Sending an outbound SMS

Send proactive SMS campaigns to customers with customizable messages, scheduled delivery, and configurable reply handling in Distance.

Introduction

Send an outbound SMS allows your team to proactively reach customers using SMS while keeping responses organized in Distance. You can upload recipient lists, customize messages using variables, schedule delivery, and decide how replies should be handled. This makes it easy to follow up with leads, request feedback, collect payments, or ask for reviews while keeping conversations tracked in one place.

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How to create an outbound SMS campaign

Navigate to the Campaigns section on the sidebar, then click Send outbound SMS in the top-right corner to open the campaign builder page.

In the Choose your goal section, select the campaign objective from the dropdown menu. You may select one from the following options: Sales, Payments, QA, or Review. The selected goal determines the default message template.

In the Pick your audience section, upload a CSV file containing recipients. The maximum file size is 10 MB.

Upon clicking Upload new CSV button, you will be routed to Import contacts page.

Upon uploading your contact list, click the drop-down menu again to select the contact list.

In the Craft your message section, customize the message template using the text editor. A preconfigured message appears based on the selected goal, and available variables are displayed below the editor.

You can also use the Generate with AI feature to quickly create a personalized message based on your goal and contact fields.

The available variables will depend on the field headers within the selected contact list.

Variables allow you to personalize your SMS messages using data from your contact list.

There are two types of variables:

• Contact fields. These are standard fields stored in each contact’s profile, such as name, phone number, email address, or address. These values are automatically available and commonly used for basic personalization.

• Custom properties. These are additional fields created from your imported CSV or contact data. For example, service type, appointment date, or account details. These allow you to tailor messages based on more specific information.

The variables available in the editor depend on the field headers included in your selected contact list. This helps ensure messages feel personalized and relevant to each recipient.

In the Schedule this campaign section, choose whether to send the first message Now or Schedule for later by selecting a date and time.

In the Send confirmation section, review the campaign details. Check the confirmation box confirming permission to message the contacts, then click Send to X recipients.

Generate with AI (Recommended)

We recommend using Generate with AI to quickly create and refine your SMS messages based on a short description.

Click Generate with AI, then enter the message you want to create or describe your goal (for example, a follow-up, reminder, or review request). You can also specify which contact fields or custom properties to include, such as name, service type, or appointment date.

Click Generate message to proceed.

The AI will generate a message using your input and automatically insert relevant variables where appropriate. Clicking Use this will replace the text in the Message template box.

Review and edit the generated message as needed to ensure it matches your tone and intent. Using this feature helps keep your messages clear, consistent, and personalized without writing them from scratch.

Preview panel

On the upper-right side of the page, the Preview panel shows how the SMS message will appear to recipients.

Click Cancel on the upper-right corner to discard the campaign.

Managing campaign replies

When recipients reply to an outbound SMS campaign, their responses appear in Inbox (Outbound), where your team can review and manage follow-ups.

You can also configure campaign/automation email notifications to alert selected team members whenever a recipient replies, helping your team follow up promptly without manually monitoring replies.

This workflow ensures your outbound SMS campaigns are accurate, personalized, and tracked in Distance, keeping your team organized and customer communications consistent.