What I Automated to Save 10+ Hours of Marketing Work

Hi again, this is G, a thinker, tinkerer, and someone who’s learned that the path forward isn’t always straight, but it’s always worth walking

Today was one of those oddly satisfying days where everything I’ve been learning, testing, and quietly building finally clicked into place — not with fanfare, but with flow.

For months now, I’ve been juggling ideas, tools, and time blocks trying to create a life that feels both intentional and financially stable. Some days are filled with motion but not momentum. Some days feel like I’m just circling the same doubts over and over, hoping something sticks. But today? Today had a tiny win that felt big — not because of external applause, but because something shifted internally.

What I Built (The Automation Bit)

I created a full n8n automation that reads my blog RSS feed, extracts newly published posts, cleans the HTML content, and then uses OpenAI to generate tailored social media content across five platforms:

• LinkedIn
• Twitter (X)
• Reddit
• Skool Community
• YouTube Community

After generating platform-native posts, the automation uses Post-Bridge (a new find from X that’s way cheaper and simpler than Metricool) to schedule and push them live — all in one automated flow.

The entire workflow is modular. I can bolt on new automations like image generation, video repurposing through HeyGen, or even A/B testing post headlines in the future. It's flexible enough to scale without redoing the whole thing. Honestly, it’s the kind of backend system I dreamed about but never had the clarity or energy to build until now.

For non-technical folks: imagine writing a blog post once — and without lifting another finger — your story gets adapted for five different platforms, in the right format, tone, and timing. Like magic. But instead of magic, it’s just thoughtful automation (and a lot of trial and error).

Here’s the coolest part: this blog post you’re reading? It’s the very first one that went through the system. Yep — this post was the live test.

Why This Matters (Beyond the Tech)

This isn’t just about repurposing content. It’s about reclaiming time, conserving energy, and removing the friction between creation and distribution. It's about creating space — mentally and emotionally — so you can focus on what actually matters.

Before this, I used to get stuck in a never-ending loop: write something, overthink the caption, rewrite it for every platform, second-guess the tone, forget to post half of them, then feel bad for being "inconsistent." That spiral was real. Nakaka-frustrate. It made me dread marketing, even if deep down, I loved the act of sharing and storytelling.

I didn’t lack ideas. I lacked system support. That’s what this automation gave me. Now? I just show up once. I write the thing. The system takes care of the rest. It’s like giving my future self a high-five in advance. Parang si future G, mapapa-“solid pre!”

More importantly, this system gave me permission to breathe. To stop chasing perfection in every post. To stop equating effort with exhaustion. It made me realize that consistency doesn’t have to be manual. It can be graceful, silent, efficient.

And beyond the mechanics, here’s what I’ve realized: systems like this buy back presence. The less I worry about being everywhere, the more I can focus on being here. Whether it’s writing, coaching, consulting, or even just sitting quietly and thinking deeply about what’s next. Kasi kahit mahirap, ang sarap din ng may momentum kahit konti lang. Kahit hindi viral, basta tuloy-tuloy.

It’s easy to romanticize hustle. But real progress? It often happens in the background, powered by tools you quietly built when no one was watching. This automation is one of those tools.

That’s the real ROI — presence, clarity, focus. And honestly? Peace of mind, too.

Real Talk (What Didn’t Go As Planned)

I started blocking my time today. Yep, I finally shifted my workouts to the morning (as intended in my “ideal day” layout). That alone felt like a miracle. But actually sticking to my time blocks? Still a work in progress. LOL. Focus is a muscle, and mine’s still warming up. Baka kailangan lang ng konting kape at dasal.

Also, I had an interview today for an AI market research role. They were kind. But I could feel it — they needed someone more junior, more focused on the research frameworks. I, on the other hand, went full systems-nerd. I started talking about modular data ingestion, multi-language prompt tuning, and structured summaries — which, in hindsight, was very on-brand for me but probably not what they were looking for. What I didn’t realize until halfway through the interview was that they needed more junior research perspectives, not systems thinking.

But in fairness, I couldn’t help myself. I started sharing how, back in my Experience Philippines days, we ran dozens of post-trip surveys — and how I learned to spot patterns manually: what people loved, what disappointed them, and what they never said out loud. That eventually led me to experiment with AI-powered sentiment analysis, auto-tagging responses, and optimizing survey questions through prompt engineering.

So when they asked me about market insight workflows, I naturally went down the rabbit hole — how I’d combine AI with qualitative methods, design context-aware surveys, and structure feedback loops to improve insights over time. I could see their eyes glazing over, but part of me was like: "Oops. Too much info. But also... this could be its own product."

But here’s the twist: that “failed” interview? It gave me a wild product idea.

What if I could build a simple, AI-powered market insight engine?

Picture this: a chatbot (powered by Voiceflow) asks questions, logs the answers, references a knowledge base, and — within 24 hours — sends a beautifully structured, AI-written market research report to the user’s inbox.

But let’s go further: what if this same system could be offered to SMEs, helping owners understand what their target market actually wants? Imagine this as a plug-and-play market intelligence tool. Businesses send a survey link to their customers — incentivized with a discount, a freebie, or maybe exclusive content — and in return, they receive a full qualitative and quantitative breakdown of real feedback.

On the backend, AI processes the responses. One agent handles the structured insights (quantitative analysis, charts, keyword themes), another AI layer handles sentiment analysis and story framing (so you get actual context, not just data points). The entire experience is designed to be non-intimidating, yet powerful.

And here’s where it gets interesting: agencies could offer this as a value-add to their clients. Want to launch a new service? Validate a new campaign? Figure out why sales are stalling? This tool can give them market clarity — fast, affordable, and without hiring a full research firm. Parang market research on-demand, powered by AI, and built for scrappy but serious teams.

Useful ba 'to? I think so. Especially if framed as a lean research tool for founders, brand strategists, and marketing consultants who want answers but don’t have the time (or budget) to run full studies.

Now that’s something I might actually build. Kasi kung kaya nila, baka kaya ko rin. Or kahit simplified version lang — pang Pinoy companies pero affordable.

📚 Lessons From Today

• Automate what drains you — not because it’s trendy, but because your energy is finite.
• Showing up consistently is easier when your systems reduce the weight of showing up.
• You don’t need everything figured out to start building. Just enough clarity to take the next step.
• Interviews don’t just lead to jobs. Sometimes they spark your next business idea.
• Time blocking looks great in Google Calendar. Life, however, doesn’t care about your Calendar. Minsan kahit best laid plans, sablay pa rin.
• Content marketing isn’t just strategy decks — it’s that DM you reply to, that one sentence someone remembers, that quiet post no one liked but you still shared anyway.

Where I’m At Now

There’s still so much to rebuild — in me, in my business, in my systems. But today felt like real movement. And honestly, that’s more than enough.

I’m nowhere near done. But I’m no longer just thinking. I’m building.

If you’re reading this and you’re in the middle of a restart — whether it’s personal, professional, spiritual — I hope this reminds you that momentum doesn’t always roar. Sometimes it hums quietly, right under your feet. Minsan tahimik lang siya — pero andun.

Small wins. Bold ideas. Repeat.

Till the next log,

G