AI Adoption Boosts Efficiency for SMB Marketers, Study Reveals
AI significantly enhances efficiency and reduces costs for SMB marketers, new study shows.
Key Points
- • SMB marketers gain 13 extra hours of work per week through AI.
- • AI usage cuts operational costs by about $4,739 monthly per team.
- • 82% of marketers have tried AI, but only 23% use it throughout the entire marketing cycle.
- • Transparency in AI usage correlates with positive customer feedback.
A recent survey conducted by ActiveCampaign has revealed that small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) can significantly boost their efficiency through the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI). The study indicates that SMB marketers gain an average of 13 additional hours of work time per week and save approximately $4,739 in operational costs each month by implementing AI tools.
The survey, which involved 1,000 marketers between May 21 and June 12, 2025, found that while a substantial 82% of marketers have used AI for at least one task, only 23% utilize AI throughout the entire marketing lifecycle—from planning to execution and measurement. This highlights a considerable opportunity for increased efficiency through wider AI adoption, as noted by CEO Jason VandeBoom, who emphasized the agility of small businesses in leveraging AI despite tighter margins.
Furthermore, daily AI users report saving nearly 15 hours a week, significantly more than the 9 hours reported by those who use it less frequently. Notably, 81% of respondents claim to use AI for marketing tasks, positioning them competitively alongside larger companies in lead generation and performance measurement.
Moreover, transparency in AI applications plays a crucial role, with 64% of transparent users receiving positive customer feedback. The competitive landscape is also evolving, as major players like HubSpot and Mailchimp continue to debut new AI tools tailored for smaller teams. As reported, 97% of marketers feel that AI has transformed their work responsibilities, making it a central element of their marketing strategies moving forward, endorsing the importance of integrating AI processes gradually for optimum impact.