ActiveCampaign Research Finds Small and Medium-sized Business Marketers Using AI to Keep Pace with Larger Companies

New data from ActiveCampaign reveals AI is saving SMB marketers 13 hours every week – nearly one-third of the work week – with 82% now utilizing AI for marketing, and half using it daily

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ActiveCampaign, a leading autonomous marketing platform, released findings from its latest research report, 13 Hours Back Each Week, revealing that AI is equipping small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) with the marketing capabilities to compete more effectively with enterprise-level brands. According to the survey, 75% of small businesses believe AI is making them more competitive with larger organizations. Additionally, AI is saving SMBs an average of 52 hours and $4,739 per month, with “Power Users” (individuals who use AI at work at least once daily), saving up to 57% more time and 36% in operational costs compared to those who use AI less frequently.

"Small businesses may work with tighter margins, but their size and agility provide a perfect opportunity for the strategic implementation of AI,” said Jason VandeBoom, Founder and CEO of ActiveCampaign. “SMBs drive nearly half of US GDP, and we're witnessing them harness AI's power to transform their marketing operations. They're not just adopting these technologies, they're pioneering creative applications that deliver measurable gains in efficiency and cost savings, enabling them to compete with enterprise-level competitors on a more level playing field."

The survey also revealed how AI is fueling innovation for SMB marketers. Key findings include:

• Nearly half (47%) of SMBs are now using AI at least once per day, with 81% of SMBs using it for marketing, along with design and creative (78%), and analytics (76%).
• 77% of marketers feel more confident when their work is supported by AI.
• 97% of marketers say AI has already reshaped how they feel about their work.

Additionally, findings suggest SMBs use AI just as strategically as their enterprise counterparts. There is only a 3% difference between SMBs and larger companies when it comes to recognizing AI’s value for critical marketing tasks: lead nurturing, timely follow-up, reporting on wins, and efficiency.

“With foundational adoption well underway, marketers are entering the next phase of AI maturity, applying more advanced capabilities to forecast market trends, uncover new revenue opportunities, and automate complex workflows,” said Amy Kilpatrick, Chief Marketing Officer of ActiveCampaign. “The real opportunity arrives when marketers move from isolated AI use to embracing it as a long-term strategic partner. That’s where differentiation deepens and sustained market leadership begins to take shape.”

The survey of 1,000 American marketers, agency marketers, and small business owners was commissioned by ActiveCampaign and conducted by Talker Research between May 21 and June 12, 2025. Read the full 13 Hours Back report for the complete data analysis and find out where you stand in AI maturity by taking the AI Marketing Maturity Quiz.

About ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign is the autonomous marketing platform for people at the heart of the action. It empowers teams to automate their campaigns with AI agents that imagine, activate, and validate–freeing them from step-by-step workflows and unlocking limitless ways to orchestrate their marketing.

With AI, goal-based automation, and 950+ app integrations, agencies, marketers, and owners can build cross-channel campaigns in minutes–fine-tuned with billions of data points to drive real results for their unique business.

ActiveCampaign is the trusted choice to help businesses unlock a new world of boundless opportunities–where ideas become impact and potential turns into real results.