The Automation Illusion: Why Zapier and Make Won’t Save Your Agency
No-code automation sounds like the dream, until you realize it’s an expensive, fragile mess. Smart agencies are using AI differently.
The Setup: “Just Automate It” Isn’t a Strategy
A few years ago, I sat across from a client who was pumped about automation.
“We connected everything with Zapier,” they said. “It runs our entire business on autopilot.”
Fast forward six months: It was a disaster.
Zaps were breaking constantly.
Their automation bill was eating into profits.
They had no idea how half their workflows actually worked.
Turns out, no-code automation isn’t the magic bullet they thought it was. And for agencies that blindly stack Zapier, Make, and other automation tools? It can become a ticking time bomb.
The Hidden Costs of No-Code Automation
On the surface, tools like Zapier, Make, and Pabbly promise to:
Eliminate manual tasks
Connect apps effortlessly
Save time and money
And they do, until they don’t.
What most agencies don’t realize?
Costs scale FAST.
Moving large volumes of data? Your Zapier bill jumps from $19/month to $599/month real quick.
Need multi-step automation? You’ll burn through tasks faster than you think.
Breaks become a nightmare.
One API change in a connected tool? Your entire system crashes.
Debugging dozens of zaps across multiple tools? Good luck.
People automate the wrong things.
Just because you can automate something doesn’t mean you should.
Most agencies slap on automation without a strategy. Leading to more chaos, not less.
And the worst part?
The moment your agency scales, no-code tools become a bottleneck instead of a solution.
How Smart Agencies Automate Without the Chaos
Agencies that get automation right don’t just connect everything and hope for the best.
Here’s what they do instead:
Automate What Scales, Not What’s Easy
Focus on high-impact automation (client reporting, lead scoring, data enrichment).
Avoid automating things that change frequently (custom proposals, strategy work).
Use AI to Assist, Not Just Connect
AI predicts bottlenecks before they happen.
Smart agencies use AI-powered automation (not just basic zaps) to make decisions, not just move data.
Invest in Custom Systems Once You Scale
Zapier and Make are great for early-stage automation, but growing agencies eventually need custom solutions.
The real money is in building efficient, scalable backend processes that aren’t duct-taped together.
The Future: Smarter Automation, Not Just More Automation
The biggest lie about automation? More = better.
In reality? Strategic automation > random automation.
The best agencies aren’t just "connecting apps", they’re designing workflows that scale without breaking.
AI is making automation smarter, helping agencies automate decision-making, not just busywork.
And the agencies that master this balance? They’ll dominate the AI-driven future.
Because the truth is: Zapier won’t save your agency.
But the right automation strategy? That will.
We also have a podcast dropping today!
Still building systems without knowing what “done” looks like?
That’s not automation, it’s expensive chaos. In this week’s Queen of Automation episode, I sat down with Mark Bentcover, a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and ops powerhouse who’s led major programs at IBM and Boeing.
We dug into why so many founders throw AI and automation at their business with no clear goal, and how that’s killing their growth.
Mark dropped one of my favorite truths: you’re either operating in creative mode or reactive mode, there’s no in-between. If your systems don’t align with your purpose, they’re just noise. We also talked about why “work-life balance” is a lie, why clarity matters more than tech, and how to stop building processes that don’t move the needle.
Click here to tune in.