How AI Is Changing Small Business Marketing: A Constant Contact Report

What do small businesses really think about AI? In this episode, Marc sits down with Louis Gutierrez, Director of AI at Constant Contact, to dive into a brand-new report exploring how small businesses are approaching marketing and AI tools. They break down key findings from the study—including why many businesses still rely solely on social media and how AI can help personalize marketing, save time, and create real growth. You’ll learn practical ways businesses are leveraging AI, the risks of getting it wrong (hello, hallucinations), and how Constant Contact is using data-driven insights to empower entrepreneurs. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to make AI part of your workflow, this conversation is full of actionable advice. Chapters 00:24 – Who is Constant Contact? 01:04 – Social media vs. email & SMS: What businesses are missing 02:34 – Why AI adoption is slow (and how to fix that) 03:57 – How Constant Contact started using AI 05:07 – Purpose of the report and key takeaways 07:00 – AI as a tool: where to start and what to expect 08:52 – How to match AI capabilities with your business needs 10:41 – Picking the right AI tool (and understanding them) 12:12 – AI-driven personalization in email marketing 14:36 – Predictive marketing and customer retention 15:27 – Why domain experts are finally driving AI 17:58 – Avoiding hallucinations with RAG and human-in-the-loop 20:45 – Will this be a recurring report? 21:29 – Final takeaways and how to start using AI the right way Quotes “You’re still going to have to work—but the effects of your work are going to be amplified by these tools.” – Louis Gutierrez “You need to be the manager of the model—don’t give the keys to the intern.” – Louis Gutierrez “AI is not magic. It’s a structured engineering process.” – Louis Gutierrez Links 📘 Constant Contact Report: https://www.constantcontact.com/blog 🔧 Learn more about Constant Contact: https://www.constantcontact.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices