Help & Guides
Two things live here: plain-English guidance on automating a South African small business, and step-by-step walkthroughs for every Drift Studio feature if you are already a client.
Where to start with automation
The temptation is to automate whatever feels most modern. The better test is duller: find the task that is repetitive, governed by fixed rules, and currently failing quietly. Those three together are what software handles better than a person, and the last one is why nobody has noticed the cost yet.
In practice that means the back office before the marketing. Below is the order we recommend to almost every business we talk to, and each one has a full write-up.
Invoicing, first
It is repetitive, rule-based, and a delay costs you money you can measure. Automating the trigger — invoice on completion rather than on the 25th — usually does more for cash flow than chasing debtors harder.
Read the invoicing guide →Then lead follow-up
Most businesses that think they have a lead generation problem have a follow-up problem. Enquiries arrive and go cold because the second and third attempts never happen. A sequence that runs by itself recovers work you already paid to attract.
Read the lead follow-up guide →Then WhatsApp
In South Africa WhatsApp is where customers actually reach you, so your response behaviour there is your customer service whether you planned it or not. Start with an instant first response, which the free Business app already does.
Read the WhatsApp guide →If you would rather not build any of it yourself, our automation packs cover these as bundles that we build and run, and every figure is published on the pricing page in Rands.
Using the Drift Studio portal
Common questions
What should a small business automate first?
Whatever is repetitive, rule-based and currently failing silently. For most businesses that is invoicing, then lead follow-up. Both are measurable, which means you can prove whether the automation was worth it instead of guessing.
Do I need to replace my existing software to automate?
Usually not. Most of the value comes from connecting the tools you already use so work is triggered by real events rather than someone remembering. Replacing an accounting package or CRM is a much larger project with far less upside.
How much does business automation cost in South Africa?
Our automation packs start at R2,450 a month, with R0 setup on a 3-month term (otherwise a once-off R2,500), and are built and run for you. A custom build, where the logic is specific to your operation, starts from R4,500 a month billed monthly with a 6-month minimum. Every price is published on the pricing page in Rands.
How long before an automation pays for itself?
For invoicing and follow-up, usually within the first two or three months, because both have a direct link to cash collected or work won. Automations that only save admin time take longer and are worth doing second.
I am an existing client — where are the portal walkthroughs?
Further down this page. Every Drift Studio feature has a step-by-step guide: submitting a brief, approving your calendar, requesting revisions, reading your reports and connecting your accounts.