And How to Start Unlocking the Other 90%

If you spend any time in the HighLevel community groups, forums, or Facebook discussions, you will notice a common theme.

A lot of users say something like:

“I know HighLevel is powerful… but I feel like I’m barely scratching the surface.”

Honestly, they are probably right.

Over the last few years I have worked with many businesses and agencies using HighLevel. One thing I have noticed repeatedly is that most users only use a small percentage of what the platform can actually do.

In many cases, they use pipelines, maybe calendars, maybe email marketing, perhaps forms and funnels, but huge parts of the platform remain untouched.

And it is not because people are lazy.

Usually it is because HighLevel is enormous.

HighLevel Is Not a Normal CRM

This is one of the biggest misunderstandings.

Many people initially approach HighLevel as though it is simply another CRM platform.

It is not.

Modern HighLevel has evolved into something much bigger.

It now includes CRM, email marketing, SMS marketing, automation workflows, websites, funnels, calendars, online courses, communities, reputation management, social media scheduling, AI tools, Voice AI, conversational AI, memberships, surveys, quizzes, invoicing, proposals, reporting, WhatsApp integration, mobile apps, white label SaaS functionality and AI-powered workflows.

That is why I often describe HighLevel as:

“The WordPress of marketing and business automation systems.”

The flexibility is incredible.

But flexibility can also become overwhelming.

Why So Many Users Get Stuck

1. Too Many Features at Once

When people first log in to HighLevel they often feel excited.

Then very quickly, they feel confused, distracted and overwhelmed.

There are so many menus, settings, modules, workflows, and integrations that people struggle to know where to begin.

Many users end up jumping randomly between features without building a clear operational system.

That creates frustration very quickly.

2. People Buy HighLevel Before They Have a Strategy

This is extremely common.

A business owner hears:

• “HighLevel can replace all your tools.”
• “HighLevel can automate your business.”
• “HighLevel can build funnels.”
• “HighLevel can do AI.”

So they subscribe.

But they do not yet have a clear customer journey, a sales process, follow-up systems, lead qualification, onboarding systems or operational workflows.

Technology amplifies systems. It does not magically create them.

This is why strategy matters first.

When we receive an initial enquiry from a potential MarketerM8 subscriber, one of the first things we often do is work with the client to draft a Marketing Automation Plan.

This effectively becomes our “architect’s blueprint”.

Before building anything inside HighLevel, we map out lead flow, sales stages, follow-up processes, customer journeys, automations, bottlenecks and communication systems.

In many ways, this is similar to an architect designing a building before construction starts.

It means we do the hard work first on the “virtual piece of paper” before building systems inside the platform.

Without this stage, many businesses end up overcomplicating things, building random disconnected workflows, duplicating effort, automating poor processes and becoming overwhelmed.

A clear plan dramatically simplifies implementation.

Here is a video where I explain this concept in more detail:

Watch the Marketing Automation Plan video

Most Users Stay in the “Basic Tools Zone”

A lot of users never move beyond pipelines, contacts, calendars and basic email campaigns.

Meanwhile they completely ignore some of the most powerful parts of the platform.

Workflows & Automation

This is arguably the real power of HighLevel.

Automated follow-up, reminders, nurture sequences, lead routing, missed call text back, appointment confirmations, review requests, onboarding and reactivation campaigns can save enormous amounts of time while improving consistency.

Voice AI & AI Receptionists

This is one of the fastest-growing areas inside HighLevel right now.

Many businesses still miss calls, rely on voicemail and lose leads outside office hours.

Modern AI receptionists can answer calls 24/7, qualify leads, book appointments, answer FAQs, transfer calls and send follow-up texts.

Most HighLevel users have not even explored this yet.

Social Media Planner

A surprising number of users still pay separately for Buffer, Hootsuite and social schedulers, while ignoring the social planning tools already built into HighLevel.

Reviews & Reputation Management

This is one of the most underused revenue-generating tools in the platform.

Businesses obsess over lead generation while ignoring reviews, testimonials, reputation signals and Google review growth.

Often these can dramatically improve conversion rates without increasing advertising spend.

Communities & Courses

Many people still think of platforms like Kajabi, Circle and Skool, without realising HighLevel can already handle much of this functionality.

This is especially valuable for coaches, consultants, educators, agencies and membership businesses.

The Biggest Mistake. Trying to Do Everything at Once

This is where many users go wrong.

They try to build workflows, create funnels, launch AI, build websites, automate onboarding, set up memberships and connect APIs all at the same time.

That usually ends badly.

Instead, the best approach is often to start simple.

One pipeline. One workflow. One customer journey. One automation problem to solve.

Then build gradually.

This is actually very similar to Gall’s Law:

“A complex system that works is invariably found to have evolved from a simple system that worked.”

The strongest HighLevel systems usually evolve over time.

You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know

One of the biggest challenges with HighLevel is that many users do not realise what is actually possible inside the platform.

They only use the features they happen to stumble across.

For example, many users may never discover missed call text back workflows, AI receptionists, automated review requests, pipeline automation, conversational AI, advanced calendar routing, social media scheduling, WhatsApp integrations, communities and memberships, automated onboarding systems, and AI-powered workflows unless somebody shows them.

That is why so many users remain stuck in the “10% zone”.

It is not because they are incapable.

It is usually because they have never seen the bigger picture, real-world implementations, practical use cases, operational systems and how experienced users are using the platform.

This is one reason live training and workshops can be so valuable.

Often, a single workshop can completely change how somebody sees the platform.

A user might suddenly realise:

• “I didn’t know HighLevel could do that.”
• “I didn’t realise those tools were already included.”
• “I’m paying separately for software HighLevel already replaces.”
• “That one workflow alone could save me hours every week.”

These moments happen constantly.

Start With the Quick Wins First

One mistake many HighLevel users make is trying to build everything at once.

In reality, the smartest approach is usually to focus on quick wins first.

The systems that immediately save time, reduce missed opportunities, improve follow-up, increase conversions and remove repetitive admin are often the highest-value starting points because they create immediate impact inside the business.

And importantly, they build confidence.

Once a business owner sees HighLevel genuinely improving day-to-day operations, the platform suddenly starts making far more sense.

Quick Win Example 1. Sales Pipelines & Opportunities

Setting up the sales pipeline and opportunities system is very often one of the fastest wins inside HighLevel.

Many businesses still rely on spreadsheets, post-it notes, inboxes, diaries or memory.

That is dangerous.

Leads get forgotten. Follow-ups get delayed. Quotes go cold. Opportunities slip through the cracks.

A properly structured sales pipeline creates visibility and accountability.

You can instantly see where leads are in the sales process, who needs following up, what quotes are outstanding, where deals are getting stuck and which team members need to take action.

One dentist I worked with had a major issue with enquiries not being followed up consistently.

The leads were coming in. But there was no structured process ensuring somebody followed up every opportunity properly.

We implemented a clear sales pipeline and opportunity management system inside HighLevel.

The receptionist now had visibility of new enquiries, consultation stages, treatment follow-up, outstanding opportunities and overdue follow-ups.

In the first year alone, this generated an additional £1 million in revenue from leads that previously were not being followed up consistently.

Not because the business suddenly generated more leads.

But because they stopped losing the leads they already had.

Quick Win Example 2. Reactivating Old Leads & Quotes

Another powerful quick win is reactivating lapsed enquiries and old quotes.

Many businesses are sitting on years of old enquiries, unconverted leads, expired quotes and dormant contacts.

These contacts already know the business. Often timing was simply wrong when they originally enquired.

A sash window restoration company I worked with had a large database of quoted enquiries that had never been properly followed up.

The quotes had simply gone cold.

Using HighLevel, we launched a very simple reactivation email campaign to reconnect with previous enquiries.

The result?

An additional £30,000 in sales generated from just a few minutes of work.

No additional advertising spend. No new lead generation campaign. Just better follow-up and reactivation.

This is why quick wins matter so much.

Often the biggest opportunities inside a business are already there.

They simply need better systems.

Why We Run Free Live HighLevel Workshops

This is exactly why we run the free live weekly MarketerM8 HighLevel Workshops.

The goal is not simply to teach features.

The goal is to help business owners and agencies see what is possible, understand real-world use cases, simplify implementation, avoid overwhelm, learn practical systems and gradually unlock more of the platform.

Every week we cover different areas of HighLevel including foundations, workflows and automation, calendars and appointments, forms and surveys, websites and funnels, social media planning, database management, AI tools, Voice AI, memberships and communities, and advanced marketing systems.

Many attendees tell us the workshops help them discover tools and capabilities they had no idea already existed inside their account.

And often that is the turning point where users finally begin unlocking the other 90%.

You can explore the free live workshops here:

Explore the free MarketerM8 HighLevel Workshops

The Businesses Winning With HighLevel

The businesses getting the best results are usually not the ones using every feature.

They are the businesses using the right features consistently.

Typically they simplify, systemise, automate repetitive tasks, improve follow-up, improve customer communication, remove bottlenecks and build operational consistency.

That is where the real value comes from.

AI Is Changing the Conversation Again

In 2026, the conversation around HighLevel is shifting again because of AI Studio, Agent Studio, Voice AI, conversational AI, lightweight AI-powered tools and AI workflows.

This is opening the door for businesses to create systems that would previously have required developers, custom software, multiple SaaS platforms and expensive integrations.

Now many of these tools can be built directly inside HighLevel or connected very quickly.

That is why many people are beginning to describe HighLevel less as a CRM and more as an AI Operating System for small businesses.

So How Do You Unlock the Other 90%?

Honestly, you do not need to master every feature.

Most businesses do not.

The key is identifying your biggest bottlenecks, your biggest time drains and your biggest missed opportunities.

Then using HighLevel strategically to solve those problems one step at a time.

That might mean improving lead follow-up, reducing missed calls, automating appointment reminders, improving onboarding, creating nurture systems, automating review requests or centralising communication.

Small operational improvements compound very quickly.

Final Thoughts

HighLevel is one of the most powerful business automation platforms available right now.

But its biggest strength can also become its biggest challenge.

The platform can do so much that many users become overwhelmed before they ever unlock its real value.

The businesses that succeed with HighLevel are usually not the businesses trying to use every feature immediately.

They are the businesses building simple systems consistently and expanding gradually over time.

And in many cases, unlocking the “other 90%” is less about learning more technology.

It is about building better systems.

Written by Julian Mills. HighLevel consultant and marketing strategist helping businesses automate lead generation, follow-up and customer communication using AI-powered systems.

Learn more about Julian Mills.

You can also explore the free weekly MarketerM8 HighLevel Workshops.

If you run a small business, there is a good chance you have experienced this problem.

You are busy. You are with a customer. You are driving. You are in a meeting. You are trying to focus.

Then the phone rings.

You miss the call and think: “I’ll call them back later.”

But often, later is too late. Did you know that the chances of winning the business drop significantly if it takes you over 10 minutes to return a potential customers call?

Many businesses do not realise how much revenue is quietly lost through missed calls. Especially service businesses where speed matters. If someone cannot get through to you, they often simply call the next business on Google. Find out how much missed calls are costing your business. Click here.

Over the last few years I have seen a major shift in how businesses are handling inbound calls. Traditionally the options were limited to hiring staff or using a telephone answering service. Now there are newer AI-powered options that are dramatically changing the landscape.

So what are your options if you need help answering the phone in your business?

Let’s break them down.

Option 1. Hire a Receptionist

This is the traditional approach.

You hire somebody to answer calls, take messages, transfer calls, and handle customer enquiries.

For many businesses this still works very well.

A good receptionist can:

• build rapport
• reassure customers
• handle complex situations
• represent your business professionally

Typical costs

A full-time receptionist in the UK will often cost:

• £22,000 to £35,000+ per year salary
• plus National Insurance
• pension contributions
• holidays
• recruitment costs
• training
• sick pay
• office space and equipment

That can easily mean a real business cost of £2,000 to £3,500+ per month.

The downsides

• expensive for small businesses
• holidays and sickness
• limited opening hours
• scaling issues
• recruitment headaches

For smaller businesses especially, hiring a full-time receptionist is often difficult to justify financially.

This is why many businesses started looking at outsourced solutions.

Option 2. Use a Telephone Answering Service

This is a very common solution in the UK.

Companies such as Moneypenny and AnswerConnect provide outsourced call handling using real people.

Typically:

• your calls divert to them
• they answer in your business name
• they take messages
• they may book appointments
• they email or text you updates

For many businesses this can be a major improvement over missed calls.

Typical costs

Telephone answering services vary hugely depending on call volumes.

Typical pricing models include:

• £15 to £50/month entry packages
• £1 to £2.50+ per answered call
• or £1 to £1.50+ per receptionist minute

For many growing businesses, realistic monthly costs often end up around £150 to £550+ per month.

The advantages

• cheaper than full-time staff
• professional call handling
• extended hours
• overflow support
• no recruitment headaches

The disadvantages

• costs can rise quickly with volume
• usually charged per minute or per call
• scripts can feel generic
• limited integration with your CRM
• weak automation
• difficult to personalise deeply

This is where things are beginning to change rapidly.

Option 3. AI Receptionists

This is one of the fastest-growing areas in business technology right now.

AI receptionists can now answer calls in a surprisingly natural way.

Modern AI systems can:

• answer calls instantly
• answer FAQs
• qualify leads
• book appointments
• transfer calls
• send follow-up texts
• capture customer details
• update CRM systems automatically
• work 24/7

Platforms like HighLevel now make this technology accessible to small businesses and agencies, not just large corporations.

A few years ago this type of technology felt futuristic.

Now it is becoming mainstream.

One of the biggest advantages of AI receptionists is consistency.

Unlike human teams:

• they do not get tired
• they do not take holidays
• they do not call in sick
• they do not forget scripts
• they do not stop at 5pm

An AI receptionist works 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

This is especially useful for:

• trades businesses receiving emergency enquiries
• clinics receiving evening appointment requests
• businesses running Facebook or Google advertising campaigns
• companies receiving calls outside normal office hours

Another major advantage is scalability.

Traditional reception teams can become overwhelmed during busy periods.

An AI receptionist can comfortably handle over 100 calls simultaneously.

That becomes extremely valuable during:

• advertising campaigns
• promotions
• peak seasonal demand
• event registrations
• radio or TV exposure
• service outages or emergencies

For example, if a plumbing company suddenly receives a surge of inbound calls during freezing weather, an AI receptionist can continue answering calls consistently without customers hearing engaged tones or going to voicemail.

Teams of AI Agents

This is where things become particularly interesting.

Many people imagine a single AI receptionist trying to answer everything.

In reality, modern systems can use multiple specialist AI agents working together.

For example:

• one AI agent handles bookings
• another handles support questions
• another qualifies sales enquiries
• another routes urgent calls
• another handles after-hours emergencies

This is often far more effective than having one “jack of all trades” receptionist trying to cover everything.

At MarketerM8 we build AI receptionist systems using HighLevel, where businesses can effectively create teams of AI staff tailored to different parts of the customer journey.

That means businesses can create:

• specialist booking assistants
• support agents
• lead qualification agents
• appointment reminder agents
• overflow call handlers
• out-of-hours receptionists

All working together inside one connected system.

Example AI Receptionist Pricing

There are now many AI receptionist providers entering the market.

Typical pricing in the UK ranges from:

• £20 to £100+ per month for basic systems
• plus usage charges depending on minutes and features

At MarketerM8 typical pricing includes:

• £97 per month subscription
• £1,000 setup fee
• £0.17 per minute for live AI call handling

The setup fee covers:

• AI configuration
• call flow design
• integrations
• CRM setup
• appointment booking logic
• knowledge base training
• testing and optimisation

Unlike many traditional answering services, the AI receptionist can also integrate directly into your CRM and marketing automation system.

That means:

• calls can create opportunities automatically
• follow-up texts and emails can be triggered
• appointments can be booked automatically
• missed calls can generate workflows
• conversations can be summarised into contact records

This is one of the reasons AI receptionists are becoming increasingly attractive to growing businesses.

Hear It for Yourself

If you are curious what this technology actually sounds like in the real world, you can try our AI receptionist demo.

Give Jenny, our AI Receptionist Demo, a call on:

07458 008 090

Jenny will role play how an AI agent could answer the phone for your business, including:

• answering enquiries
• capturing customer details
• booking appointments
• transferring calls
• handling common questions

Many people are surprised by how natural modern AI phone systems now sound.

Where AI Receptionists Work Particularly Well

I have found AI receptionists work especially well in businesses where:

• speed matters
• calls are repetitive
• many calls are simple enquiries
• missing calls loses revenue

Examples include:

• plumbers
• electricians
• estate agents
• clinics
• dentists
• gyms
• therapists
• roofers
• cleaning companies
• consultants
• trades businesses

For example:

• “How much do you charge?”
• “Are you open?”
• “Can I book an appointment?”
• “Do you cover my area?”
• “Can somebody call me back?”

These are all tasks AI can now handle very effectively.

The Biggest Misunderstanding About AI Receptionists

Many people think the goal is: “replace humans”.

I do not think that is the best approach.

The strongest systems I am seeing now are hybrid systems.

Option 4. AI + Human Hybrid Reception

This is where things get interesting.

Instead of replacing staff completely:

• AI handles first-line enquiries
• AI covers evenings and weekends
• AI captures missed calls
• AI handles overflow
• humans take over to handle sensitive or complex conversations

This creates a much stronger customer experience while dramatically reducing missed opportunities.

For many businesses this is the sweet spot.

Typical costs

Hybrid systems vary significantly depending on:

• human involvement
• call volume
• hours covered
• integrations

But many businesses find they can dramatically reduce receptionist costs while still maintaining a human touch where it matters most.

Option 5. Just Forward Calls to Your Mobile

A huge number of small businesses still operate this way.

Especially:

• trades
• sole traders
• consultants
• mobile businesses

Typical costs

Usually low direct cost.

But often very high hidden cost.

The hidden costs are:

• missed opportunities
• interruptions
• poor customer experience
• work/life balance issues
• inability to scale

This approach creates problems:

• interruptions
• missed calls while driving
• no consistency
• no reporting
• poor lead tracking

Many business owners become prisoners to their phones.

Option 6. Voicemail

Honestly, voicemail is becoming less effective.

Many customers simply do not leave messages anymore.

Especially younger customers.

If somebody urgently needs help and gets voicemail, there is a strong chance they simply move on to the next business.

Typical costs

Very cheap financially.

Potentially very expensive in lost business.

Why This Matters More Than Ever

Consumers increasingly expect:

• fast responses
• immediate answers
• convenience
• 24/7 availability

The businesses winning today are often not necessarily the best businesses.

They are simply the easiest businesses to contact.

That is a very important distinction.

Final Thoughts

If your business struggles to answer calls consistently, you now have far more options than you did a few years ago.

Those options range from:

• hiring staff
• outsourced answering services
• virtual receptionists
• AI receptionists
• hybrid AI + human systems

The right solution depends on:

• your business type
• call volume
• budget
• customer expectations
• how important speed is in your industry

But one thing is becoming increasingly clear.

Businesses that respond quickly and consistently are gaining a significant advantage over businesses that still rely purely on missed calls and voicemail.

And as AI tools continue to improve, I believe we are only at the beginning of this shift.

Written by Julian Mills. HighLevel consultant and marketing strategist helping businesses automate lead generation, follow-up and customer communication using AI-powered systems.

Learn more about Julian Mills.

You can also explore the free weekly MarketerM8 HighLevel Workshops.

I was recently asked by a new MarketerM8 subscriber why his text message sending costs were so high.

He thought MarketerM8 was charging a hefty premium. Some of his messages were costing over 25p, not the roughly 6p you would expect for a standard 160 character SMS segment.

That didn’t sound right.

So I dug into it to understand exactly what was going on. Once I worked it out, it became clear this is something a lot of users misunderstand. That is why I have put this post together, to explain what is really happening with HighLevel SMS costs.

What Is a 160 Character SMS Segment?

A standard SMS message allows up to 160 characters.

If your message goes over that limit, it does not stay as one message. It gets split into multiple segments, and you are charged for each segment.

For example:

• 1-160 characters = 1 SMS segment
• 161-306 characters = 2 segments
• 307-459 characters = 3 segments

So a slightly longer message can instantly double or triple your cost.

It is also worth noting that on your personal mobile phone, especially if you are on an unlimited text tariff, you never really notice this happening.

You can send a long message, well over 160 characters, and it arrives as one seamless message on the recipient’s phone. Behind the scenes, your network is stitching multiple segments together to deliver that single message experience.

Because you are not being charged per segment in that context, it is completely invisible.

But in platforms like HighLevel, where you are paying per segment, that invisible behaviour suddenly becomes very visible in your costs.

Why HighLevel Messages Often Cost More

There are a few common reasons your SMS costs are higher than expected:

1. It’s About Segments, Not Messages

Even slightly longer texts can push you into multiple segments. This is the biggest reason costs creep up.

2. Unicode Reduces Your Character Limit

If your message contains certain characters, it switches from standard SMS (GSM-7) to Unicode.

When that happens:

• Standard SMS = 160 characters per segment
• Unicode SMS = 70 characters per segment

So your cost per message can more than double.

3. What Actually Triggers Unicode

Unicode is triggered by the characters used, not the tools you use.

Common triggers include:

• Emojis
• Smart quotes
• Special characters like é, £, €
• Non-standard symbols

4. Do Merge Fields Increase SMS Costs?

This is a common misunderstanding.

Using merge fields like:

• {{contact.first_name}}
• {{contact.email}}

does NOT automatically increase your SMS cost or turn your message into Unicode.

However, the data inside the merge field can.

Example:

Hi {{contact.first_name}}, your appointment is booked.

If the name is:

• John = standard SMS = 160 characters per segment

But if the name is:

• José
• Chloë

Now your message includes special characters. The entire message becomes Unicode. That means 70 characters per segment.

5. Hidden Characters from Copy and Paste

One of the biggest silent cost drivers.

If you copy text from Word, websites, or emails, you may accidentally include:

• Curly quotes
• Hidden symbols
• Non-standard spaces

These can trigger Unicode without you realising.

6. Longer Marketing Messages

It is easy to write longer messages when you are:

• Promoting offers
• Sending reminders
• Explaining next steps

But every extra sentence increases the chance of hitting another segment.

How to Reduce SMS Costs in HighLevel

A few simple tweaks can make a big difference:

• Keep messages short and direct
• Avoid emojis unless necessary
• Use plain text instead of smart punctuation
• Be cautious with merge field data (names with accents, etc.)
• Avoid copy and paste from formatted sources
• Test messages before sending

A Couple Of Simple But Powerful Tips

Link to a webpage /funnel page

This is one of the best tips I picked up from a client years ago is this.

If you have a longer or more complex message to get across, do not try to squeeze everything into the SMS.

Keep your text message within 160 characters and use it to drive a click.

Then send the reader to a dedicated landing page where you have unlimited space to explain your offer properly.

You reduce your SMS costs and improve your marketing at the same time.

Use Shorter Links to Save Characters

Another simple win. Keep your links as short as possible.

Long URLs can quickly eat into your character count and push you into another segment.

In HighLevel, you already have a built-in way to handle this:

Settings > Domains & URL Redirects > URL Redirects

Strictly speaking, this is not a traditional URL shortener like Bit.ly. But it does allow you to create shorter, cleaner, branded links using your own domain.

That is actually a big advantage.

Using your own domain looks more trustworthy and can help with deliverability. Spam filters can sometimes flag public link shorteners like Bit.ly, because they are commonly used to mask suspicious links.

So by shortening your links inside HighLevel, you are not only reducing character count. You are also keeping your messages cleaner, more professional, and less likely to run into filtering issues.

Keep an Eye on Your Billing

Another very practical habit.

Keep a regular eye on your itemised billing and look for messages that are costing more than expected.

In HighLevel, you can do this here:

Settings > Billing > Wallet & Transactions > Detailed Transactions

This allows you to quickly scan through and spot any texts that are costing more than they should.

If you want to go deeper, export the transactions and review them in Excel or Google Sheets. That way you can:

• Sort by cost
• Identify patterns
• Spot problem messages quickly

This is often the fastest way to diagnose what is really driving your SMS costs.

Final Thought

HighLevel is not overcharging you. It is simply passing on telecom pricing based on how SMS actually works.

Once you understand segments and Unicode, you can control your costs far more effectively.

And importantly. It is not the merge fields causing the cost increase. It is the characters that sometimes come with them.

Written by Julian Mills – HighLevel consultant and marketing strategist.
About Julian Mills

Looking to get started with HighLevel – check out my HighLevel agency MarketerM8.com

You may have started hearing the term MarTech appearing more often in business and marketing conversations. The word is simply a shortened version of marketing technology, and it refers to the software tools businesses use to plan, run, automate, and measure their marketing.

Put simply, MarTech is the technology that powers modern marketing.

Today’s businesses rely on software to capture leads, communicate with prospects, nurture relationships, and track marketing performance. MarTech tools make this possible by bringing these activities into organised digital systems.

What Counts as MarTech?

MarTech covers a wide range of platforms designed to help businesses manage their marketing activities more efficiently.

Common examples include:

• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems
• Email marketing platforms
• Marketing automation software
• Website and funnel builders
• Social media scheduling tools
• Reputation management and review systems
• Analytics and reporting platforms
• AI-driven marketing assistants

These tools allow businesses to reach customers more effectively while automating many of the tasks that once had to be done manually.

Why MarTech Matters

Not long ago, many businesses managed their marketing using spreadsheets, disconnected tools, and manual follow-up processes.

MarTech platforms bring everything together into a more structured system.

With the right MarTech in place, businesses can:

• Capture enquiries automatically
• Track where leads come from
• Follow up with prospects using automated messages
• Nurture relationships with existing customers
• Measure the performance of marketing campaigns

This allows even small businesses to operate with the same level of organisation and automation that larger companies have relied on for years.

HighLevel as a Modern MarTech Platform

A good example of a modern MarTech platform is HighLevel.

Rather than using multiple separate tools, HighLevel brings many marketing functions into one system, including:

• CRM and contact management
• Email and SMS marketing
• Website and funnel building
• Marketing automation workflows
• Reputation and review management
• Social media planning
• Reporting and analytics

By combining these tools into a single platform, businesses can manage much of their marketing activity from one place instead of juggling several different systems.

AI Agents and the Next Stage of MarTech

Another area where HighLevel is pushing MarTech forward is through its use of built-in artificial intelligence.

One example is Voice AI, which can intelligently answer incoming phone calls, speak with callers, capture information, and even book appointments automatically. It can also make outbound calls for tasks such as lead follow-up or appointment reminders.

For many businesses, this effectively provides an AI receptionist that works around the clock.

And the Future? Agent Studio and AI Virtual Assistants

HighLevel goes even further with the introduction of Agent Studio.

Agent Studio allows users to build their own AI-powered virtual assistants inside the platform without needing to write code. These assistants can access CRM data, respond to enquiries, trigger automations, and perform a wide range of routine tasks.

For example, an AI assistant could:

• Respond to new lead enquiries
• Qualify prospects by asking questions
• Update CRM records automatically
• Create and send personalised video to new leads
• Trigger marketing workflows
• Generate follow-up messages or emails
• Route enquiries to the correct team member

In effect, businesses can now design AI assistants that operate inside their marketing system and help run parts of the business automatically.

A New Direction for MarTech

The MarTech landscape continues to evolve rapidly. While thousands of marketing tools exist, the trend is moving towards fewer platforms that do far more.

Solutions like HighLevel demonstrate how marketing technology is evolving. Instead of simply providing tools, modern MarTech platforms are beginning to provide intelligent systems that help businesses automate and manage large parts of their marketing operation.

With innovations like Voice AI and Agent Studio, businesses can now go beyond automation and start building AI-powered virtual assistants that support their marketing and customer communication.

Learn more about HighLevel

> If you would like to learn more about HighLevel – visit MarketerM8 – a HighLevel Agency

> Book a 1-2-1 Discovery Call with Julian

Written by Julian Mills – HighLevel consultant and marketing strategist. About Julian Mills.

Looking for Bucket.io software or what happened with The Ask Method. Check out this blog post.

Get a copy of The Ask Method by Ryan Levesque at Amazon (this is not an affiliate link).

Written by Julian Mills – HighLevel consultant and marketing strategist.

The Most Profitable Question Your Sales Team Is Not Asking

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