Your Follow-Up Is Failing. Here Is My Best Automated SMS Follow-Up Guide.

As a business owner, you know that the fortune is in the follow-up. A lead who expresses interest in your services is incredibly valuable, but that value diminishes with every passing hour. Unfortunately, manual follow-up is time-consuming and prone to human error. Consequently, leads get forgotten, opportunities are missed, and potential revenue vanishes. The solution is clear: automation. Specifically, automated SMS follow-up offers a powerful and direct way to stay top of mind with your prospects.

However, there is a right way and a wrong way to do it. My name is Jamie M.G. Flatley, and at JMGF Consulting, I build automated systems that get results. I have seen businesses transform their conversion rates by implementing effective SMS nurture flows. In contrast, I have also seen businesses get their numbers blocked and their reputations damaged by making critical mistakes. In this article, I will share my best practices for creating automated SMS follow-up campaigns that are both effective and compliant.

The Foundation: Compliance Is Not Optional

Before you send a single automated text, you must have a firm grasp on compliance. This is non-negotiable. In the world of SMS marketing, you must have explicit consent from your contacts before you send them automated messages. Furthermore, you need to ensure your messaging is compliant with regulations like GDPR in the UK and the A2P 10DLC system in the US. Without a compliant foundation, your automated follow-up system is built on quicksand.

Key Compliance Reminders

• Obtain Explicit Consent: Your contacts must have taken a clear action to opt in to your messages.

• Provide a Clear Opt-Out: Every message must include a simple way to unsubscribe.

• Register for A2P 10DLC: If you are messaging US customers, you must register your brand and campaigns. I offer a specialized A2P 10DLC service to handle this for you.

For a more detailed look at this topic, I highly recommend reading my guide to fixing SMS delivery issues. Ultimately, a compliant approach is the only way to ensure the long-term success of your SMS campaigns.

Crafting Effective SMS Nurture Flows

With a compliant foundation in place, you can now focus on crafting your SMS nurture flows. A nurture flow is a pre-built sequence of messages designed to guide a prospect from initial interest to a desired action, such as booking a call or making a purchase. The goal is to build a relationship and provide value, not to bombard them with sales pitches.

Best Practice 1: Personalize Your Messages

Generic, robotic messages do not work. You should use personalization tokens, such as the prospect’s first name, to make your messages feel more personal. For example, instead of “Here is the info you requested,” try “Hi [First Name], here is the info you requested about our services.” This small change can make a huge difference in engagement.

Best Practice 2: Provide Value in Every Message

Your SMS nurture flow should not be a one-way street of self-promotion. Instead, you should aim to provide value in every message. This could be a link to a helpful blog post, a useful tip, or an invitation to a free webinar. By providing value, you build trust and position yourself as an expert. This is a core principle I teach in my coaching and consulting programs.

Designing Your SMS Nurture Campaign

Now, let’s talk about the structure of your campaign. A well-designed SMS nurture campaign has a clear beginning, middle, and end. It is a journey that you are guiding your prospect on.

The Welcome Message

The first message in your sequence is crucial. It should be sent immediately after the prospect opts in, and it should confirm their subscription and set expectations. For example: “Thanks for your interest in our services! We’ll send you a few messages over the next week with some helpful info. You can reply STOP at any time to unsubscribe.”

The Nurture Sequence

This is the core of your campaign. It should be a series of 3-5 messages sent over a period of a week or two. Each message should have a clear purpose, whether it is to educate, build trust, or overcome objections. For instance, you might send a link to a case study, a customer testimonial, or a guide that addresses a common pain point. This is a key component of the automation for local businesses that I build.

The Call to Action

The final message in your sequence should have a clear call to action. This is where you ask the prospect to take the next step, such as booking a call, requesting a quote, or making a purchase. By this point, you have built a relationship and provided value, so the prospect is much more likely to convert.

A Note on GoHighLevel and Compliance

Many of my clients use GoHighLevel to power their automated SMS campaigns. It is a fantastic platform, but it is important to remember that using GoHighLevel does not exempt you from compliance. In fact, you still need to follow all the same rules. I have written a detailed guide on GoHighLevel A2P compliance that I encourage you to read if you are a user of the platform.

Let’s Build Your Automated Follow-Up System

An effective automated SMS follow-up system can be a game-changer for your business. It can save you time, increase your conversion rates, and help you build stronger relationships with your customers. However, it must be built on a foundation of compliance and best practices.

If you are a local business owner who is ready to take your follow-up to the next level, I am here to help. Contact me today for a consultation, and let’s build an automated SMS follow-up system that will drive real results for your business.