SMBs Feed the Social Beast—with a Side of AI

According to Verizon Business and Morning Consult’s latest State of Small Business Survey, small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are leaning hard on social media to drive growth. Over 75% believe these platforms directly boost performance, but they’re also feeling the strain—54% report difficulty keeping content fresh and on-trend. In response, more than a quarter (28%) have started using AI to manage marketing and social media, with 24% specifically using it to improve written communication.

Facebook leads the pack with 82% of SMBs using it to reach customers, followed by Instagram (71%), YouTube (69%), and TikTok (58%). Interestingly, 40% have turned their social profiles into digital storefronts, indicating a shift toward direct-to-consumer strategies. Nearly three-quarters plan to broaden their platform presence in the next year, showing no signs of slowing down in the social media arms race.

With that expansion comes a sharp increase in content demands. Over 60% of businesses have either launched or ramped up content creation in the past year, and 71% now have dedicated in-house content staff. Yet, over half still struggle to keep up. To cope, AI is playing a broader role—not just in content, but in managing inventory, data, customer service, and product recommendations. For many SMBs, AI isn’t just a helper—it’s becoming a co-worker with its own digital coffee mug.

Full story at Marketing Dive.