What is AI Automation anyway? 001 AI Automation Newsletter

In my first edition of the AI Automation LinkedIn Newsletter by Joe Apfelbaum, I would like to talk about What AI automation is!

So many people want to use Automation but they are not sure what to automate. 

The key is not to focus on the automation part but the issue you have in your business. 

For example, let's say you have service techs that need to know the weather every day. You can have a text message go out to them with the weather and it can happen automatically. 

You can even have AI include what type of gear they would remember to use depending on the weather outside. 

Here is an even more simple automation, lets say you want AI to draft a response to every customer service inquiry. 

You can have AI monitor your emails for a specific subject line or from a specific sender and you can tell it to read the email and draft a response based on a knowledge base. 

At evyAI.com we embrace automation to help us with many tasks, from sales, to prospecting to customer service to chat assistance and much more. This saves us so much time, money and gives our clients a better experience.

In this newsletter Ill be uncovering how to use AI Automation in your business to help you leverage AI and create automations to make your life easier. 

So what is AI automation anyway and why are people opening up AI Automation agencies?

AI automation is the exciting fusion of artificial intelligence and automated processes, designed to make our work lives easier and more efficient. It's like having a super-smart assistant that never sleeps, always ready to tackle repetitive tasks or complex problems at lightning speed.

Personally I use tools like Make.com and Zapier to help me create automated processes. You can add AI modules to those technologies to help you use AI together with automation. 

People are opening AI automation agencies because they've realized the immense potential of this technology to transform businesses across all industries. 

These agencies are popping up like wildflowers in spring, and for good reason! They're the bridge between cutting-edge AI capabilities and businesses that want to stay ahead of the curve.

Imagine having a team of AI experts who can custom-tailor solutions for your specific business needs. 

Need to streamline your customer service?

Want to optimize your supply chain? 

Or maybe you're looking to personalize your marketing campaigns? 

AI automation agencies are the go-to problem solvers for all these challenges and more.

Ajax Union is a digital marketing agency that has deep expertise in AI Automation. 

These agencies are becoming the new rock stars of the business world because they're not just selling a product – they're offering a complete transformation. 

They're helping companies work smarter, not harder, by automating mundane tasks and freeing up human creativity for more important work.

But here's the kicker – AI automation isn't just for big corporations with deep pockets. 

These agencies are making this game-changing technology accessible to businesses of all sizes. 

They're democratizing AI, allowing small and medium-sized enterprises to compete on a level playing field with the big players.

So, whether you're a solopreneur or running a Fortune 500 company, AI automation agencies are ready to help you ride the wave of this technological revolution. 

They're not just selling services; they're selling the future – and business owners are lining up to get a piece of the action!

AI Automation Tool Spotlight

Today I want to spotlight Make.com. It's a tool that helps you automate things. 

Make.com (formerly known as Integromat) is an automation platform that allows users to visually create, design, and automate workflows between different apps and services without the need for coding. 

It works by connecting various apps and services—such as Google Workspace, Slack, Shopify, LinkedIn, and thousands more—allowing them to communicate and automate repetitive tasks. These workflows, called "scenarios," can be as simple as transferring data from one app to another or as complex as building multi-step automation processes with conditional logic.

We teach make.com at www.skool.com/aiautomation and we meet 6 times a month to review how to use Make.com and LinkedIn automation too.

Key Features of Make.com:

1. Visual Automation Builder: Make.com provides a drag-and-drop interface to create workflows visually, making it accessible even to non-technical users.

2. App Integrations: It connects with over 1,000 apps and services, including SaaS tools, CRMs, databases, and productivity apps.

3. Customizable Workflows: Users can build workflows based on triggers (events) and set actions for each connected app. Advanced features like filters and routes allow for greater customization.

4. Data Transformation: Make.com can manipulate and transform data during workflows, such as parsing data, generating reports, or reformatting information between platforms.

5. Real-time and Scheduled Automation: Automations can run in real-time or be scheduled at specific intervals to fit business needs.

6. Error Handling: The platform includes robust error-handling features to ensure that processes run smoothly, even when errors occur in individual steps.

Why Make.com is Important:

1. Efficiency: It saves time by automating repetitive tasks, such as data entry, notifications, or file transfers, allowing businesses to focus on more strategic activities.

2. Scalability: Businesses can scale their operations without needing to hire additional staff by automating processes and workflows.

3. Cost-Effectiveness: Make.com reduces the need for custom software development and coding resources, allowing smaller businesses to leverage automation tools affordably.

4. Productivity: Teams can improve productivity by integrating and synchronizing different apps, ensuring seamless workflows across multiple platforms.

5. Accessibility: The visual nature of the platform makes it easy for non-developers to use, making automation accessible to everyone in a company, not just IT teams.

Make.com is particularly valuable for businesses seeking to automate processes in areas like marketing, sales, customer service, and operations. 

By integrating different platforms and automating tasks, companies can improve efficiency, reduce errors, and enhance their overall business performance.

There are many other platforms that we can cover that do automations like Zapier, N8N and even App Script with Google Sheets. We will review some of those and how they work in future editions of this AI Automations newsletter.

Upcoming AI Automation Events

We have regular webinars were we talk about AI and AI Automation, our next webinar can be found at www.evyai.com/webinar - AI Secrets: How Top Influencers Use AI to Win on LinkedIn™

Ever wondered how top influencers dominate LinkedIn™? The secret lies in their strategic use of AI. Our upcoming webinar will uncover the AI-driven tactics that top influencers use to boost their visibility, engagement, and influence on LinkedIn™.

If you ever miss a webinar, you can catch the replay in our community at www.skool.com/evyai just navigate to the classroom and look for webinar replays.

We also have a full calendar of events in our free community that you can attend to learn more about AI and Automation.

AI Automation Questions & Answers

Question: Joe, Do I need to know how to code to do my own AI Automations?

Answer: Nope, you do not need to know how to code but you do need to know how to use scenarios, modules and variables. That is not coding but it does get technical. There is definitely a learning curve but getting the right coach will help you get started quicker. 

Question: Joe, How can I know what type of AI Automations to create?

Answer: Look at your repetitive tasks and ask yourself, which one of these tasks would AI be able to do well. Make a list of all the things you do each day. For example, I look at peoples profiles on LinkedIn to see if they posted, so I created a Link Navigator to check all the profiles for me and navigate to each one and check them for me. This saves me so much time. 

Question: What is the difference between MAKE.com and ZAPIER

Answer: What I found was that while Zapier connections with over 6000 apps vs 1500 for Make.com it does not go as DEEP ask Make.com goes. Like in Go High Level, you can do things with Make.com that you cannot do with Zapier. Also Make.com is FREE for 1000 operations a month. I used it to really get comfy with it before I needed to pay for it to do more advanced operations. They both are great, but Make is def less expensive and more beginner friendly. 

Question: Where do I hire a coach to help me with AI Automation?

Answer: We have co-working sessions with a Make Engineer every Monday at 12pm est to help create make.com scenarios and you can join our AI automation community at www.skool.com/aiautomation Learning how to automate is really fun and rewarding. As more people join the community, we will have more sessions each week.. We now meet 6 times a month but we will eventually meet daily. 

AI Automation News

Here are some interesting news articles I found related to AI Automation. 

Salesforce is adding Generative AI and Automation through the whole sales process. 

https://venturebeat.com/ai/is-ai-the-future-of-sales-salesforces-new-models-could-change-the-game/

Worried about AI Automation taking jobs? Look at this report by Goldman Sachs

https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/articles/generative-ai-could-raise-global-gdp-by-7-percent 

Wired has a story about how copilot can be used for data extraction: 

https://www.wired.com/story/microsoft-copilot-phishing-data-extraction/ 

AI is helping developers be more strategic. 

https://aibusiness.com/automation/ai-enables-developers-to-become-more-strategic 

Here are 8 jobs that AI cannot replace and digital marketing is not one of them. 

https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/feature/Jobs-that-AI-cant-replace-and-why 

Check out this article about CoPilot Kits and AI Agents

https://www.geeky-gadgets.com/automate-anything-with-ai/ 

Want to learn more about AI Regulations and AI Governance

https://www.nojitter.com/ai-automation/ai-governance-when-doubt-ask-then-ask-again

Learn more about AI for Influencer marketing in 2024

https://sproutsocial.com/insights/ai-influencer-marketing/ 

Interesting article about how AI and Automation are changing our lives. 

https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2024/09/06/how-ai-and-automation-are-changing-our-lives/ 

The rapid growth of the AI market reflects its broad adoption and potential. In 2020, the global AI market was valued at $62.35 billion, and it is expected to reach $930.72 billion by 2028. With a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 42.2%, this represents an annual growth of approximately $108.42 billion. Such figures underscore the transformative power of AI and its central role in shaping the future of multiple industries.

Robotics and automation, closely related to AI, have also seen remarkable progress over the past five years. These innovations have revolutionized numerous industries by providing new methods of operation and enhancing efficiency. Robotics technology, combined with AI and ML, has led to the creation of robots capable of performing complex tasks with unparalleled accuracy and efficiency. This has been particularly evident in sectors like manufacturing, logistics, and public health, where automation is improving productivity, safety, and operational efficiency.

Want to know how companies are using AI right now?

https://www.dice.com/career-advice/how-are-companies-really-using-ai

Not only will AI make individual workers more productive, but in some cases AI tools will prove to be a lower-cost option for certain tasks. It is difficult to tell what the net effect will be. Historically, technological innovations have led to the elimination of certain job roles in the short run, but the long run has seen job creation. 

I agree with that! I think more jobs will be created!

Example AI Automation

I love coming up with specific examples for AI Automations you can copy. Here is one example that I found to be very useful. 

Daily Email Brief for Joe Apfelbaum:

Imagine getting a daily email 

EVERY

SINGLE

DAY

With the most important things that you need to see. 

The weather, the news, the market, the quotes from your authors, top emails to respond to, top events in your calendar, ANYTHING YOU WANT in an email made custom JUST FOR YOU. 

It only takes two or three modules and you have a wonderful email. 

Try it out today. You can see an example at www.skool.com/aiautomation watch the video on the about section and lets create one together for you. 

AI Prompt Of The Week

Every week I will be providing you with a prompt that you can use right away in your business. Today the prompt is an AI Persona creator that you can use to create personas to train AI on your voice. We give this to our evyAI premium clients to add to their evyAI personas. www.evyai.com to try it out. 

Here is the prompt: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7169068410155298816/ 

Featured LinkedIn Live about AI Automation

Here is the featured LinkedIn Live about AI Automation. Its about how to use different APIs to find details about email addresses, I ended up using PERPLEXITY! You can comment on the video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iupZ9N4bOus and you can subscribe to my youtube channcel.

Featured Article about AI Automation

Here is a featured article about AI Automation - I call it the PROMPT engineering masterclass by Joe Apfelbaum: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/prompt-engineering-masterclass-ai-automation-2025-joe-apfelbaum-onpte/ I think you will really enjoy that article if you are into PROMPT ENGINEERING

Bottom line: Start using AI Automation if you want to grow your business! 

Here's a TLDR (Too Long; Didn't Read) version of the newsletter:

TLDR:

1. AI Automation Newsletter 001 introduces the concept of AI automation and its applications in business.

2. AI automation combines artificial intelligence with automated processes to handle repetitive tasks and complex problems efficiently.

3. Examples of AI automation include sending weather updates to service techs and drafting customer service responses.

4. Tools like Make.com and Zapier are used to create automated processes with AI capabilities.

5. AI automation agencies are emerging to help businesses implement these technologies across various industries.

6. The newsletter highlights Make.com as a user-friendly automation platform that connects multiple apps and services.

7. Upcoming webinars and events focus on AI usage in LinkedIn and other business applications.

8. The newsletter includes a Q&A section addressing common questions about AI automation.

9. Recent news articles about AI in sales, job market impacts, and industry applications are shared.

10. A custom daily email brief is suggested as a practical AI automation example.

11. The newsletter provides an AI prompt for creating personas to train AI on individual communication styles.

12. Overall, the newsletter emphasizes the growing importance and accessibility of AI automation for businesses of all sizes.

About the Author: Im Joe Apfelbaum, CEO of evyAI and Ajax Union - I love helping people grow their business online and have a voice with AI. 

Need an AI Assistant? www.evyai.com right now and start using our AI assistant for LinkedIn. 

Want to learn? www.skool.com/aiautomation and join us 6 times a month to learn AI and Automation. 

Want AI Automation built for your business? Ajax Union is now building smart chatbots, voice agents, and all types of AI and marketing automations for businesses. Reach out to us at success@ajaxunion.com to learn how we can build some AI automations for your business.