Fighting The Balance Between Automation & Real Connection

Automation can save you hours, but it can also cost you something you can’t get back… real connection.

In my time as a Virtual Assistant (also referred to as a VA) and now as a strategist, I live and breathe automations. Whether it’s setting up a shiny new tool or building out a system that practically runs itself, I’m in my happy place when I’m making my clients’ lives easier, and by default, my life too. But the one thing I won’t automate (or at least haven’t found a way of doing yet) is building real connections with potential clients. And here’s why you probably shouldn’t either.

Building systems for efficiency is one of the smartest things you can do to grow your business. It’s the techy side of things I geek out over, and sometimes, those geek-outs actually lead to unexpected connections. This summer, I met another VA-turned-Online Business Manager at an event, and instead of worrying about the fact that we do similar work, we bonded instantly over shared experiences, our mutual love of all things tech, and a few giggles over the nuances of our roles.

What the tech can’t do, though, is create that kind of bond for you. That comes from showing up in a conversation, listening, finding common ground, and actually getting to know someone.

Newsletters are one of my favourite examples because they’re the perfect blend of automation and connection.

Sure, you might set up a newsletter as a marketing tool, but the content you put inside is just as important as the method you use to write it, schedule it, and send it out. You can automate growing your mailing list with forms, lead magnets, and sign-up incentives. You can even automate writing the newsletter with AI (a practice that’s a little too common these days), schedule them weeks in advance, and run automated reports to see who read it, clicked through, or unsubscribed.

But here’s the thing…

The content you deliver should still come from you, in your voice. That’s why people joined your list in the first place. They wanted you — not a carbon copy of your ideas, and not something that reads like it came out of a generic AI prompt. They want to feel your personality in your words, because that’s what they’ll connect with and remember. Even from a distance, you can build trust and loyalty if you’re writing in a way that sounds like you.

If you want to keep that human touch in an automated world, here are a few ways to do it:

• Make your welcome personal. Instead of sending the same text-only welcome email to every subscriber, record a short video introducing yourself and thanking them for joining.

• Reach out when you can. If someone downloads your lead magnet, send a quick personal note asking what made them grab it — and yes, thank them while you’re at it.

• Let people behind the curtain. Share behind-the-scenes photos or short videos, the kind your assistant keeps asking you to provide for social media (yes Keanna, I’m working on it).

• Hire an amazing copywriter. Find someone who can capture your voice and personality so your message still sounds like you, even if you didn’t type every word yourself.

The next time you go to automate something , or you hire someone to handle it for you, make sure you’ve left space for connection. It’s one of the most important parts of running a business, and if you ask me, it can be even more valuable than the sale itself.