Post 4 of 9 – Field of the Dream Series
There was a time when I felt like I was drowning in social media messages.
Not because of volume, but because of expectation. Our ownership team had high standards (rightfully so), and the number of platforms we were expected to monitor just kept growing: Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Google messages, and more.
People would message us with simple questions like:
- “Do you have any tee times left today?”
- “Is the simulator available this weekend?”
- “What are your hours?”
And we’d reply, eventually. But we were missing something bigger:
The opportunity to turn every reply into a micro-marketing moment.
There was an event coming up. A new menu item. A league registration deadline. And sometimes, we’d forget to mention it. Just answer the question, hit send, and move on.
That’s when I started building the bot.
The Actual System I Use
It’s not a fully automated bot. It’s a human tool with AI support.
- Zapier automatically pulls the comment or message into a Google Sheet, along with a direct link back to the post or conversation. That way, I can find the original message later if I need to respond manually or follow up.
- Inside Google Sheets, I created a “GPT” tab where I paste the message and generate three reply options using AI.
- I review the suggestions. If one feels right, I’ll clean it up a bit and paste it back as my reply.
Could I automate the entire response loop? Sure.
But I don’t trust AI that much. Not yet.
This way, the voice stays mine.
The replies stay on-brand.
And the process? Way faster than typing every response from scratch.
Why It Matters
Before the AI workflow, I was just trying to keep up.
Now I get to lead the conversation.
Someone asks about tee times? I can add: “By the way, Night Golf is coming up. Want in?”
Someone wants simulator hours? I’ll remind them about our winter league sign-ups.
ChatGPT didn’t replace me.
It just removed the clutter between my brain and a smart reply.
One Field, One Click at a Time
This is what I mean when I say:
If you dream it, you can build it.
I didn’t hire a developer. I didn’t write a line of code.
Just used Zapier, Sheets, GPT, and a clear need to stay on top of my game.
Your Turn
Ever built a small tool or system that saved your time and kept your voice? Tell me about it in the comments. Or subscribe to follow the rest of the series.
AI is like the Field of Dreams.
If you build it, they will come.
With AI, if you dream it, you can build it.