Small Businesses Head to Washington to Highlight the Importance of Digital Advertising During National Small Business Month

Internet for Growth's fourth annual fly-in brings entrepreneurs and creators to Capitol Hill to discuss the future of the online economy

WASHINGTON, May 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Internet for Growth—a growing coalition of small businesses, entrepreneurs, and creators—is coming to Washington, D.C., during National Small Business Month to raise awareness of the essential role digital advertising, media, and marketing tools play in supporting Main Street growth, innovation, and consumer access. The fly-in comes as Congress considers recently introduced data privacy legislation that could affect how small businesses reach customers online. The coalition works to highlight how policy decisions in Washington and state capitals shape the online economy and affect small businesses, creators, and consumers alike.

Coalition members say the debate over privacy and digital advertising is not just about large technology companies, but about whether small businesses, creators, nonprofits, and community organizations will continue to have affordable ways to reach customers, raise awareness, and compete online. Internet for Growth says policymakers should pursue clear, workable rules while recognizing the importance of digital advertising, media, and marketing to innovation, jobs, and Main Street growth.

"Digital tools are how we built our business from the ground up," said Ben Wolfgram, Co-founder of BenShot, a Wisconsin-based, family-run glassware company. "What started as a father-and-son project grew into a nationwide business because we can reach interested customers online in affordable and effective ways. We support reasonable privacy protections, but some proposals would make it harder for businesses to use ordinary advertising data to reach people interested in their products."

Internet for Growth's recent national voter research found broad bipartisan agreement that digital advertising and online tools are critical to helping small businesses compete, grow, and reach customers. Voters also expressed concern that policies making digital advertising more expensive or less effective could disproportionately harm smaller businesses that rely on affordable online marketing to compete with larger companies.

In a recent survey of more than 2,400 small businesses, SMB advertisers estimated their businesses grew 39% over two years because of digital advertising, while 82% said digital ads help them reach customers more efficiently.

Participants in the fly-in will meet with a bipartisan group of Senate and House offices, including members and staff serving on key committees overseeing privacy, technology, commerce, and small business issues. Coalition members say these discussions are increasingly important as policymakers debate issues affecting a digital economy now valued at $4.9 trillion and supporting 28.4 million U.S. jobs across all 435 congressional districts. The meetings will include offices such as Senators Chris Coons, Cory Booker, Tammy Baldwin, and Lindsey Graham, as well as Representatives Sarah McBride, Jim Clyburn, Frank Pallone, and others.

"As a digital marketing agency, we see firsthand how digital advertising and data-driven tools help small businesses reach customers, grow efficiently, and compete in today's online economy," said Mike Samet, CEO of Digital Ignite. "There's an entire ecosystem of firms like ours helping businesses navigate digital marketing, e-commerce, social media, and customer outreach. These tools create opportunities that simply didn't exist for small businesses a generation ago."

"Small businesses support reasonable privacy protections and clear rules of the road online," said Brendan Thomas, Executive Director of Internet for Growth. "But policymakers should also recognize how interconnected digital advertising, media, marketing, and e-commerce have become in today's economy. Even when small businesses are exempt from certain requirements, higher costs and restrictions placed elsewhere in the system may be passed down through the platforms, services, and tools they rely on to reach customers and grow."

Coalition members say artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are becoming the next major opportunity for small businesses and creators, helping them save time, better understand customers, improve advertising performance, and compete more effectively without large teams or budgets. Many of these tools are already built into the digital advertising, marketing, and e-commerce platforms small businesses use every day, making advanced capabilities more accessible and affordable than ever before. Internet for Growth says thoughtful policies can help ensure that innovation continues to expand opportunity, entrepreneurship, and consumer choice across the country.

About Internet for Growth
Internet for Growth is a nationwide coalition of small businesses, entrepreneurs, creators, and digital professionals advocating to keep the internet open, affordable, and ad-supported. The coalition highlights how digital advertising, media, and marketing fuel local economies, jobs, and innovation. By amplifying the voices of small businesses and creators, Internet for Growth works to preserve the data-driven tools that help millions of businesses reach customers, compete online, and power growth in every state and community.

SOURCE Internet for Growth