JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Even with inflation still weighing on budgets, small businesses are doubling down on marketing in 2026 — and that’s a smart sign, according to Constant Contact.
“More businesses, even though they’re worried about inflation, are actually doubling down on marketing in general,” said Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, in a conversation with This Week in Jacksonville: Business Edition. “They’re recognizing the importance of being visible… particularly when customers are potentially being more stingy with their dollars.”
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Charest said uncertainty often causes businesses to pull back, but staying present can be the difference between being forgotten and being chosen.
“When things do open up again, you’re gonna be the person that was there and staying top of mind with them all the time,” he said.
The “one-two punch”: social media plus email
Charest said Constant Contact data continues to show two channels driving the most success for small businesses: social media and email marketing.
“The two top marketing channels that people are really paying attention to and actually seeing success with are social media and email marketing,” he said. “To me, these really come across as the one-two punch.”
The reason is control. Social media can help businesses reach new audiences, but the relationship is fragile.
“If you are just relying on social media, oftentimes you’ll hear people talk about social media as rented land,” Charest said. “It’s all run on algorithms… and at any moment, you could lose that access based on what that particular platform… decides they wanna do that day.”
Email, on the other hand, is permission-based — and more predictable.
“We call email marketing an opt-in channel,” he said. “Somebody goes beyond just scrolling… and actually says, yes, I wanna hear more from your particular business.”
That matters because big social numbers don’t always translate into paying customers.
“Somebody liking a post on social media… helps you with reach,” Charest said. “But ultimately, those interactions don’t necessarily equate to dollars in the bank account.”
Don’t let trends drain your budget
Charest said many owners get pulled into what’s trendy — and spread themselves too thin.
“You feel this overwhelming sense of FOMO… fear of missing out,” he said. “What happens is you end up spreading yourself too thin… and you’re not taking into account the nuance of each channel.”
His advice: pick one channel, work it consistently, and grow from there.
“We recommend that people… pick one channel where you think your audience is… and then sit there for a while,” Charest said. “Engage… so that you actually see a result. Then you can start to add something else to the mix.”
Why retention is winning right now
A key takeaway from the discussion: keeping customers may be more valuable than chasing new ones in this economy.
“Your existing customers already know you,” Charest said. “They know that you are for a quality product or service.”
With consumers watching their spending, he said they tend to stick with what they trust.
“They’d rather spend it with known quantities… than have to take the chance,” he said. “You’re gonna probably spend more money trying to get the new people in.”
AI can help — but authenticity still matters
Charest said AI is becoming a major tool for small business marketing, particularly for content creation and spotting opportunities in data. But he warned against letting automation flatten a brand’s voice.
“We all have access to AI,” he said. “If you just use it on its face value… you run the risk of sounding like everybody else.”
Instead, he recommends giving AI clear guidance.
“If you can say, this is my voice, this is the audience that I’m trying to reach… that’s gonna give you something closer to something that’s unique to you,” Charest said. “You really wanna think of AI… as a creative partner.”
Three priorities for the rest of 2026
Charest offered three practical moves business owners can focus on right now:
- Stop trying to be everywhere“You have permission to just choose something and then stick with it,” he said.
- Use AI to save time and create consistently“Doing something is better than doing nothing,” Charest said.
- Automate the basics so marketing runs when you’re busy“If it’s only working when you were working, that’s a problem,” he said, pointing to welcome emails and scheduled posts as easy wins.
One more trend to watch: real-life connection
Even with technology accelerating, Charest said the next competitive advantage may be surprisingly human.
“I think what we’re also going to see is the reality of human nature wanting to be together with real people,” he said. “Don’t overlook real experiences… bring people to your store… create events that bring people together.”
Because at the end of the day, he said, relationships still win.
“No one is thinking about your business as much as you are,” Charest told small business owners. “The consistency gets them remembering you.”