.

In 2025, agencies and businesses using SMS alongside GoHighLevel's automation are seeing dramatic jumps in lead quality and close rates. If you're not running SMS campaigns yet, you're leaving money on the table.

Setting Up Your Contact List for SMS Success

Before you send a single message, your contact list needs to be ready. GoHighLevel won't let you send SMS to unverified numbers or contacts without opt-in consent—and that's a good thing.

Step 1: Import or Build Your Contact List

Navigate to the Contacts section in GoHighLevel. You can:

• Import contacts via CSV upload
• Add contacts manually
• Sync contacts from Zapier, webhook integrations, or your CRM
• Capture new contacts via web forms with SMS opt-in checkbox

If you're starting fresh, build a form on your website with GoHighLevel's form builder and include an SMS opt-in field. Make sure the checkbox is *explicit consent*—no pre-checked boxes. Compliance matters here.

Step 2: Verify Phone Numbers

GoHighLevel validates phone numbers during import. Any invalid or incomplete numbers will be flagged. Clean data = higher delivery rates and fewer bounces. If you have a large list with formatting issues, use a data cleaning tool before importing, or let GoHighLevel's system handle it automatically.

Step 3: Segment Your Audience

Not all contacts should get the same message. Create tags or segments based on:

• Lead source (Google Ads, Facebook, organic, referral)
• Service interest (dental, real estate, coaching, e-commerce)
• Engagement level (hot leads, warm, cold)
• Pipeline stage (prospect, qualified, customer)

This ensures your SMS feels relevant, not generic. Relevant messages = higher open and response rates.

How to Create and Design Your First SMS Campaign

Now for the fun part: writing messages that actually convert.

Step 1: Navigate to SMS Campaigns

In GoHighLevel, go to Campaigns → SMS → Create New Campaign. You'll see the campaign builder interface.

Step 2: Choose Your Campaign Type

You have two options:

• Bulk SMS Campaign: Send the same message to a list of contacts at once. Best for promotions, announcements, event invites.
• Workflow-Based SMS: Triggered messages sent automatically based on user actions (form fills, date milestones, pipeline changes). More powerful for lead nurturing.

For your first campaign, start with bulk SMS to test messaging and audience response.

Step 3: Write Your SMS Message

Keep these principles in mind:

• Length: 160 characters fits in one SMS. Longer messages split and cost more credits. Stay under 160 if possible.
• Clarity: No jargon. No fluff. One clear action per message.
• Personalization: Use merge tags like {{FirstName}} to add a personal touch.
• CTA: Make it obvious what you want them to do. "Reply YES," "Click here," "Call now."
• Avoid: No spam words ("FREE," excessive caps, multiple exclamation marks). You want trust, not the trash folder.

Example message:
"Hi {{FirstName}}, we have 2 spots left for consultations this week. Reply YES to book yours or call 555-1234. Thanks!"

That's 135 characters, personal, and has a clear CTA.

Step 4: Add a Keyword Response (Optional)

If you ask contacts to reply with a keyword ("YES," "STOP," "MORE INFO"), GoHighLevel can auto-tag responses. Set this up so replies trigger follow-up workflows or update contact records.

This is built into GoHighLevel. Try it free for 30 days →

Scheduling, Sending, and Monitoring Your Campaign

Step 1: Select Your Audience

Choose which contacts get this campaign. You can:

• Select all contacts from a specific tag
• Choose contacts from a saved segment
• Import a fresh list
• Use a smart filter (e.g., "contacted in last 30 days")

Always double-check your audience selection. Sending to the wrong list wastes credits and kills trust.

Step 2: Choose Your Send Time

You can:

• Send now: Immediate delivery across all contacts.
• Schedule for later: Pick a specific date and time. Best practice: early morning (7-9 AM) or early evening (5-7 PM) when people check phones.
• Stagger sends: Spread delivery over hours to avoid carrier throttling and look natural.

Test different times with your audience. Track opens and replies to find *your* golden window.

Step 3: Review and Send

Before hitting send, GoHighLevel shows you:

• Total contacts receiving the message
• SMS credits required
• Message preview on mobile
• Any compliance warnings

Verify everything is correct. Once sent, you can't unsend (so be careful).

Step 4: Monitor Campaign Status

After sending, navigate to Campaigns → SMS and click your campaign. You'll see:

• Delivered: Messages that reached phones successfully
• Failed: Bounced messages (invalid number, carrier issues)
• Replies: How many contacts texted back
• Unsubscribes: Contacts who replied STOP

Use the three-dot menu to pause, cancel, or edit the campaign if needed (before most messages send).

Advanced: Building SMS Workflows for Automation

One-off campaigns are good. Automated SMS workflows that nurture leads 24/7? That's where the real power is.

What You'll Build:

An SMS workflow that captures consent, then sends targeted messages based on user behavior—form submissions, lead scoring, pipeline stage changes, etc.

How to Create One:

Go to Automations → Create Workflow from Scratch. Add a trigger (e.g., "Contact fills out form"). Then add SMS actions:

• Immediate SMS: "Thanks for reaching out, {{FirstName}}! A specialist will call you within 24 hours."
• Delayed SMS (24 hours later): "Got 2 minutes? Let's see if we're a good fit. Call 555-1234."
• Conditional SMS: Send different messages based on what they filled in the form.

Workflows run automatically. Set it once, and it nurtures hundreds of leads daily without manual work.

Tracking Results and Optimizing for More Leads

Key Metrics to Watch:

• Delivery Rate: Should be 95%+. Below that? Check phone number quality.
• Reply Rate: 5-15% is typical. More than 15%? Your messaging is hot—scale it.
• Click-Through Rate (if you include links): Track via GoHighLevel's link shortener.
• Conversion Rate: How many SMS replies turned into calls, bookings, or sales?

How to Optimize:

1. A/B Test Messages: Send two versions to similar audiences. Track which CTA gets more replies. Double down on winners.

2. Segment and Personalize: Cold leads get different messages than hot leads. Segment by engagement and tailor language.

3. Time and Frequency: Test send times. Don't blast the same list more than 2-3x per month unless they're active buyers.

4. Track Reply Keywords: Use GoHighLevel's keyword tagging to categorize replies ("interested," "not interested," "call me"). Automation can route high-intent replies to your team immediately.

5. Monitor Unsubscribes: A few unsubscribes are normal. More than 2%? Your messaging or frequency needs adjustment.