By Tom Milne, Account Director, SEEN Connects
Social media can be a bit of a split personality.
On one side, automation makes everything sleek, efficient, never sleeps. On the other, authenticity keeps it human, a little unpredictable, and maybe even a little messy. And somewhere in the middle, brands are trying to balance both without losing their voice – or their sanity.
I’ve watched this tug-of-war play out for years.
The temptation to let the bots take over is real. I’m talking scheduling tools, AI chat, auto-replies – they’re quick, cheap, and easily tick the “we’re active” box. But an over-reliance on automation can drain the soul from your brand. And audiences always notice it.
People don’t follow anyone for perfect posting schedules or flawless grammar – they follow because they feel connected. And unless its WiFi, true connection isn’t something technology can do.
When the bots take over
I’ve lost count of how many brands overuse automation in their inboxes. The kind where a customer takes the time to explain a problem and gets back: “Thanks for your message! We’ll get back to you shortly!” followed by…nothing. Sure, it’s efficient, but it’s also pretty cold.
Back in Twitter’s (or I should now say X’s) heyday, brands used to sign off with a name like “– Sarah” or “– Justin” when replying to customers. I know it’s a tiny thing, but it made you feel like you were talking to someone who actually cared, not a faceless logo. (Southern Rail’s 15-year-old work experience student – Eddie – was a great example of putting a face to the logo back in 2017!) And even now, a simple human touch can turn a frustrated customer into a loyal advocate.
The same goes for content. Amazon Fresh went through a spell of posting a lot but saying very little. It was automation in overdrive. Yes, there were posts, but it didn’t reflect any real experience or personality the brand wanted to project. Without that spark of humanity, even the most polished piece of content is instantly forgettable.
And let’s not forget the “oops” moments. Remember when AI scheduling tools pushed out tone-deaf posts during breaking news or national tragedies? That’s what happens when no one’s in the room to say, “maybe not today.”
Automation doesn’t have instincts. People do.
Support rather than replace
The magic happens when automation supports the human, not replaces it.
Refy is a great example. The brand thinks about how a concept will live on Instagram before they shoot it. That’s why their content feels effortlessly native. And Black Sheep Brewery leans into its community’s love for Yorkshire pride – every post feels like it’s been written by someone you could happily share a pint with.
And there’s Jo & The Juice. They’re not trying to be Ryanair or Duolingo, like almost everyone else. Instead, the brand’s posts feel true to its laid-back, lifestyle-driven ethos. If M&S suddenly adopted Duolingo’s sass, it wouldn’t be bold, it would just be odd. And everybody would be wondering why on earth they’d shifted so much.
The point is you can’t copy-paste personality. It must come from you. Automation can help get it out there, but it can’t create it for you.
Finding the balance
Budgets matter, and automation can be brilliant when used as a supporting tool rather than being the main creative driver.
Let AI filter your DMs so your human team can focus on the customers who really need a thoughtful reply. Use automation to surface trending topics worth joining, then let your people shape the response in your own voice.
Some brands use automation to ensure they never miss important moments, like Innocent Drinks’ weather-triggered posts that launch when the sun comes out, but still sound like they were written by that one slightly chaotic mate in the group chat. The automation handles timing, but the tone comes from humans.
Representation is where automation hits its limits hard. I get beauty brands wanted to experiment with AI-generated models to showcase skin tones, but it has rubbed everyone up the wrong way. Why would you give a bot the job instead of giving a person an opportunity? That’s why people respect brands like Fenty, who consistently show up with real models, diverse casting, and genuine connection to its audience.
Human should always come first
Metrics and data are useful to help you see what’s working, where your audience is, what they respond to. But they should not be the driver. When you optimise purely for the algorithm, you aren’t focusing on building long-term trust.
The best brands put the human element first and then bring in automation to help tell that story more consistently. If you have to choose between speed and care, choose care.
Because at the end of the day, you can scale consistency. You can’t fake connection.
