Buy SMS leads: how it works and how to set it up

If you buy SMS leads as a list of mobile numbers and text them, you are sending unsolicited marketing, and in the US, the UK, Canada, Australia and most other markets that exposes your firm to complaints, carrier blocking and regulatory action. There is one version of this that works: buying enquiries from a lead source that captured consent naming your business, then texting those people within minutes. This article answers how to tell the two apart, and how to set up the platform so a purchased lead gets a fast, lawful first text.

What lead sellers actually sell

Two very different products share the same name. The first is a data list: thousands of numbers scraped, compiled or resold, with no record that anyone agreed to hear from you. The second is a live enquiry: a person filled in a form on a comparison site or partner page, asked to be contacted, and the seller passes that enquiry to you, usually in real time.

The first is the one to refuse. A list cannot carry consent that was never given to your firm. The second can be fine, provided the consent wording on the original form names your business or the category of firms it will share with, and the seller can show you the record.

Before you start

• A written consent record from the seller for every lead: the form wording, the date, the time and the source page.
• Confirmation that the consent covers text messages, not only phone calls or email.
• The registration or sender set-up your country requires for your business number, such as US 10DLC registration.
• Custom fields for lead source, consent date and consent text, created under Settings > Custom Fields.
• One person who owns the first conversation with each purchased lead.

How to set it up

Ask the seller to deliver leads by webhook or a form post rather than by spreadsheet, so each one arrives as a contact with the source recorded. Then build one workflow for the first text.

1. Go to Automation > Workflows.
2. Create a new workflow or open an existing one.
3. Choose the trigger that marks a purchased lead arriving.
4. Add the Send SMS action.
5. Enter a first text that names your firm and the enquiry.
6. Add personalisation such as {{contact.first_name}}.
7. Add a consent condition, a Wait step and an internal notification.
8. Test the workflow and SMS content.
9. Publish the workflow when it is ready to run.

The condition should stop the workflow when the consent field is empty, and the second message should go only if the person has not replied or opted out. Create an opportunity for each lead so it appears in your pipeline with its source.

Why speed matters more for bought leads

A person who asked for a mortgage quote on a comparison site has usually asked several firms at once. The firm that replies first with something useful tends to get the conversation. A text that arrives while they still have the comparison page open is recognised; one that arrives the next afternoon is treated as spam.

That is why the setup above uses delivery by webhook. A spreadsheet emailed once a day turns a warm enquiry into a cold number. For the wider process of answering every enquiry quickly, see how an automated text message can go out while your team is still in a meeting.

What the first text should say

Name the firm, refer to the enquiry, and offer one easy next step. "Hi Sam, this is Priya at Northgate Mortgages. You asked about remortgage options on CompareHomes this morning. Is now a good time for a five-minute call, or would you like to pick a time? Reply STOP to opt out." That is specific, honest about where you got the number, and easy to answer.

Do not pretend you have spoken before. Do not use a link as the opening line, as unfamiliar links from an unknown number are what people report.

What this replaces in a growing firm

In a 10 to 250 person company, purchased leads usually sit in a shared inbox or a spreadsheet that one person works through when they can. The platform replaces that with a tagged contact, an instant first message, a named owner and a pipeline record. Running it takes perhaps an hour a week: checking the consent records on new batches and reviewing which sources produced booked calls.

The mistake most people make

Treating a lead seller's promise as consent. "All our leads are opted in" is not evidence. If a regulator or carrier asks, you need the actual wording the person agreed to. Ask for it before you pay, and store it on the contact.

When not to use it

Do not buy leads for a market you cannot serve quickly. If your team cannot reply within the hour during working days, the money is better spent on your own forms. Do not buy data lists at all, whatever the price. And if your sales cycle is long and relationship-led, a paid enquiry is rarely the best start; read about SMS lead generation from your own traffic instead, and look at cold SMS marketing and why it fails before you consider anything resembling a list.

Troubleshooting

Leads arrive without consent text. Reject them in the workflow condition and raise it with the seller the same day. Do not text them while you wait for an answer.

Messages show as delivered but nobody replies. Check the first text reads like a person wrote it. Remove links and long disclaimers from the opening message.

The same person arrives twice from two sellers. Check how duplicates are matched on phone number, so the second arrival updates the existing contact rather than creating a new one.

People reply asking who you are. Your first message does not reference the enquiry clearly enough. Name the site they used and the service they asked about.

Frequently asked questions

Is it legal to text leads I bought?

It depends on the consent behind them. If the person agreed to be contacted by text by your firm or a clearly named category of firms, you can usually text them. A list with no such record is unsolicited marketing.

Should I call or text purchased leads first?

Text first if the consent covers it, then call when they reply or pick a time. A text is less intrusive and gives the person control over when the conversation happens.

How do I compare lead sellers?

Track each source in its own field and compare booked meetings per source, not lead volume. Your SMS marketing best practices apply equally to purchased enquiries.

Can the AI agent handle the first reply?

Yes. An AI agent can answer the first questions and offer booking times, then hand the conversation to the owner. Keep a person reviewing those threads daily.

The journey this guide describes