Small and medium-sized businesses predict accelerated growth with AI advertising tools

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) across the U.S. are bullish about the impact of AI in advertising on their business, according to new research from Amazon Ads. The study reveals that 87% of small and medium-sized business marketing leaders believe AI in advertising will help support future growth by creating more time for strategic business priorities.¹

The research also found that nearly three-quarters (74%) of small and medium-sized businesses are already either using or actively testing AI tools for advertising purposes.² Despite this widespread adoption, many businesses face implementation challenges, with approximately half feeling overwhelmed by the number of tools available and others eager to adopt AI in advertising but uncertain how to begin.³

Unlocking future growth

According to the study, small and medium-sized business marketing leaders estimate they could save approximately 5.6 hours each week—about 30 working days annually—by implementing AI tools to create and manage their advertising campaigns.⁴

Small and medium-sized businesses plan to use this time to drive business growth in various ways: over one-third (36%) intend to focus more on sales activities, 27% on improving customer service or support, and 26% on exploring new marketplaces and channels they previously lacked time to pursue.⁵

Small and medium-sized businesses also expect AI-enabled efficiencies over the next year through reduced time on data analysis (41%), better predicted campaign performance (29%), improved campaign reporting and optimization (24%), and media planning support (23%).⁶

AI advertising in action

Of the 74% of small and medium-sized business marketing leaders currently using or testing AI advertising tools, many are already seeing tangible benefits. Those implementing these tools are enhancing their advertising campaigns through automated visual creation (25%), improved performance forecasting (15%), and automated ad copy generation (14%)—capabilities that were once available only to businesses with substantial resources.⁷

The study also found that small and medium-sized businesses expect to experience additional benefits to their advertising campaigns in the future, including improved audience reach (57%), accelerated creative content generation (50%), and automation of repetitive advertising operations (30%).⁸

"Working with Amazon and kickstarting with Amazon Ads has made my revenue triple year over year. It's really one of the best decisions I've ever made for the company. Amazon Ads helps increase our brand awareness which is our primary purpose for using Amazon and Amazon Ads," said Adria Marshall, Founder of Ecoslay and an Amazon Ads Rising Star in the U.S.

Confidence gaps remain

Despite widespread use and testing of AI tools, confidence isn't universal among small and medium-sized businesses. The study found that 35% of marketing leaders feel overwhelmed by the number of tools available, 43% are excited about AI in advertising but don't know where to start, and 30% admitted feeling like they're "faking it" when using AI—highlighting the need for easy-to-use advertising solutions that can be adopted without technical expertise or a steep learning curve.⁹

Control still matters

Despite these implementation challenges, small and medium-sized businesses have a clear vision of how AI best fits into their advertising strategy. The research shows that these businesses want to preserve human involvement in key decisions, particularly final creative approval (54%), budget allocation (41%), and understanding cultural and emotional context (34%).¹⁰ This balanced perspective indicates that small and medium-sized businesses see AI as a powerful assistant that complements rather than replaces human expertise and judgment.

"We understand how valuable time is for SMBs, where every hour saved becomes an opportunity to develop new products or strengthen customer relationships," said Ludovic de Valon, Director of SMB Marketing and Product Marketing, Amazon Ads. "That's why we've focused on integrating generative AI capabilities directly into familiar advertising tools, making adoption straightforward and accessible. Amazon Ads AI-powered tools, such as Video Generator, AI Image generator, and AI Creative Studio, help businesses create compelling ads with just a few clicks. This enables SMBs to easily create effective campaigns that reflect their brand voice, while freeing up hours they can reinvest in growing their business."

Sources

^1-10 The research was commissioned by Amazon Ads and conducted by Opinium, among a sample of 300 B2C marketing decision makers from SMEs in the US as part of a wider survey that included 4,100 respondents across 14 countries. The research also includes a cross-section of industries, from goods & manufacturing, commerce & retail, to education and culture. The data was collected between June 12, 2025 and June 23, 2025.