SMB Marketing Weekly: Oct 20-27, 2025

Here is your weekly digest of the most important marketing news and updates for small business owners. This week covers October 20 through 27, 2025.

1. Google Ads Rolls Out AI-Powered Budget Recommendations for Small Advertisers

Google Ads introduced a new AI-powered feature this week that provides budget optimization recommendations specifically tailored for accounts spending under $5,000 per month. The tool analyzes historical performance data and competitive landscape to suggest daily budget adjustments at the campaign level. Early testers report useful suggestions, but as always with Google’s recommendations, treat them as starting points rather than mandates — Google’s interests and your interests are not always perfectly aligned.

2. Instagram Shifts Algorithm to Favor Original Content Over Reposts

Instagram head Adam Mosseri confirmed this week that the platform is now actively deprioritizing reposted and aggregated content in favor of original creations. For small businesses, this means that reposting trending memes or resharing other accounts’ content will get less reach than it used to. The takeaway: invest in creating original photos, videos, and carousel posts that reflect your brand rather than curating content from elsewhere.

This algorithm change is actually good news for small businesses. You do not need a huge content team — authentic behind-the-scenes photos and short product demos shot on your phone will outperform polished reposts from bigger accounts.

3. SBA Reports Small Business Loan Approval Rates Reach 2-Year High

The Small Business Administration reported that loan approval rates at small banks reached 29.2% in October, the highest level since late 2023. Large bank approval rates also ticked up to 14.8%. For small business owners planning marketing investments for 2026 — whether that is a website redesign, new advertising campaigns, or technology upgrades — lending conditions are more favorable now than they have been in recent memory.

4. LinkedIn Introduces Free Company Page Analytics for Small Businesses

LinkedIn expanded its analytics tools this week, giving all company pages access to visitor demographics, content performance metrics, and follower growth trends — features that were previously limited to premium accounts. For B2B small businesses, this data is valuable for understanding which types of content resonate with your professional audience and where your followers are located. The new dashboard is available under the Analytics tab on any company page.

5. Study Finds 68% of Small Businesses Still Lack a CRM System

A new report from Salesforce’s Small Business Trends survey found that 68% of businesses with fewer than 50 employees still manage customer relationships through spreadsheets, email, or paper records. The study found that businesses using a CRM reported 29% higher customer retention rates and 34% faster response times to inquiries. If you are still tracking customers manually, exploring an affordable CRM solution like SMBcrm could make a meaningful difference in how efficiently you manage relationships and follow up with leads.

That is a wrap for this week. Have a story we should cover? Drop us a note on the contact page. See you next Monday.