When you have your own online business, it can feel like you always have work to do. Between creating content, getting traffic, managing social media, answering emails, and serving customers, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and as if you’ll never grow your business.
But what if you could free up hours each week without sacrificing your business growth?
The secret is automation: letting technology handle repetitive tasks so you can focus on what actually helps you (or just take a well-deserved break!).
If you’re ready to work smarter, not harder, here’s how to automate your business and reclaim your time.
1. Automate Your Content Creation & Social Media
Creating and posting content daily can feel exhausting, but automation tools can handle most of the work for you.
Social Media Scheduling
Instead of manually posting every day, use a scheduling tool to batch-create content and let it post automatically.
There are many tools out there that can help you set up your content now to post over the next few months. You shouldn’t have to be going to these sites daily to post.
How to Automate It: Spend one day per week planning and scheduling posts for the next 7–30 days.
Post Scheduling
While you still have to create the content, most content managers allow you to schedule posts out whenever you want to. WordPress is a great example. They make it very easy for you to schedule a blog post whenever you want.
How to Automate it: Spend a day batch writing posts. Then schedule them out for the next week or two. Now you’re free to work on other things during that time knowing that you will content dripping onto your website.
Repurpose Content Automatically
Why create brand-new content for every platform when you can repurpose what you already have?
You can convert blog posts into Instagram carousels, or turn YouTube videos into short TikToks. You can use AI tools like ChatGPT or Canva Magic Write to reformat your content quickly.
2. Automate Your Email Marketing & Lead Generation
Email marketing is one of the most powerful ways to nurture leads and generate sales on autopilot.
Set Up an Automated Welcome Sequence
Instead of manually emailing every new subscriber, create an email sequence that automatically delivers value and builds trust.
I can’t speak for other tools, but I personally use Aweber and love it. They make it very easy for me to set up a nice welcome sequence that everyone gets when they sign up and get one of my free opt-ins. What’s really cool is that you can sign up with them for free, and not pay until you have 500 subscribers.
What to Include in Your Email Sequence:
- A warm welcome & what to expect
- A freebie or valuable tip
- A personal story to build connection
- An offer (course, product, or coaching service)
Bonus Tip: Set up automated follow-ups to re-engage subscribers who don’t open your emails.
Capture Leads Without Lifting a Finger
Instead of manually collecting emails, use a lead magnet to automate sign-ups.
- Create a freebie (checklist, mini-course, template) and offer it everywhere. When someone signs up, they’ll automatically be added to your list, get the freebie, and the rest of your welcome sequence.
- Set up a pop-up form to capture emails from website visitors.
Automation Hack: Connect your email list to a freebie delivery system so subscribers get their download instantly. No manual work needed!
3. Automate Customer Support & FAQs
Answering the same questions over and over? Save time with automated customer support solutions.
Use a Chatbot or Auto-Responder
Instead of replying to basic questions manually, set up a chatbot or email auto-responder to provide instant answers.
Example Automation: Set up an FAQ auto-response so when someone emails about pricing, they get an instant reply with details.
Create an FAQ Page or Knowledge Base
Instead of answering the same questions in your DMs, create a FAQ page or a Notion database where customers can find answers on their own.
Automation Hack: Link your FAQ page in your Instagram bio, email footer, and website to reduce repetitive questions.
4. Automate Sales & Payments
Instead of manually sending invoices or tracking payments, set up a system that does it for you.
Use an E-Commerce Platform for Digital Products
If you sell digital products or courses, let a platform handle the sales & delivery for you.
Sites like Gumroad and Etsy will take care of all of that for you. Or, you can get your own platform (I use Thrivecart and really like it) and set it up so your own system handles the sales and delivery for you.
Automation Hack: Set up automatic upsells & order bumps to increase revenue per sale.
Set Up Recurring Payments for Memberships
There are many systems that will automatically charge customers month after month. This way you don’t have to even think about it. Once they get signed up, they’ll automatically be charged.
Example: Instead of manually invoicing coaching clients every month, use PayPal or Stripe to auto-charge them.
5. Automate Task & Project Management
Keeping up with tasks and deadlines? Let automation tools keep your projects organized.
Use Project Management Tools
Instead of keeping everything in your head (or messy notebooks), use an automation-friendly tool like:
- Trello: Simple drag-and-drop task management
- Notion: Customizable for planning & content management
Automate Scheduling & Appointments
Instead of endless back-and-forth emails to book calls, use a calendar booking tool.
This way you set the hours that you’re available, and then your customers can sign up for an appointment themselves without having to contact you.
Automation Hack: Sync your calendar tool with Zoom so meeting links are created automatically.
Final Thoughts: Work Less, Achieve More with Automation
Automation isn’t about replacing everything. It’s about freeing up your time so you can focus on what really matters. In fact, if there’s anything you’re doing that you feel is repetitive, go to Google and see if there is a tool that will automate it for you! New products are created to help us automate things all of the time!
Quick Recap of Business Automation Tips:
- Automate social media and blog posting & content repurposing
- Set up email sequences & lead magnet delivery
- Use chatbots & FAQ pages for customer support
- Automate sales & payment processing
- Use project management & scheduling tools
Now, pick ONE task to automate this week and see how much time you save!
