SMBs rely heavily on social media for marketing and growth, study says
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Most small businesses continue to look to social media to help them drive their business growth, even though the medium presents content and strategic challenges, according to new research from Verizon Business and Morning Consult.
In the firms' sixth annual State of Small Business Survey, more than three-quarters of small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) agree that social media positively impacts their business performance. At the same time, more than half (54%) admit struggling to keep their content fresh and stay up to date with social media trends.
To help, many of them are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) for assistance. Per the survey, 28% of SMBs use AI for their marketing and social media efforts, and 24% use technology to assist their written communications.
Verizon and Morning Consult's research indicates that, nearly two decades in, social media remains a critical component of small- and medium-sized business strategy. According to the research, most of these companies are using social media to offer sales and deals on products and services that will appeal to new customers or to increase customer engagement and increase online traffic. The survey queried decision makers at 600 small to midsize businesses (defined as less than 500 employees) in March 2025.
Facebook is the most popular platform, with 82% of respondents using the social media network to promote products and connect with customers. Forty percent are using social media 'storefronts' or 'shops' to sell directly to consumers. Only 71% of respondents were using Instagram, and 69% were using YouTube. More than half (58%) of the SMBs are on TikTok. Nearly three-quarters (73%) said they plan to expand their presence to other social media platforms over the next year.
Unsurprisingly, the reliance on social media has increased content needs. More than 60% of SMB decision makers either began creating content or increased their investment in content creation over the last year. Seventy-one percent have an in-house department or have staff dedicated to creating content for social media.
Still, feeding the content beast remains a challenge. More than half (54%) said they struggle to keep up with their content needs across multiple social media channels and platforms, and 54% said they struggle to keep the content fresh and keep up with social media trends.
To keep up, many have used, or are considering using, artificial intelligence. According to the survey, 71% of respondents said they are using or would consider using AI for their social media and marketing, and 64% said they would use it for their written communications. Other usages included inventory management (69%), data management (68%), product or service recommendations (68%) and customer service (68%).
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