March 30, 2026
When small businesses do open up new marketing budget in 2026, a growing share of it is heading toward video and social advertising rather than traditional channels, according to LocaliQ's annual Big Small Business Marketing Trends Report.
The survey of 300-plus small business owners found 53% plan to invest more in video marketing and advertising this year, while 47% plan to increase spend on both search advertising and social media advertising specifically. At the same time, the report found a notable pullback from traditional media: 24% of small businesses plan to invest less in channels like print, local radio, and directory listings in 2026, up sharply from 16% the year before — the largest single-year jump LocaliQ has recorded in that shift.
Complementary data from BizIQ's local marketing statistics roundup found that 59% of small businesses rank local SEO as a top priority for 2026, and that 81% of small businesses now use at least two marketing channels simultaneously, reflecting a broader move away from single-channel dependency.
The underlying driver, according to both reports, is measurability rather than pure cost. Digital channels let owners see which dollars are actually converting to calls, form fills, or sales, something traditional print and broadcast placements have always struggled to prove. For a business with 10-20% of its channels historically tied up in immeasurable spend, that shift alone can materially change effective return on marketing investment even without increasing the total budget.
Business owners deciding how to split a monthly budget across video, social, search, and email can use our free Business Marketing Blueprint Generator for a starting allocation tailored to their specific business type and goal.