The art of automating...
THE COMPLICATED LIFE OF A WOKE BUSINESSWOMAN
It’s been an interesting month here in war-ravaged Portland.
We’ve had naked bike rides, frog costumes, a visit from Kristi Noem, government shutdowns, and literally any other wacky news story you can imagine. Keeping up with the insane news cycle feels oppressive, and on top of it all I’m having an existential crisis about AI.
I was all set to unreservedly unleash AI on my business you may recall my editor’s letter in Issue 31 about this exact topic. At first blush, AI comes across as the ultimate answer to most business problems. It can be your personal assistant and your research assistant. It can synthesize your documents, write essays, create art, et cetera et cetera.
The conclusion I had come to was that AI was the answer I was looking for to solve the business growth paradox needing help to get revenue, but needing revenue to get help.
So like the adaptable business woman
I am, I set about reconfiguring my business model to embed AI tools that could fill in the gaps and free me up to exert more brain power towards the creative side of what I do, like strategizing and content brainstorming
But then I watched this interview on The Daily Show with Tristan Harris, the founder of the Center for Humane Technology. He and host Jon Stewart dive into the complexities of the recent boom of AI agents and platforms.
They talk about a lot of things, but the moment that most stuck out to me in this episode was around the 6:50 mark when Harris says that the likeliest outcome of implementing all this AI technology is that it ultimately ends up concentrating all of the wealth into the hands of yep, you guessed it a very tiny percentage of the population who are not to be trusted. It’s the same population that happens to be pumping millions of dollars into getting like-minded political candidates elected, aka the tech broligarchy. Cue the entire Game of Thrones plot line.
Plus, it turns out that running AI models takes a significant amount of energy. Yikes…
Well, we knew there had to be a catch, didn’t we? When in history has new technology ever NOT triggered a domino effect of unintended consequences?
I want to freely build and grow my business, and I’m grateful I live in a country where the sky’s the limit. But I also don’t want to do it the ol’ capitalist way minimal rest, cutthroat competition, monopolizing and I definitely don’t want to blindly participate in the part of the system that makes the rich richer and the poor poorer. I mean, look where that got us (see frog costumes referenced in line 2).
But I also can’t deny that it makes total sense nay, is absolutely necessary to be as cost-effective as possible. This economy is expensive AF and I am but a humble solopreneur with limited financial means.
A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Madelyn Veith
From a conscientious/concernedabout-the-state-of-our-union perspective, AI should be avoided at all costs. Ugh. It’s hard to be a business woman with a conscience…
I don’t have a great answer to this Like I said, it’s complicated. For now, I’m opting for the middle ground. I’ll be intentional about using it to grow my business, but I also won’t let my entire business model hinge on its existence. I’ll keep forging organic creativity where it matters most and prioritizing the more important things like human connection.
And now for the issue at hand…
Flip through the pages of this issue and discover the timeless art of automating your business. Unlock the secret to a workflow that promotes your brand even when you’re off the clock.
From a business/bottom line perspective, AI is an obvious choice.
STRATEGYSECRETS
When Automation Becomes Branding
At face value, digital automation is an incredibly simple concept: An input triggers an output, without human intervention. And, as long as it’s set up correctly, you don’t need to do much to maintain it in the future. It’s the essence of “set it and forget it.”
From a business strategy standpoint, that could make you relatively unstoppable: You no longer need to keep track of all of the mundane tasks that suck up your valuable time and drain your limited energy. It gives you more space to focus on the fun stuff, or just take a much-needed vacation, while your business literally runs like clockwork.
There are the internal systems to automate, like invoicing and scheduling, and then there are the marketing processes to automate, like lead generation, sales funnels, subscriptions and more.
The first secret is that a good marketing automation is much more than just a quick this-then-that. It’s a complete customer journey—a robust, thoughtful workflow that traces a logical sequence of events and creates a guided, rewarding experience for your contacts
It involves customized communications, thoughtful offers, and anticipated needs. As the mastermind behind the funnel, you must think from the point of view of your customer. “What do I want to know about this business? How and where do I learn more? When do I want to hear from them? When do I not want to hear from them? Can I trust this business?”
When you take care to meticulously plan everything down to the last digital detail, your automations go from being a technical infrastructure for your funnels to being an invisible brand engineer.
Branding is a layered process that happens over time and is defined by repetitions of trustworthiness and consistency. Automating activates those repetitions.
Everything within the repetitions feeds into your reputation as a business, and thus up into your brand message (secret #2). The time in between interactions, the method of communication, the style of greeting, the tone of the copy… these all play a role. The better your repetitions, the better your brand message. The better your brand message, the higher your conversion metrics (sales, clients, revenue, you name it).
In other words, automating your business is a science, but automating your brand is an art. (The third secret.)
And, like every good artist, you need a medium. For marketing, that would be a CRM platform (Customer Relationship Management). These platforms usually have everything you need to not only build the technical components (the programmed steps that actually enact the automations), but to put your unique stamp on them branded templates, contact customizations, passionate copy, etc.
So now you know: The art of automating is not just about efficiency It’s about experience, and giving your customers the journey they deserve.
Everybody loves free stuff, which is what makes the lead magnet such a useful business gadget ABOUT
A lead magnet is a valuable marketing tool you can use to grow your audience and convert potential prospects into viable leads. It starts with a free giveaway, like a resource or discount, which people can claim by submitting their email or other contact info to you. Once you have their data, you can contact them with future marketing offers or announcements.
The principle of the lead magnet is “try it before you buy it” By giving people a free option, you’re making it easier for them to say yes to giving up their personal information because it’s a low-risk outcome.
Whether or not the outcome is worth it, however, is up to you. It should be something that is well worth giving up personal information in the cyber age. Otherwise, your brand’s reputation to deliver on its promises could be at stake.
“Try before you buy!”
NESS GADgETS
...INACTION!
Imagine you run a thrift store and you want a boost in sales (some customer loyalty would be nice, too!). You decide to offer an exclusive style guide of your favorite curated looks for the fall. This showcases not only your expertise as a stylist, but also conveys your willingness to share your knowledge with others.
The first step is to set up the workflow. You’ll need a landing page, a purchase confirmation email, some follow-up emails, as well as the style guide itself. Then, you’ll want to advertise the offer somewhere on the website, both as a pop-up block and as a separate landing page for linking on social media and in emails.
The workflow is pretty basic. The customer sees the content and subscribes. A tag is added that triggers the first email that includes the style guide. Then, they get one email every 2 days for the next week with follow-up notes about fall styles and images of similar styles you happen to be selling in your very shop, and possibly even a discount code for a future purchase (loyalty!).
MANUAL
Solution on next page
AUTOMATION TERMINOLOGY
Across
1 To adapt based on data
4 A label for categorization; also price
5 A single rule or action
9 The recipient as an email address
10 Software for managing it all
11 Wait for it...
12 Officially opt out
Down
2 Filtered grouping of 8 down
3 Type of email messaging series
6 Action that sets off the chain of events
7 An automated sequence of 5 across
8 If/then
AUTOMATION TERMINOLOGY
Across
1 To adapt based on data
4 A label for categorization; also price
5 A single rule or action
9 The recipient as an email address
10 Software for managing it all
11 Wait for it...
12 Officially opt out
Down
2 Filtered grouping of 8 down
3 Type of email messaging series
6 Action that sets off the chain of events
7 An automated sequence of 5 across
8 If/then
1. Instagram launches Instagram Rings. Instagram announced Instagram Rings, a new awards ceremony for content creators. Creators are nominated by a panel of judges that includes Spike Lee and Ilona Maher.
2. AI agents are all over the place. Most digital platforms now include an AI agent option to use while you’re on the platform, like Gemini (Google), Magic Media (Canva), and Zoom AI Companion. These work within the features already available and can act on a user’s behalf.
Digital TRENDS
3. LinkedIn algorithm prioritizes relevance over recency. LinkedIn tweaked its algorithm so that it is more likely to show you older posts (up to 3 weeks) if they’re more relevant to your content interests rather than new content.
Project Project
You can find all of Marove Agency’s current client collaborations on these pages.
Viewable work is linked via the icon.
MARKETING OPERATIONS
Monthly services to help grow the national brand and provide a seamless member experience with efficient digital operations.
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SOCIAL MEDIA
OPERATIONS
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Monthly services to build a foundational brand through website design and build out business tiers with digital store design WEBSITE
MARKETING COMMITTEE
Volunteer work with WIFS PDX as a co-chair on the marketing committee.
Hyperlinked events are open for attendance/registration.
O C T O B E R
N O V E M B E R D E C E M B E R
5 Quarterly Pitch Day Oregon Sports Angels
10 Holiday Party WIFS PDX
CALENDAR
18 Book Club WIFS PDX
O C T O B E R N O V E M B E R D E C E M B E R
MEME OF THEMONTH
when you’re the host of a virtual meeting and everyone’s AI notetaker joins the call but you don’t know if they’re real people or not and it’s a confidential meeting so you remove them from the call one by one
THIS ISA
Gettowork, sleuths!