The Automation Myth
Most founders think automation means sending more emails. It doesn't.
Real automation means scaling your best practices without hiring more people.
What to Automate
Lead Nurturing
When someone signs up, send them a sequence of emails. Day 1: Welcome. Day 3: Value. Day 7: Social proof. Day 14: Offer.
This works 24/7 without you doing anything.
Customer Onboarding
When someone buys, send them onboarding emails. Day 1: Welcome. Day 3: First steps. Day 7: Best practices. Day 14: Advanced features.
This reduces churn and increases LTV.
Re-engagement
When a customer hasn't used your product in 30 days, send them a re-engagement email. Remind them of value. Offer help.
This reduces churn.
Win-back
When a customer cancels, send them a win-back sequence. Ask why they left. Offer a discount. Try to bring them back.
This recovers lost revenue.
The Automation Stack
Email Marketing: Mailchimp, ConvertKit, Klaviyo
CRM: HubSpot, Pipedrive, Salesforce
Workflow Automation: Zapier, Make, n8n
Landing Pages: Unbounce, Leadpages, Instapage
Building Your First Automation
Step 1: Choose a Process
Pick something you do manually every week. That's your first automation candidate.
Step 2: Document the Process
Write down exactly what you do. Every step. Every decision.
Step 3: Build the Automation
Use your automation tool to replicate the process.
Step 4: Test
Run it on yourself. Then on a small group. Then scale.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Automating bad processes. Automate good processes, not bad ones.
Mistake 2: Set and forget. Monitor your automations. Adjust based on data.
Mistake 3: Over-automating. Some things need human touch. Don't automate those.
Mistake 4: Not measuring. Track open rates, click rates, conversions.
The Bottom Line
Automation scales your best practices. Document your process. Build the automation. Measure results. Iterate.
This is how you grow without hiring.