Not long ago, running a successful small business meant offering a great product, providing excellent customer service, and managing the day-to-day operations. Those fundamentals still matter, but today’s entrepreneurs have another job description to add to the list: creator.
According to Constant Contact’s latest Small Business Now report, consumers are increasingly discovering small businesses through social media rather than search engines, making storytelling and authentic online engagement more important than ever. I spoke with Constant Contact CEO Frank Vella about why small business owners are embracing their role as creators, how AI is helping them save time, and why authentic connections—not algorithms—remain the key to long-term success.
Rieva Lesonsky: The Small Business Now report suggests small business owners are increasingly seeing themselves as creators. What’s driving that shift?
Frank Vella: The biggest cause is that the way consumers discover businesses has changed. Today, people find small businesses through social media more than through search engines, which means business owners have to do more than just offer a great product or service. They have to tell their story. Today, a baker sharing a behind-the-scenes video showcasing a new product, or connecting, has become a natural part of running a small business.
Lesonsky: How is being a “creator” different from being a traditional small business owner?
Vella: A traditional small business owner might have focused on running day-to-day operations and serving customers. Today’s business owner is doing all of that while also building a brand online. Sometimes they create content, share expertise, and engage with customers long before a purchase happens. It’s less about becoming an influencer and more about creating genuine connections that help people discover and trust your business.
Lesonsky: Nearly half of small business owners are managing social media themselves. Is that sustainable, or does it risk pulling owners away from running their businesses?
Vella: It’s definitely a challenge. We know that small business owners are already juggling a lot, and adding content creation and social media management to the list can feel overwhelming. At the same time, social media has become too important to ignore. That’s why we’re seeing more owners embrace tools like Constant Contact, with AI and automation built within it. They don’t want to spend every spare minute creating content. They want tools that help them stay visible while still focusing on serving customers and growing their business.
Lesonsky: As you said, social media has now surpassed search engines as the top way consumers discover small businesses. What does that tell us about how marketing has changed?
Vella: It shows us that people want a more personal connection with the businesses they support. Discovery isn’t just happening through a search bar anymore. It’s happening through videos, recommendations, and content that shows up in someone’s feed. Consumers want to get a feel for what a business is, what it stands for, and why it’s different.
Lesonsky: The report shows AI adoption among U.S. small businesses jumped from 26% to 87% in just three years. What’s behind that dramatic increase?
Vella: Small business owners are always looking for ways to make the most of their time, and AI is helping them do exactly that. A few years ago, AI felt like something experimental. Today, it’s become practical and accessible. Owners are using it to help with marketing, content creation, customer communication, and other everyday tasks. When you’re trying to do the work of several people, even saving a few hours a week can make a huge difference.
Lesonsky: What are the most practical ways small businesses are using AI today?
Vella: Automating emails, creating the perfect subject line and scheduling emails to land at the best time for their customers. The blank screen problem isn’t as much of a problem anymore when you can connect your Canva account or ChatGPT to your Constant Contact account. This helps them get started on marketing more quickly and spend less time on repetitive tasks.
Lesonsky: Many owners worry that AI-generated content will feel impersonal or damage customer relationships. What are you hearing from small businesses about that concern?
Vella: Small businesses succeed because of personal relationships and authenticity. The owners getting the most value from AI aren’t handing everything over to a machine. They’re using AI to help with the first draft, generate ideas, or save time, then adding their own voice and perspective. Customers still want to hear from real people, and that won’t change anytime soon.
Lesonsky: Consumer preference for shopping small has nearly tripled, yet many consumers say inflation has forced them to cut back. How should small businesses navigate that contradiction?
Vella: People genuinely want to support small businesses, but they’re also being more thoughtful about where they spend their money. That means small businesses need to clearly communicate what makes them worth choosing—whether it’s exceptional service, a unique product, or a connection to the community.
Lesonsky: Your data suggests consumers value unique products and supporting local economies. How can small businesses lean into those advantages?
Vella: This is where small businesses really shine. Large brands can compete on scale, but small businesses have something more personal. They can tell their stories, showcase the people behind the business, and demonstrate the impact they have on their communities. Consumers care about those things. They want to know who they’re supporting, and small businesses have a great opportunity to lean into that.
Lesonsky: Many business owners feel pressure to be marketers, creators, customer service reps, and operators all at once. How can they avoid burnout?
Vella: One of the biggest mistakes small business owners make is feeling like they have to do everything themselves. The reality is that not every task deserves the same amount of time and energy. The most successful owners focus on the activities that move the business forward and look for ways to automate or simplify the rest. Consistency is more important than perfection.
Lesonsky: What separates the small businesses that are successfully using AI and digital tools from those that are struggling?
Vella: The businesses seeing the best results tend to start with a problem they’re trying to solve. The businesses that struggle are often trying to keep up with every new trend. The real advantage comes from being intentional and using these tools in ways that make the business run better.
Lesonsky: Five years from now, what do you think will surprise us most about how small businesses market themselves?
Vella: I think we’ll be amazed by how sophisticated small business marketing becomes without requiring huge teams or budgets. We’re already seeing this with AI-powered tools like ours, which help even the smallest businesses create personalized experiences and reach customers more effectively. But what may be most surprising is that technology won’t make marketing less human. It will probably make it more human. Taking repetitive work off owners’ plates will give them more time to focus on the relationships, creativity, and community connections that make small businesses special.
My Take
One comment from Frank Vella really stood out to me: “Technology won’t make marketing less human. It will probably make it more human.”
That’s a refreshing perspective in a world where so much of the AI conversation focuses on replacing people. Small business owners have never succeeded by acting like large corporations. They succeed because customers know them, trust them, and feel connected to them.
AI can help write an email, suggest a subject line, or generate ideas. But it can’t replace the personality, values, and authenticity that make a neighborhood bakery, retailer, consultant, or restaurant memorable. As this interview makes clear, the most successful entrepreneurs won’t be the ones using the most AI—they’ll be the ones using AI to create more time for the relationships that matter most.
That’s not just good marketing. It’s good business.
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.
