SMB Marketing Weekly: Oct 6-13, 2025

Here is your weekly digest of the most important marketing news and updates for small business owners. This week covers October 6 through 13, 2025.

1. Meta Raises Minimum Daily Ad Budgets for Small Campaigns

Meta announced that starting November 1, minimum daily budgets for ad campaigns on Facebook and Instagram will increase from $1 to $5 in most markets. The company says this change will improve ad delivery optimization, but it effectively raises the barrier to entry for the smallest advertisers. If you run micro-budget campaigns, plan to consolidate your ad sets to stay within budget.

2. Google Business Profile Adds “Holiday Hours Reminder” Notifications

Google is now sending proactive email reminders to business owners asking them to update their holiday hours for the upcoming season. The notifications started rolling out this week and link directly to the hours editing interface in GBP. If you have not received one yet, do not wait — go ahead and set your Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and December holiday hours now to avoid showing incorrect information during your busiest period.

3. New Email Deliverability Requirements from Yahoo and AOL Take Effect

Following Google’s bulk sender requirements from earlier this year, Yahoo and AOL have now enforced similar authentication standards. Businesses sending more than 5,000 emails per day must have DKIM, SPF, and DMARC properly configured, or risk having messages sent to spam. Check with your email service provider to confirm your domain authentication is set up correctly.

Not sure if your email authentication is configured properly? Most modern CRM platforms like SMBcrm include built-in guidance for setting up domain authentication for outbound emails.

4. Pinterest Launches “Small Business Spotlight” Ad Credits Program

Pinterest announced a new program offering $500 in ad credits to qualifying small businesses that have not previously advertised on the platform. The program targets businesses in home decor, food, fashion, and wellness verticals. Applications opened on October 8 and the company says credits will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis through the end of the year.

5. Study: 72% of Consumers Read Online Reviews Before Visiting a Local Business

A new survey from BrightLocal’s October 2025 consumer review report found that 72% of consumers read at least one online review before visiting a local business, up from 69% last year. The study also found that businesses responding to reviews within 24 hours see 35% higher engagement from potential customers compared to those that take longer. If review management is not already part of your weekly routine, it should be.

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.