Speed matters more than the perfect first message
A fast, imperfect reply converts better than a polished one that arrives hours later.
Leads searching for a local service are usually comparing you against whoever else responds first. A generic "Thanks for reaching out — when's a good time to talk?" sent within minutes beats a fully personalized message sent that evening.
Propel's automated follow-up sends a first message the moment a lead comes in, so the clock doesn't start ticking until you're actually free to have the real conversation — but it's still worth checking your Leads page a few times a day, since a quick personal follow-up on top of the automated one closes more deals than either alone.
How automated follow-up actually works
There's no on/off switch to hunt for — it starts the moment a lead reaches the right stage, automatically.
Propel's follow-up sequences aren't something you turn on in settings — they run automatically based on where a lead is in your pipeline. A brand-new lead gets the New Lead Conversion sequence; an appointment that's been set gets reminders; an estimate that's gone quiet gets a nudge. You don't have to configure timing, you just need leads flowing in and a connected phone number.
If a sequence hasn't sent anything yet, the most common reasons are: no phone number is provisioned yet (check Settings > Integrations), or your SMS compliance registration is still pending — both block automated sends until resolved. Once those are in place, follow-up starts working in the background with no further setup.
How campaign approval works
Nothing spends a dollar until you approve it — approval is the one manual step in an otherwise automatic system.
Every campaign Propel builds for you — audience, messaging, budget recommendation — sits in Draft until you review and approve it. This is intentional: everything up to that point is free to change, but approval is what actually launches spend on Google or Meta, so it only happens once and only when you say so.
A draft or pending-review campaign shows up on both your Campaigns list and this Resources page's setup checklist until it's approved. If you're not ready to launch yet, that's fine — it'll just sit there until you are, nothing expires.
Why verifying your Google Business Profile matters
An unverified listing can't fully appear in local search or Maps results — verification is what makes it official.
Google requires proof that you actually control a business before letting its listing show up fully in local search and Maps — that's what verification is for. Until it's verified, your profile is incomplete in Google's eyes, even if every field is filled in.
Propel starts the verification process for you, but Google may still require a confirmation step on your end (a postcard, phone call, or email, depending on your business). Check Settings > Integrations for your current status, and complete whichever step Google is waiting on — most verifications resolve within a few days once that's done.
Put this into practice with Propel
Propel builds these practices into its tools so you don't have to remember them.
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