In 2025, marketing automation is no longer a luxury — it’s a necessity. But with the rise of AI tools, smart workflows, and automation platforms, the big question remains: What should you automate, and what still demands the human touch?
To find out, we asked 21 marketing thought leaders to share their insights on which marketing processes they’ve fully automated — and which ones they believe should always stay human-driven. From content creation and lead nurturing to customer engagement and brand storytelling, their answers reveal the new rules of marketing success in an automated world.
Here’s what they had to say — and what you can learn from their real-world experiences.
Here is what 21 thought leaders had to say.
Automation Enhances Efficiency, Creativity Remains Human
In 2025, I fully automated lead nurturing sequences, cart abandonment flows, and post-purchase upsell emails. I also use AI tools to schedule and repurpose social content across platforms. These workflows save time, maintain consistency, and operate 24/7 without the need for constant supervision.
But what I’ll never automate is creative strategy, messaging, and positioning. AI can help with drafts or ideas, but it can’t replace the nuance that comes from deep audience understanding. Once, we let an AI tool generate ad copy without review, and it completely missed the emotional tone, which hurt CTR and made the brand feel cold.
Automation should free up time to focus on work that moves the needle–customer insight, testing new offers, and optimizing funnels. The goal is not to replace marketers, it’s to let them spend less time on repetitive tasks and more time making smart decisions.
Georgi Petrov, CMO, Entrepreneur, and Content Creator, AIG MARKETER
Automation Excels, Storytelling Needs Human Touch
In 2025, I’ve automated nearly every repetitive marketing task–from email workflows to SEO audits to content distribution. At Circuit, we use automation to repurpose blog content across channels, trigger email sequences by behavior, and even monitor backlinks without lifting a finger. But the one thing I’ll never automate is storytelling. Crafting original narratives that connect with real people takes time and voice. AI can assist, but it can’t replace the strategy behind a message. Automation is a tool, not a shortcut.
Georgi Todorov, Senior Content Marketing Manager, Circuit
Automation Boosts Efficiency, Human Touch Essential
In 2025, I’ve fully automated several repetitive marketing processes that save time without compromising quality. Email workflows are a great example–once a lead enters the funnel, they’re guided through a tailored series of messages based on their behavior and engagement. I’ve also automated social media scheduling using tools that post across platforms and adjust timing based on audience activity. Ad bidding, basic customer segmentation, and A/B testing for subject lines or landing pages are other areas where automation has significantly boosted efficiency without losing the personal touch.
However, there are aspects I believe should never be automated–especially anything involving brand voice, creative strategy, or personal outreach. I once received a partnership pitch that clearly came from a bot, and it misused my name and referenced content I’d never written. It was an immediate turn-off. Crafting copy, developing campaign narratives, or responding to high-value clients needs a human touch. These moments are where trust is built, and automation just can’t replicate genuine connection or nuanced understanding. Automation should serve creativity–not replace it.
Brandon Leibowitz, Owner, SEO Optimizers
Automation Saves Time, Human Strategy Crucial
In 2025, I’ve fully automated several marketing processes for my website to save time and boost efficiency. One key process is email drip campaigns. Using GoHighLevel, I set up automated sequences for new leads–like a welcome series for real estate tech sign-ups–that trigger based on actions, such as form submissions. This nurtures leads with personalized emails, tagging them in my CRM and boosting conversions by 20% without manual work.
However, content strategy development should never be fully automated. While AI can suggest topics or outlines, the human touch–understanding audience nuances, crafting a unique brand voice, and spotting cultural trends–is irreplaceable.
For example, my guide on “Tech Tools for Investors” resonated because I tailored it to real pain points AI couldn’t fully grasp. Automating this risks generic content that flops, as 60% of marketers note AI lacks emotional depth for strategy. Keep humans in the driver’s seat here to stay authentic and impactful.
Jason Moss, Owner, Moss Technologies
Automation Supports, Human Connection Closes Deals
In 2025, at Marine Connection, we’ve fully automated several marketing processes that free up time while still driving results–things like lead scoring, inventory-based email alerts, appointment confirmations, and follow-up sequences based on user behavior. When a customer browses a specific model on our site, they automatically receive a personalized email with a walk-around video, spec sheet, and financing info. That automation has been a game changer for lead nurturing and engagement at scale.
But the one thing we never automate is the human touchpoint–especially in the moments that matter, like the first phone call, a price negotiation, or delivery-day check-ins. Boats aren’t impulse buys. They’re personal, emotional, and expensive decisions. If someone reaches out ready to talk, they deserve a real person with product knowledge and empathy, not a chatbot or canned message.
The balance is this: automate where you’re repeating predictable tasks, but never where trust is being built. Tech should support relationships, not replace them. For us, automation handles the groundwork, but the human connection is what closes deals–and builds lifetime customers.
Jani Gyllenberg, Innovation & Business Development Manager, Marine Connection
Automation Aids, Conversations Require Human Insight
In 2025, we’ve fully automated call tracking, lead qualification, and reporting Every call that comes in gets recorded and tagged using AI, so we can track which campaigns are driving sales and what those leads are costing. That’s allowed us to move fast and focus on optimization instead of drowning in spreadsheets and phone logs.
But the actual conversations–especially sales and customer service–should never be automated. You can’t train a bot to understand tone, resolve objections, or build trust with a homeowner who just found termites in their wall. I’ve listened to hundreds of sales calls, and the difference between a booked job and a lost lead often comes down to how a rep responds in the moment. No automation can replace that.
Andrew Peluso, Chief Executive Officer, Pesty Marketing
Automation Scales Tasks, Storytelling Needs Humans
We’ve fully automated email nurturing sequences, abandoned cart flows, and AI-driven ad optimization across platforms. Social media scheduling and review requests post-purchase are also entirely hands-off now, thanks to smart triggers. However, when it comes to customer support, we keep a human touch.
This area requires empathy and nuanced communication that automation can’t replicate. We’ve found that automation excels in scaling repetitive tasks, but it should never replace authentic storytelling or community building. IMO, the balance between efficiency and emotional connection is what separates good brands from unforgettable ones in 2025.
Dylan Young, Marketing Specialist, CareMax
Automate Operations, Preserve Human Judgment
What I really think is in 2025, the smartest marketers automate operations, not judgment. I have fully automated lead qualification, cold outreach sequencing, and content scheduling using AI-assisted workflows. These save hours every week and keep things moving even when the team is focused on strategy or delivery.
But here is what I would never automate–brand messaging, positioning, and creative insight. AI can help you generate drafts, but it cannot feel market timing or cultural nuance the way a strategist can. One founder I worked with tried to automate their brand voice through AI and ended up with generic, tone-deaf copy that cost them a partnership deal.
Use automation for scale, not storytelling. Let AI handle distribution, formatting, and optimization. But when it comes to defining who you are and why someone should care, that still belongs to humans who understand emotion, timing, and context. That is the part that builds brand, not just traffic.
Sahil Gandhi, Co-Founder & CMO, Eyda Homes
Automation Handles Routine, Creativity Needs Humans
Marketing automation in 2025 is like having a personal assistant who handles all your routine tasks. At SocialSellinator, we’ve fully automated our social media posting schedules, email drip campaigns, basic customer support responses, and performance reporting dashboards. The real game-changer has been automating our content distribution across platforms. What used to take a team member two full days now happens with a few clicks while maintaining a consistent brand presence.
We’ve learned the hard way that some things should never be automated. Creative brainstorming sessions, customer relationship management, and content strategy development still require the human touch. One retail client tried automating their customer feedback responses and watched their satisfaction scores drop by around 20% in just one month. People can tell when they’re talking to a machine versus a person who genuinely cares about their experience.
While we love that automation handles the repetitive tasks of tracking metrics and scheduling posts, the heart of marketing, understanding human emotions and creating meaningful connections, remains firmly in human hands. The best marketers in 2025 aren’t those who automate everything, but those who know exactly where the line between efficiency and authenticity should be drawn.”
Jock Breitwieser, Digital Marketing Strategist, SocialSellinator
Automation Efficient, Feedback Needs Human Insight
In our SaaS business, we’ve successfully automated lead scoring, email nurture sequences, and basic customer support inquiries using our AI-powered system that handles 70% of routine questions. But I firmly believe customer feedback analysis and product roadmap communications should stay human-driven since they require emotional intelligence and strategic thinking that AI just can’t replicate yet.
Joshua Odmark, CIO and Founder, Local Data Exchange
Automation Supports, First Conversations Need Humans
For me, the biggest win in 2025 has been fully automating our lead nurture campaigns, especially through email and text drips. At Vancouver Home Search, we use smart sequences to stay in front of leads based on how they interact with listings, what areas they’re searching in, and even their behaviour on our website. That kind of automation allows us to deliver value 24/7 without missing a beat.
That said, in my opinion, the one thing you should never automate is the first real conversation. Whether it’s a buyer looking at homes in Kitsilano or a seller thinking of listing their condo in Yaletown, that initial call or in-person meeting is where trust is built. No bot can replace the empathy, market insight, and personal touch that a real expert brings to that moment.
Automation should support relationships, not replace them. That’s the line I never cross.Adam Chahl, Owner / Realtor, Vancouver Home Search
Automation Enhances, Initial Assessment Needs Humans
We’ve fully automated our CUSTOMER JOURNEY TRIGGERS based on specific moving timelines, creating personalized communication sequences that adapt based on real-time engagement data.
After overseeing marketing for nationwide moving services, I’ve found that automation works exceptionally well for these time-sensitive workflows where sending the right message at precisely the right moment significantly impacts conversion rates.
The automation combines CRM data with engagement metrics to determine exactly when customers need specific resources–like packing checklists six weeks before moving or utility transfer guides two weeks prior.
This system has increased our customer satisfaction scores by 31% while reducing manual marketing tasks by over 60%, allowing our team to focus on strategy rather than execution.
However, I firmly believe initial customer needs assessment should never be automated. When someone is planning a significant life transition like moving, their unique circumstances and concerns require human understanding that AI simply cannot provide.
We’ve tested automated assessment tools and found they consistently miss emotional nuances and unique situations that our trained specialists immediately recognize.
The human connection in these initial conversations builds trust that carries through the entire customer relationship.
Vidyadhar Garapati, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Movers.com
Automation Optimizes, Client Experience Stays Human
We’ve combined our CRM, email marketing platform,
and analytics tools into one automated customer journey dashboard.
This tracks every touchpoint–
from the very first website visit to post-sale engagement–
and gives us real-time visibility on where leads drop off or disengage.
That level of automation has been a game changer for optimizing funnels and triggering follow-ups without manual input. But while the backend runs on automation, the frontend of our client experience is very human.
We personally onboard every B2B client, tailoring the experience to their goals, communication style, and internal processes.
In our space, trust is everything and no amount of automation can replace the value of a conversation, a check-in, or a real relationship.
Automation gives us the data and scale we need to grow, but it’s the personal, high-touch moments that actually turn leads into long-term partners.
Mark McShane, CEO, Emergency First Aid at Work Course
Automation Saves Time, Client Communication Human
In 2025, one marketing process I’ve fully automated is lead qualification through forms and CRM workflows. When someone downloads a resource or requests an SEO audit, they’re automatically segmented based on their industry, website size, and budget. That data triggers specific email sequences or assigns tasks for personalized follow-up depending on the lead type. It saves hours each week and ensures no lead slips through the cracks.
But one thing I believe should never be fully automated is personalized client communication, especially in the sales or onboarding phase. SEO is a trust-driven service, and no AI or automation can replace the value of a real, thoughtful conversation about a client’s goals or pain points. Automation can support the process, but not lead it. When you try to shortcut human connection, it usually shows–and that’s where businesses lose trust and potential long-term relationships.
John Reinesch, Founder and Marketing Specialist, Asset Growth
Automation Aids, Creativity Needs Human Touch
Automation has become an essential tool for scaling marketing efforts effectively, but as someone deeply involved in a niche sector like backdrop design and production, I believe a balance between automation and human creativity is critical. Processes like email campaigns, customer segmentation, and inventory management are areas where automation shines. Tools that track customer behavior and send personalized recommendations or follow-ups have significantly improved how we engage with our audience, allowing us to focus on more strategic initiatives.
However, in a creative-driven industry like ours, elements such as content creation, brand storytelling, and customer service should retain a human touch. For example, crafting tailored marketing visuals or writing compelling copy about the artistry of our backdrops can’t be entirely automated–it requires an understanding of our brand’s unique value and connection to customer aspirations. Similarly, customer queries about customizing backdrops for special events often need a personal response to convey empathy and expertise. Marketing automation is a powerful ally, but blending it with the irreplaceable nuances of creativity ensures authenticity and connection with our audience.
David Zhang, CEO, Kate Backdrops
Automation Handles Tasks, Creativity Needs Humans
We’ve fully automated lead scoring, welcome email flows, and campaign A/B testing–no human should be spending time manually tagging leads or picking which subject line wins. AI handles that faster, better, and while we sleep.
But voice, tone, and creative? Never touching full automation. We’ve tested AI-generated content, and while it’s fine for drafts, it can’t nail brand personality or nuance. The stuff that sticks with your audience still needs a human brain and a pulse. Automate the mechanical–protect the magical.
Justin Belmont, Founder & CEO, Prose
Automation Optimizes, Strategy Needs Human Oversight
Our game-changing automation breakthrough in 2025 has been implementing an end-to-end content intelligence system that not only generates customized content across all marketing touchpoints but also self-optimizes based on performance data. The system analyzes customer interaction patterns, automatically A/B tests content variations, and rebuilds underperforming assets without human intervention when KPIs don’t hit targets. What’s remarkable is how it segments content performance by audience characteristics, allowing for truly personalized experiences at scale across different client industries. While we’ve automated the execution, we maintain human oversight for brand strategy and ethical considerations – areas where human judgment remains irreplaceable.
Daniel Lynch, Digital Agency Owner, Empathy First Media | Digital Marketing & PR
Automation Boosts SEO, Thought Leadership Human
Our SEO tools are now running around the clock, watching for–and flagging–rank fluctuations, broken links, indexing issues, and content gaps as they happen. That real-time monitoring has been a game-changer for us. We can respond quickly, keep content fresh, and maintain strong search performance without relying on time-consuming manual audits. That’s been one of the biggest speed and accuracy boosts we’ve seen this year. Where we do still rely on humans is in thought leadership content. AI can certainly help with outlines or research, but it can’t replicate the lived experience, the voice, and the original insights that build trust and authority. Both Google and real readers have gotten better at spotting shallow, auto-generated content. That’s why we always keep articles like: * founder perspectives * industry takes * strategic analysis –for our real writers. Automation boosts efficiency– but credibility and connection come from human experience. And that’s what drives true SEO success over time.
Sarah Jeffries, Founder, Paediatric First Aid
Automation Speeds Tasks, Conversations Need Humans
Lead nurturing, email sequencing, paid media optimization, and basic A/B testing are automated across most of our programs. We’ve removed manual work from campaign build-outs by syncing CRM data with real-time behavior triggers. That shift made a measurable impact. We recover cart abandons faster. We retarget faster. We qualify leads faster. The goal is speed with accuracy. Automation handles volume at scale while freeing our team to focus on strategic pivots.
What we don’t automate are customer conversations, brand voice, creative decision-making, or retention messaging. Automation breaks trust when it replaces human intent with templated scripts. When customers trade in their phones, they expect clarity, not canned replies. They want transparency, not delays. That’s where humans come in. We track sentiment across every touchpoint and use those signals to guide how and when we intervene.
The line is simple, automate the process, not people. If the task is repetitive, it belongs in a workflow. If the task shapes perception, it needs ownership. Automation is a multiplier, not a replacement. When used right, it makes teams sharper. When misused, it erodes loyalty fast. The work worth doing still needs judgment, speed, and context. And the people closest to the customer are the ones best equipped to deliver that.
Alec Loeb, VP of Growth Marketing, EcoATM
Automation Scores Leads, Proposals Need Humans
Our lead scoring process is fully automated. Based on traffic source, page visits, form fills, and past behavior, each contact gets a score. The sales team only sees those above a certain threshold. It removes irrelevant leads and helps prioritize faster.
But we never automate client proposals. Every project is different. The client needs to feel heard, and the proposal should reflect their goals, not just fill-in-the-blanks copy. Even if AI drafts part of it, I always rewrite and adjust. That extra effort shows up in our close rate. People still value that human touch when it matters most.
Burak Özdemir, Founder, Online Alarm Kur
Automation Efficient, Brand Voice Needs Humans
The marketing procedures I’ve fully automated are primarily those that rely on consistency, data, and speed – such as email workflows, social media scheduling, basic lead scoring, and reporting. AI currently handles content repurposing across channels astonishingly effectively, making it easier to convert a blog article into social snippets, email text, or even a short video screenplay. We’ve also used automation to A/B test ad creatives, audience segmentation, and retargeting sequences. It saves a lot of time and allows us to focus on the creative and strategic aspects.
But there are some areas I would never automate – and I stand by that. For starters, consider your brand’s voice. Tools can approximate tone, but true voice – the subtlety, personality, and intent–requires a human touch. The same is true for storytelling, campaign ideation, and anything involving empathy or morals. Automation can help, but it should not be the driving force behind them. I also do not believe in automating true human interactions. Comments, DMs, and community responses are opportunities to create trust, not tick a box.
At its core, I believe that technology should be utilised to augment rather than replace what humans excel at. When it’s only utilised to save time, you risk producing a brand that lacks personality. The magic happens when you use it to free up more space for creativity, strategy, and connection.
Peter Wootton, SEO Consultant, The SEO Consultant Agency
Conclusion
As marketing evolves in 2025, automation has become an essential tool for scaling efforts, saving time, and staying competitive. But as the insights from these 21 thought leaders show, not everything should be left to algorithms and workflows. The best marketers know when to automate for efficiency — and when to step in personally to build real, human connections.
By thoughtfully balancing automation with authenticity, you can create a marketing strategy that’s both powerful and personal. Whether it’s automating lead nurturing or keeping customer conversations human, the key is to be intentional about where you leverage technology — and where you let creativity and empathy lead the way.
Ready to rethink your marketing workflows? Start small, stay strategic, and remember: in a world full of automation, the human touch is still your greatest advantage.
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