Among U.S. small businesses, AI adoption has climbed from 26% in 2023 to 87% this year as owners look for new ways to handle their digital marketing workload.
Globally, social media is also taking a larger role in customer discovery, according to Constant Contact’s Q2 2026 research. Forty-nine percent of consumers use social media to find new small businesses, compared with 40% who use search engines.
The study analyzed responses from 3,340 small and medium businesses and 2,255 consumers in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia/New Zealand.
Dave Charest, director of small business success at Constant Contact, said SMBs are moving beyond content creation to use AI for data analysis and marketing decisions.
Half of AI users identified saving time as the technology’s primary benefit.
Director of Small Business Success
“That’s a major shift because it allows even the smallest business to make decisions that were once reserved for companies with dedicated analytics teams,” Charest told the E-Commerce Times.
Nearly half (47%) of SMB owners globally manage all of their business social media themselves, according to Constant Contact.
AI and automation are one response to that burden. Forty percent of SMBs globally use the technologies to become more cost-efficient and reduce their workload, while 42% use AI for content creation, including writing emails and social posts.
Constant Contact found that the share of U.S. consumers who prefer to shop mostly at small businesses rose from 10% in 2021 to 27% in 2026. At the same time, 49% said inflation had forced them to reduce or significantly cut their spending at small businesses.
Social for Discovery, Email for Retention
For e-commerce merchants, social media can attract new customers, while email provides a direct channel for maintaining those relationships.
“Social media has become the front door for discovery. Our research found it’s now the number one way consumers find new small businesses,” Charest said. “Discovery is only the beginning.”
Charest recommended using social media for discovery and then encouraging customers to join an email list. That gives businesses a direct way to reach customers without depending entirely on social platforms and their algorithms.
Choose AI That Solves a Business Problem
With more SMBs using AI, owners face a practical question: which tools are worth adopting? Charest said easier access to data analysis can help smaller e-commerce businesses compete with larger retailers.
Large retailers have traditionally had greater access to sophisticated analytics and dedicated marketing teams. AI can give smaller businesses some of those capabilities, including analyzing customer behavior and personalizing outreach without comparable staffing or technology resources.
“It allows them to compete on relevance and customer experience instead of simply competing on size,” Charest said. “If it doesn’t improve efficiency or customer relationships, it’s probably more hype than help.”
AI adoption also brings expectations about transparency. Constant Contact found that 46% of consumers globally want businesses to label AI-generated content, while 37% of SMBs said they already fully disclose their AI use.
An April 2026 U.S. Chamber of Commerce report identified limited data infrastructure, internal expertise, and employee training as barriers to broader AI use, along with concerns about cost, uncertain returns, and compliance risks.
The Chamber recommended that smaller companies start with specific day-to-day problems rather than broad AI deployments, while keeping people involved to check accuracy and maintain trust.
How to Stand Out in a Crowded Digital Marketplace
Charest argued that producing more content alone will not help an SMB stand out. The content has to give customers a reason to connect with the business.
SMB owners don’t need to behave like influencers, he said. Instead, they can use content to explain their products, tell the stories behind their businesses, and educate customers.
“The goal isn’t simply to publish more. It’s to create content that reflects what makes your business unique,” he said.
Charest recommended that SMBs focus on building direct relationships with customers.
“Use social media to help people discover your business, but don’t stop there. Build an email list, communicate consistently, and use AI to make your marketing more efficient and more relevant,” he said.
