SME/SMB advertising and marketing in the U.S. - statistics & facts

Marketing can be particularly tricky for small and medium businesses (SMBs) or enterprises (SMEs). Those ventures must consider questions like "who?", "what?", and "when?" to engage in promotional activities. Eight out of 10 SMBs in the United States spend at least 1,000 U.S. dollars in advertising. Additionally, 75 percent of U.S. small businesses use at least two marketing channels to promote products and services. Increasing sales, driving leads, and building brand awareness are the  main marketing goals cited by SMBs.

SMBs are embracing digital

According to a 2022 survey, eight out of 10 U.S. SMBs agreed that digital advertising is crucial for the success of their business. Not only has the adoption of digital tools proved essential for SMBs to develop their online presence, but it was also considered more effective than traditional formats regarding revenue generation and reaching new customers. Unsurprisingly, almost 70 percent of SMB owners or managers planned to increase their usage of online advertisements in the next two years. Facebook and other social networks, such as YouTube and Instagram, appeared as the most popular digital ad platforms used by SMBs. The enterprises also advertised in search engines like Google and Microsoft, as well as on digital retail media platforms like Amazon.

Small businesses go social

Social media networks were the most popular channels for small businesses to promote their products and services. The platforms took nearly 30 percent of U.S. SMBs’ advertising budget in 2022. In comparison, around nine percent of the ad investments ended with television, while radio grabbed seven percent. Facebook and Instagram appeared as the most used platforms. However, small businesses also started expanding the usage of LinkedIn and Twitter to reach customers. When it comes to content formats, SMBs used videos, promotions and offers, and images to generate the highest social media engagement.

AI can help SMBs to save time and money

SMBs have jumped onto the artificial intelligence bandwagon to improve their marketing strategies. As of 2023, one in four small businesses in the U.S. invested in AI or automation technology. Over 40 percent would like to start doing the same. SMBs used AI mainly for social media, content creation, and email campaigns – but also for ad targeting and analytics. The technology has saved time and money for the enterprises already adopting it. For instance, around 30 percent of SMBs reported saving more than 40 minutes per week in their marketing activities by using AI. Nearly 60 percent expected to save at least 1,000 dollars in the next 12 months as a result of adopting AI in their marketing strategies.

This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.

Share of U.S. SMBs spending at least 1,000 dollars on advertising: 88%

Leading ad channel used by U.S. SBMs: Social media

Main marketing challenges for U.S. SMBs: Budget and lead-generation

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Selected data on digital advertising spending of small businesses in the United States as of June 2021

Online Advertising

Digital advertising spending of small businesses in the U.S. 2021

Leading social media networks used by small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to advertise in the United States as of November 2022

Online Advertising

Leading social media used by SMBs for advertising in the U.S. 2022

Leading social media marketing goals according to marketers in the United States as of April 2021

Online marketing

Social media marketing goals of U.S. businesses 2021

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Overview

Premium Statistic Advertising budgets of SMBs in the U.S. 2022
Advertising budgets of SMBs in the U.S. 2022
Advertising budgets of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the United States as of October 2022 (in U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic SMBs' advertising budgets distribution in the U.S. 2022, by medium
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Distribution of advertising budgets at small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the United States as of October 2022, by medium
Premium Statistic Leading marketing objectives of SMBs in the U.S. 2022
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Leading marketing goals according to small businesses (SMBs) in the United States as of November 2022
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Leading marketing challenges according to small businesses (SMBs) in the United States as of November 2022

Marketing tools

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Marketing tactics of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the United States as of August 2022
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Leading media and tactics planned to be used by SMBs for marketing purposes over the next year in the United States as of November 2022
Premium Statistic Number of marketing channels used by SMBs in the U.S. 2022
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Number of marketing channels used by small businesses (SMBs) in the United States as of November 2022
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Marketing channels with highest ROI according to SMBs in the U.S. 2022
Marketing channels with highest return-on-investment ROI according to small businesses (SMBs) in the United States as of November 2022

Digital advertising

Premium Statistic Digital ad platforms used by SMBs in the U.S. 2022
Digital ad platforms used by SMBs in the U.S. 2022
Digital advertising platforms used by small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the United States as of October 2022
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Importance of digital advertising to the success of SMBs in the U.S. 2022
Level of importance of digital advertising to the success of small and medium-sized businesses in the United States as of October 2022
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Digital ad revenue generated by SMBs in the U.S. 2022, by company type
Revenue digital advertising generated for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the United States in 2022, by company type (in U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Growth of digital ad revenue generated by SMBs in the U.S. 2023, by company type
Growth of digital ad revenue generated by SMBs in the U.S. 2023, by company type
Projected change in digital advertising revenue generated by small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the United States in 2023, by company type
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Impact of digital advertising on the growth of SMBs in the U.S. 2022
Impact of digital advertising on the growth of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the United States as of October 2022
Premium Statistic Change in the usage of digital advertising among SMBs in the U.S. 2022-2024
Change in the usage of digital advertising among SMBs in the U.S. 2022-2024
Change in the usage of digital advertising among small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the United States between 2022 and 2024
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Purpose of using digital advertising at SMBs in the U.S. 2022
Purpose of using digital advertising among small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the United States as of October 2022

Perceptions on digital vs. traditional advertising

Premium Statistic SMBs where digital ads contributed more to revenue than traditional ads US 2022
SMBs where digital ads contributed more to revenue than traditional ads US 2022
Share of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) where digital advertising contributed more to revenue than traditional advertising in the United States as of October 2022
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SMBs that believe that digital ads targeted customers more efficiently U.S. 2022
Share of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that believed that digital advertising allowed them to target customers more efficiently than traditional advertising in the United States as of October 2022
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SMBs that believe online ads help them reach more new customers than offline ads U.S.
Share of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that believed that digital advertising helped them reach more new customers than traditional advertising in the United States as of October 2022
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SMBs that believe digital ads help them reach new customers in the U.S. 2022
Share of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that believed that digital advertising helped them reach new customers in the United States as of October 2022
Premium Statistic SMBs that believed digital ads helped them be competetive in the U.S. 2022
SMBs that believed digital ads helped them be competetive in the U.S. 2022
Share of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that believed that digital advertising helped them compete with much larger competitors in the United States as of October 2022

Social media

Premium Statistic Leading social media used by SMBs for advertising in the U.S. 2022
Leading social media used by SMBs for advertising in the U.S. 2022
Leading social media networks used by small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to advertise in the United States as of November 2022
Premium Statistic Social media usage by SMBs to advertise products and services in the U.S. 2022
Social media usage by SMBs to advertise products and services in the U.S. 2022
Social media usage by small businesses to advertise products and services in the United States in 2022, by platform
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Marketing content formats that generated highest social media engagement according to small businesses (SMBs) in the United States and Canada in 2022
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Usage of in-house versus third-party social media management by small businesses (SMBs) in the United States and Canada in 2022
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Factors SMBs focused on while hiring a social media agency U.S. & Canada 2022
Factors taken into account by small businesses (SMBs) while hiring a social media agency in the United States and Canada in 2022

Spotlight: AI

Premium Statistic Likelihood of U.S. SMBs to invest in AI for marketing purposes 2023
Likelihood of U.S. SMBs to invest in AI for marketing purposes 2023
Likelihood of small businesses (SMBs) to invest in artificial technology (AI) and/or automation technology in the next 12 months in the United States as of June 2023
Premium Statistic SMBs leading concerns or hesitations about using AI for marketing in the U.S. 2023
SMBs leading concerns or hesitations about using AI for marketing in the U.S. 2023
Leading concerns or hesitations among SMBs about using artificial intelligence (AI) and/or automation technology for marketing purposes in the United States as of June 2023
Premium Statistic Leading areas SMBs used AI and/or automation for marketing in the U.S. 2023
Leading areas SMBs used AI and/or automation for marketing in the U.S. 2023
Leading areas SMBs used artificial intelligence (AI) and/or automation for marketing purposes in the United States as of June 2023
Premium Statistic Estimated time SMBs saved on marketing in a week by using AI in the U.S. 2023
Estimated time SMBs saved on marketing in a week by using AI in the U.S. 2023
Estimated time SMBs saved on marketing in a week by using artificial intelligence (AI) and/or automation technology in the United States as of June 2023 (in minutes)
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Expected savings from using artificial intelligence (AI) and/or automation technology in SMBs marketing over the next 12 months in the United States as of June 2023 (in U.S. dollars)

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