What Is Automation? What Is AI? How and Where Do They Fit Into My Business?

Earlier this week, I was chatting with my mom and casually dropped the term "marketing automation." She looked at me like she didn’t understand what I was saying… curious and a little confused.

The truth is, I use it all the time, and if you're running a business, you're likely using automation too. These days you're probably even using AI too, whether that's an app that suggests email subject lines, a chatbot on your website, or even the auto-complete on your phone.

But, if you're juggling 27 things at once and can't quite remember if you followed up with that person like you said you would (yeah, I've been there), there might be a few more things you could do to make your life as a business owner a little easier.

Let's break it down together. No tech speak. No overwhelm. Just a straightforward look at how you can use automation and AI to make everything in your business feel a little less messy and just a little bit better.

What Is Automation?

Imagine hiring an ultra-organized assistant who:

• Follows up with leads, even those you might forget

• Sends onboarding emails as soon as someone pays

• Sends reminders about upcoming appointments

• Adds new contacts to the right audience so they get only the information that is relevant to their interests

• Sends the right email at the right time without being asked

• Makes sure every client gets what they need to take their next step

Sounds pretty great, right?

It is.

You've likely been on the receiving end of automations. When they are set up well, you've likely even thought more highly about that business BECAUSE of their automations. It is a "Wow, they've got their act together" vibe.

Good automation feels like this: you schedule a consult, and moments later you get a friendly email confirming the time, with a helpful link to prep. It is seamless and makes your business feel buttoned-up and client-focused.

What Automation Isn't

Automation isn't:

• Spammy emails blasting out every five minutes (if it is, it is automation gone bad!)

• A miracle, but it saves a ton of time

• A robotic funnel that makes people want to unsubscribe

• AI. Artificial Intelligence. That is right. Automation is NOT AI. AI is something else entirely!

What AI Is

So what is AI, then?

By now you've likely tried ChatGPT or one of several other language learning models. You know that it has to be used carefully, thoughtfully... and there are a ton of ethical issues to resolve.

AI works differently than automation. It does not simply run preset tasks. It can analyze, predict, create, and adapt. Think about how ChatGPT sometimes gets things wrong or surprises you with unexpectedly good responses. That is because AI is "learning" and "guessing" based on patterns, not following a strict set of rules.

It is a bit like we took our super organized assistant and replaced them with one who is super enthusiastic. They are keen, full of ideas, committed to getting the job done, but occasionally bring you something a little off-base. Helpful, but still needs a guiding hand.

For example, it can help me write messages that mimic what you'd expect to hear from My Ads Team. This is an example of AI, not automation.

Automation vs. AI: What’s the Difference?

Automation and AI are easy to mix up, but they are not the same. I like to think of it as automation doing things on repeat. Automation can send reminders, emails, or task assignments without needing to do it manually.

AI comes in and makes those automations smarter. It helps figure out what should be sent, when to send it, and even how to personalize messaging for the recipient based on what has worked before.

Both can be used on their own to move your business forward.

The tools get better the more you use them. AI learns from past interactions, making future ones more relevant and effective.

It is also worth knowing that tools like Zapier or Make can help you connect your apps and tools, even ones that were not originally designed to talk to each other. This is automation in action: letting your CRM update automatically when someone fills out a form on your website, or having a Slack message sent to your team when a new lead comes in. Meanwhile, AI tools like ChatGPT can help you write content, brainstorm ideas, or analyze feedback, adding brain-power (artificial brain-power) to those automated processes.

Already Using Automation or AI? Here’s What’s Next

If you've already started using tools like Zapier, Make, ChatGPT, or CRM automations, high five. You are ahead of the game.

Even small tweaks here can make a big difference, no need to overhaul everything at once.

Map your full customer journey and fill the automation gaps

If your welcome email is automated but your onboarding reminders are not, or if you follow up inconsistently post-sale, this is a huge opportunity to level up with automation and AI.

Layer AI on top of your existing automations to make them smarter

Already have automations in place? Now ask: how can I make them smarter with AI, more personalized, more dynamic, more effective? You can use AI to personalize email copy, analyze what is working, and continuously optimize your flows.

Look beyond customer-facing, use automation and AI to streamline your internal workflows too

If your front-end is humming, turn to your back office: where could automation and AI save your team time and reduce manual busywork? Examples include auto-tagging Slack messages, updating project boards, or even generating meeting summaries with AI tools.

As you layer in automation and AI, do not forget to track what is working, so you can continuously improve.

The goal is not to automate for the sake of it. It is to create systems that help you run a better, more human business, with less manual work for you.

It is not about doing more. It is about doing it smarter.

Curious About Automation and AI?

Wondering how you could integrate automation OR AI effectively in your business? Or where to even start?

We can help.

We can help you figure out where automations will help to improve your customer or client experience or any other part of your business, and where it will not. We can help you find easy ways to start incorporating AI, with or without automations, to help your business serve its clients better.

We will help you start simple, choose the right tools, and avoid the common pitfalls, no tech overwhelm required. Let us make your business run smarter, not harder.