With Election Day approaching, small businesses face another challenge: getting customers’ attention amid a flood of political advertising. And with the start of the holiday shopping season, business owners can’t afford to waste time or money on marketing that doesn’t work.
The good news? Small businesses don’t have to compete with political campaigns dollar for dollar. Two marketing experts say the smartest strategy is to focus on existing customers, make every message more personal, and prepare holiday campaigns now so they’re ready to launch as soon as the election is over.
Focus on the Marketing Channels You Own
Political campaigns are competing for advertising space and consumer attention, making paid advertising a tougher proposition for small businesses with limited budgets.
“Paid ad auctions are flooded with campaign money through November,” says Mallory Gray, creative director at Skydeo, an audience-targeting platform. She recommends concentrating on channels businesses control, particularly email and text messaging.
Unlike paid advertising, email and SMS don’t require businesses to compete in an advertising auction each time they contact customers.
Dave Charest, director of small business success at Constant Contact, agrees, saying, “Lean on the channels you own. Social media is rented land, and over the next few weeks you’re competing with campaigns for attention while ad costs rise.”
Charest points to Constant Contact’s Small Business Now Q2 2026 report, which found that almost half of U.S. consumers are cutting back on spending. That makes maintaining relationships with existing customers especially important.
Gray suggests limiting paid advertising primarily to retargeting campaigns aimed at people who have already shown interest in a business.
Make Your Messages More Personal
Shifting your marketing toward email and SMS doesn’t mean sending more messages to everyone on your contact list. “Inboxes are overcrowded right now, so a message that isn’t personalized is likely to be skipped,” Charest says. Instead, he recommends targeting smaller groups of customers, including recent buyers, with communications that feel relevant and personal.
And not every message needs to promote a sale. Customer appreciation notes, invitations to local events, and behind-the-scenes stories can help businesses maintain connections without adding to the noise.
The goal is to stay visible and valuable to customers, rather than simply increasing the frequency of marketing messages.
Get Your Holiday Marketing Ready Now
While political campaigns dominate attention, small businesses should be preparing for what comes next.
Charest recommends creating holiday emails, gift guides, sneak peeks, and customer rewards in advance. Businesses can also use automation and AI tools to prepare campaigns and schedule follow-up messages.
Gray says your holiday promotions should be ready to launch during the week after Election Day, when political advertising demand will decline.
Preparing now means your business won’t lose valuable holiday selling time trying to create campaigns after the election.
Don’t Abandon Social Media
Although email and SMS deserve extra attention, social media remains an important way to attract new customers. Constant Contact’s research shows that 49% of consumers worldwide use social media to discover small businesses.
Charest recommends preparing automated welcome emails and follow-up sequences for new customers who discover a business through social media. “Social brings them to you, but email makes them repeat customers,” he says.
That distinction is particularly important during a crowded advertising season. Social media can introduce customers to a business, while email helps build a relationship that lasts beyond a single visit or purchase.
My Takeaway
Small businesses can’t control how much political campaigns dominate the advertising space, but they can control how they communicate with customers.
Rather than trying to outspend political advertisers, focus on reaching people who already know your business, making messages more relevant, and preparing holiday promotions before the election is over.
And don’t wait until November to get started. The businesses that use the next few weeks to strengthen customer relationships and prepare their holiday marketing will be better positioned to capture shoppers’ attention when the political noise finally subsides.
Rieva Lesonsky is the founder of Small Business Currents, a content company focusing on small businesses and entrepreneurship. You can find her on Twitter @Rieva, Bluesky @Rieva.bsky.social, and LinkedIn. Or email her at Rieva@SmallBusinessCurrents.com.
Photo courtesy Nati via pexels
