I was talking to someone recently using a service that generated Twitter updates by automating creating links to content. Rather than manually tweeting links to interesting online articles or blog posts, this service generated links on Twitter by tapping into a group of pre-configured RSS feeds.

This isn’t to suggest that the automated tweets had no value but it did get me thinking about how much social media activity can be automated to drive productivity and efficiency and, as important, allow individuals and companies to scale their social media activity.

In some respects, automation runs counter to the pillars of social media – sincerity and authenticity. If social media is about engagement and conversations, can technology be part of the mix? When I tweet about interesting content, it’s content I’ve read and want to share – as opposed to tweets from a service built to constantly pump out links.

That said, there is social media activity in which automation can be effectively used. A good example is Ping.fm, which lets you simultaneously update a wide variety of social media services (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, et al). It’s automated but the activity is driven by something created by a person.

Twitterfeed is another good automated service for people looking to automatically post links to new blog posts on Twitter. Again, it’s something that drives activity by a person.

So, what’s your take on social media automation? And what services do you use to improve your social media productivity?