There’s some seriously good news for small businesses right now: Consumer love for independent brands is soaring.
However, as any business owner will tell you, a surge in interest brings a new set of challenges. With social media now serving as a primary way for consumers to discover brands, small business owners find themselves playing the role of content creators on top of every other hat they’ve got to wear.
In addition, they’re navigating an economy where buyers are more carefully evaluating every dollar they spend.
For Constant Contact’s Small Business Now report, we surveyed more than 5,000 small business owners and consumers across the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to understand the current landscape.
We discovered that to stay visible while managing the daily hustle of running a business, small and medium-sized businesses are fundamentally rewriting their job descriptions to embrace the role of “creator” — and leaning on AI to get it all done.
Social media discovery means everyone’s a creator
It seems like everyone’s a creator these days, and it’s not just because they want to be social media stars. It comes down to how today’s consumers shop.
Social media platforms have officially overtaken search engines as a top digital discovery tool, with 49% of global consumers finding new small businesses on social media compared to 40% using search engines.
To capture that audience, entrepreneurs are stepping directly into the role of content creation.
- 73% of small business owners globally now identify as content creators to some degree.
- Within that group, 40% identify primarily as creators and 33% see themselves as an owner/creator hybrid.
- Nearly half (47%) of small business owners handle all of their social media management entirely on their own.
AI is helping SMBs get more done faster
Faced with the pressure to act like full-time social media managers – on top of every other task on their plate – entrepreneurs are adopting AI into their daily workflows.
In the US, small business marketing adoption of AI tools has skyrocketed from 26% in 2023 to 87% as of April.
Rather than trying to expand traditional ad budgets to keep pace with larger businesses, 40% of small businesses are leaning on AI and automation specifically to manage their marketing workload.
SMBs aren’t using AI as an experimental hobby; they’re modernizing the way they operate to become more efficient.
- 50% of AI users globally report that the primary benefit is saving time.
- Small business owners are primarily using these tools to write copy and content (42%) and analyze data (38%).
- Platform data from Constant Contact shows built-in AI tools reduce campaign and email creation time by up to 23%.
Consumers want to shop small, but budgets are tight
Where customers want to spend their money has shifted dramatically over the last few years. Consumers are actively turning away from giant retailers to spend money at smaller independent brands.
- In the US, consumer preference for shopping primarily at small businesses nearly tripled over the last five years, rising from 10% in 2021 to 27% in 2026.
- Consumer preference for shopping primarily at large corporations fell from 47% to 33% over the same period.
But due to inflation and rising costs, 49% of US consumers have been forced to scale back their spending at small businesses.
Because consumers have fewer discretionary dollars to go around, they’re being selective about where they shop. A business’s online presence can no longer just look appealing; it has to communicate real value to earn a place in tighter budgets.
How to manage your marketing without burnout
You don’t need a huge budget or an army of employees to capture the wave of consumers who want to spend money with small businesses.
Move #1: Replace polished marketing with authentic storytelling
Consumer preference has evolved: they don’t necessarily want highly produced videos or airbrushed photo shoots; they want something real.
Share the unpolished, behind-the-scenes realities of running your business. Authentic storytelling is often faster and less expensive to produce, and it helps build the kind of human connection that larger businesses struggle to replicate.
Move #2: Treat social media profiles as primary search landing pages
Businesses should treat their social profiles like digital storefronts. Optimize your profiles for people searching for products and services like yours. Treat your bio, captions, and pinned posts like a website homepage. Include relevant keywords, geographic location, operating hours, and product or service descriptions so potential customers can find you.
Move #3: Build your list and send an email
Your email contacts are a list you can own. With tools like Constant Contact, it’s easy to segment your list, set up behavioral triggers, and send the right message at the right time, so you’re working smarter instead of harder.
That ownership is what keeps you off the burnout treadmill. Instead of chasing platform shifts, you get a dependable line to both prospects and existing customers.
Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.
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