Fixed Contact has launched its newest Small Enterprise Now report, revealing that new small and medium-sized companies (SMBs) are leveraging social media and know-how to drive development and navigate financial challenges. The research surveyed 1,600 SMBs throughout the USA, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada which were in operation for 5 years or much less.
The report finds that social media is the dominant advertising and marketing device for early-stage entrepreneurs. In keeping with the research, 63% of latest SMBs depend on social media as their major advertising and marketing channel, and 73% of respondents mentioned that each paid and unpaid social media posts are their greatest income drivers.
Regardless of this focus, many small companies wish to diversify their advertising and marketing methods. 33% of latest SMBs think about electronic mail advertising and marketing an underutilized device, and solely 15% leverage SMS advertising and marketing regardless of its robust engagement potential.
New SMBs are additionally turning to synthetic intelligence (AI) to streamline operations and improve their advertising and marketing efforts. The report discovered that 72% of SMBs plan to make use of AI for advertising and marketing in 2025, with AI getting used for duties similar to content material creation (37%), buyer information evaluation (32%), and customized messaging (31%). Moreover, 41% of extremely assured SMB homeowners are already utilizing AI to investigate buyer information.
“It’s troublesome to be a small enterprise proper now, however what’s clear from our research is that the spirit, ardour, and resilience of the SMB continues to be fairly robust,” mentioned Frank Vella, CEO at Fixed Contact. “The latest entrepreneurs are digitally savvy, they usually perceive that adaptability isn’t only a survival tactic, it’s a development technique.”
Whereas optimism is excessive, small enterprise homeowners acknowledge ongoing challenges. Practically half (45%) of latest SMB homeowners really feel very assured of their enterprise development for 2025, whereas 55% specific issues as a consequence of elements like buyer acquisition, rising prices, and shifting shopper habits. Moreover, 35% consider financial elements will considerably affect their success within the coming yr.
Regardless of these challenges, 95% of entrepreneurs mentioned they might select small enterprise possession once more, with 71% expressing pleasure and 57% feeling proud to be a part of the SMB group.
Fixed Contact’s findings spotlight the adaptability of latest entrepreneurs as they combine social media and AI-driven know-how into their development methods. As SMBs search to increase their advertising and marketing efforts past social media, AI and automation are set to play a essential function in serving to companies stay aggressive in an evolving financial panorama.
“By harnessing social media to boost buyer relationships and embracing superior applied sciences like AI to take care of stability and work smarter, they’re turning challenges into alternatives and redefining what it means to thrive in any financial panorama,” Vella added.
