Complete SMS Automation Workflow for Appointment Booking

This tutorial breaks down how to build an effective SMS workflow to generate replies and automate follow-ups — perfect for real estate, dental, and service-based industries using Go High Level.

Step 1: Build the Initial SMS Blast

1. Create a new workflow and name it clearly (e.g. "SMS Marketing Initial Blast").
2. Add a Send SMS action with your outreach message. Use custom fields like first name and location to personalize.
3. Save and properly name the action (e.g. "Initial SMS Blast").

Step 2: Add Wait Step for Replies

• Add a Wait for Reply step.
• Set a timeout (e.g. 1 day) to move leads forward if no reply is received.
• Name your wait step clearly (e.g. "Wait for Initial Reply").

Step 3: Branch Based on Replies

Create conditions to separate contacts into 3 categories:

• Reply contains "yes": Add a tag (e.g. "Reply - Yes") and push them into a new nurturing workflow.
• Reply contains other text: Tag them as interested but needing manual follow-up.
• No reply: Send them a follow-up SMS.

Step 4: Handle "No Reply" Contacts

For contacts that don’t respond to the initial message:

1. Send a short follow-up SMS like “Are you there?”
2. Repeat the wait-and-branch process again.
3. Send a second follow-up SMS (e.g. "..."), then a third if desired (e.g. "Did I make you mad?").

Important: Each wait step must be tied to the previous SMS action to trigger correctly.

Step 5: Nurturing Workflow for "Yes" Replies

Create a second workflow for contacts who replied positively:

1. Send an SMS with a booking or purchase link.
2. Add a delay of 1 day.
3. Send a reminder SMS asking if the link worked.
4. Add a final gentle follow-up (e.g. “Are you there?”).

Set "Stop on Response" to true so contacts who reply don’t receive more messages.

Step 6: Add Supporting Actions

• Tags: Use unique tags to help with segmentation.
• Opportunities: Add to pipeline if applicable.
• Notes: Log replies for tracking.
• Engagement Scores: Use points to identify hot leads.

Best Practices

• Keep messages short and friendly.
• Don’t spam — 2–3 follow-ups are usually enough.
• Always test wait conditions and naming.
• Use conditional logic and tags to streamline future campaigns.