TIPS & TRENDS: Meta’s New AI Tools Aim to Help Small Businesses Turn Data into Better Decisions
For small business owners, the value of artificial intelligence is increasingly moving beyond content generation and answering questions. AI is being integrated into the platforms and tools entrepreneurs already use, helping them make sense of their own business data, identify opportunities, and make better decisions faster.
As I noted in several insights I shared with BizTech Magazine in a recent interview about the challenges small businesses face in using their data: “Small business owners certainly know they sit on a lot of valuable data. It’s just a matter of prioritizing that data and putting it to use.”
I added that small businesses are data fragmented and owners and their teams are overwhelmed with the day-to-day grind of running a business.
That is what makes new AI features recently announced by Meta worth a look for small business owners.
The new capabilities allow businesses to connect Meta AI with their Facebook and Instagram accounts, Meta ad campaigns, and Google Workspace tools including Gmail, Docs, Sheets and Slides. With permission to access this information, Meta AI can draw upon a business’s own data and activity to provide more specific insights and recommendations.
In other words, rather than simply asking AI a generic question such as “How can I improve my social media engagement?” a small business owner can ask questions about their own engagement, advertising performance and business activity. That is an important evolution in how entrepreneurs and their teams can use AI more effectively and strategically to grow their businesses.
Small businesses already generate enormous amounts of useful information through their digital activity. The challenge is finding the time – and sometimes the expertise – to analyze it. Meta’s new features aim to help close that gap.
A business owner could ask Meta AI to identify which posts are generating the strongest engagement, examine an advertising campaign to determine what appears to be working, spot patterns across campaigns, or suggest ways to improve performance. The ability to connect Google Workspace adds another layer of business context.
Meta AI can also help turn analysis into useful work products, including reports, documents, presentations and spreadsheets.
For entrepreneurs who are simultaneously CEO, marketing director, salesperson and operations manager, reducing the time between collecting information, understanding it, and acting on it can be enormously valuable.
Small Businesses Are Ready for These Tools
SBE Council’s 2026 Small Business Technology Use Survey shows why tools like these have significant potential.
Facebook and Instagram remain the top two social platforms small businesses use for revenue generation and brand building: Facebook is used by 62% of small businesses surveyed and Instagram by 43%. Social media marketing also ranks as the leading advertising avenue used by small businesses, and social media ads generate the highest reported return on investment.
At the same time, entrepreneurs are rapidly embracing AI. Our survey found that 82% of small business employers are using AI tools, with the typical business using five different AI tools across its operations. Ninety-three percent plan to continue investing in AI over the next year, and 62% plan to increase their investment.
Why the enthusiasm? Because the tools are producing results.
Two-thirds of small businesses report revenue increases linked to AI, while owners report saving a median five hours per week of their own time and another 11.5 employee hours across their businesses. Eighty-one percent say AI is important to their competitiveness and growth.
Another Step in the Democratization of Business Expertise
Meta’s new tools reflect a broader trend we continue to highlight at SBE Council: AI is democratizing capabilities and expertise that once required larger staffs, specialized consultants or significant budgets.
Data analytics is a good example.
Large companies have teams devoted to analyzing advertising performance, customer engagement and market trends. Increasingly, a small business owner can access similar capabilities simply by having a conversation with an AI assistant.
Of course, entrepreneurs should continue to review AI-generated recommendations, carefully consider what business information they connect to AI systems, and maintain human oversight of important decisions.
If your business already uses Facebook, Instagram or Meta advertising, these new features are worth testing. Start with a specific question or business challenge, evaluate the insights Meta AI provides, and determine whether those insights save time or help you make a better decision.
For small businesses, that is where the real promise of AI lies: less time digging through data and more time using it to compete, innovate, and grow.
Karen Kerrigan is President & CEO of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council.
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