Just over half of Canada’s small and medium-sized businesses have purchased advertising in the past year, according to a survey released late last week by Ipsos Reid.

The data that speak the loudest reveal that 91% of SMEs did not invest in television, while 81% shunned radio in the past year. Instead, 46% of these businesses have chosen to advertise online. Prairie-based operations are especially keen on cyber pitching. In fact, almost one in five of those respondents said they spent 81-100% of their ad bucks on online advertising.

While 63% of the Canadian small and medium-sized businesses that advertise online cited sales as their key objective, 60% said they also use e-mail marketing. Only about one in three regularly use methods such online banner advertising and/or search engine marketing.