SMBs used an average 6.7 different media for advertising and promotion, according to BIA/Kelsey’s Local Commerce Monitor,™ Wave 19 survey of small and medium businesses. And although usage of Facebook, websites, and email reigned supreme among SMBs, four of the top 10 media used by SMBs are so-called traditional media: direct mail, print yellow pages, newspapers, and community sponsorships.

When we look at ROI there’s a different trend that points to the migration of advertisers to more digital channels. Traditional media with the highest usage had the lowest perceived ROI, while other traditional media channels with lower usage had the highest ROI. Of the traditional media, TV had the highest perceived ROI with 40.4% ranked it excellent (10-19x spend) or extraordinary (over 20x spend). For newspapers and print yellow pages were rated excellent or extraordinary by 26.5% and 26.0% respectively.