Automation makes a lot of things easier, but it doesn’t make everything better.
The appeal is obvious: fewer manual tasks, more efficiency, better consistency. And for solo and small firm owners, automation can save hours a week. But there’s a point where it stops being helpful and starts eroding the trust you’re trying to build.
Some marketing tasks are meant to be streamlined. Others still need a human touch. Knowing the difference is what separates sustainable marketing from sloppy shortcuts.
Here’s where to draw the line.
1. Personal Follow-Up Messages
Automated email sequences can help with general lead nurturing. But once someone reaches out to you directly, whether they fill out your contact form, reply to a newsletter, or DM you on social media, they should get a real response.
Don’t hand off that moment to a bot.
People can tell when they’re being brushed off with a generic “Thanks for reaching out, we’ll be in touch.” If someone expresses interest, curiosity, or concern, they deserve a human reply. Not later. Now.
This is especially important for referrals. If someone says, “Hey, I was told to call you,” and your first response is canned? You’ve already lost ground.
2. Your Online Reviews and Testimonials
Some platforms make it easy to auto-request reviews after a case closes. That’s fine if the ask is genuine and personal.
But if you’re copying and pasting the same dry language into every follow-up, you’re going to get fewer responses, and the ones you get won’t be that helpful.
Reviews work best when the person writing them feels like they’re doing you a favor. That’s hard to pull off with cold automation.
The same goes for replying to reviews. Never automate your responses. A simple “Thanks!” is better than a long, obviously scripted blurb. People want to see that you care, not that you outsourced your appreciation.
3. Your Social Media Comments and DMs
Automated replies to social messages are almost always a bad look.
Yes, platforms like Facebook and Instagram make it easy to auto-respond to DMs. And it might feel efficient to drop an instant “Thanks for reaching out! We’ll get back to you soon.” But most people interpret it as robotic, especially if they asked a question.
If someone comments on your post, engage like a real person. If they message you, reply like a real person.
This isn’t just about being polite. It’s also a signal to the algorithm. The more you engage directly, the more visibility your future posts will get.
4. Your Thought Leadership
You don’t have to write every blog or newsletter yourself. But what you do put out under your name should sound like you and reflect what you actually believe.
If your content is 100% AI-generated, templated, or ghostwritten without review, it shows.
Thought leadership works when it builds trust. That means people need to feel like they’re hearing from you, not some anonymous content farm. Even if you use a ghostwriter or an AI tool to draft posts, make sure the final version has your tone, your insight, and your approval.
5. Client Relationship Touchpoints
Birthdays. Holidays. Check-ins. Thank-you notes. These are the touches that build real loyalty.
Automating them can save time, but it often misses the mark. A generic holiday email or a templated “Happy birthday!” message doesn’t mean much if it feels like it came from a spreadsheet.
If you really want these things to count, keep them personal, even if that means sending fewer of them. A handwritten thank-you to a great client is going to get remembered. A mass-blasted e-card won’t.
Automation Works Best When It’s Invisible
The goal is to make your marketing feel personal, even when it’s not always 100% manual. Use automation to handle background tasks: scheduling posts, sending reminder emails, and segmenting your audience. That’s what it’s good for.
But when it comes to actual communication with real people, especially your leads and clients, show up like a human being. It doesn’t take much more time. And it builds real trust.