A new survey by Roy Morgan research has shown a marked difference between small and big businesses in preference for where they get their business news from.

Micro businesses, which represent 89% of all Australian companies, and small businesses say the internet is now their preferred outlet for reliable business information, while medium to large businesses still held metro and national newspapers as the most reliable and preferred medium.’

Most Reliable Source For Business News

George Pesutto, Roy Morgan’s industry director for media research, says the survey reinforces the continued popularity of newsprint in big business, and says its unlikely to be sucked of advertising lifeblood any time soon.

“The survey demonstrates that despite the hype surrounding the rise of the Internet to target customers, traditional mass media will continue to play an important role in the marketing plans of medium to large business,” he says. ”In fact, a large number believe the role of newspapers in particular will increase in importance to their marketing.”

Pesutto says online’s influence is impossible to ignore, however, and businesses, as always, will have to look beyond just one option when considering advertising.

“There is no denying that the majority of businesses across most categories believe online will be of increasing importance to them,” he says, “as they all strive to understand how consumers are using a variety of media platforms to satisfy their growing thirst for news, information and service.

“Our information, and especially the Business Survey, suggests opportunity exists to educate and assist businesses on the benefits of any particular media and that successful marketing and communication in the future does not lie solely with the new platforms. One wonders if the majority of Micro and Small businesses in Australia have an antipathy to traditional media or simply find that without the services of expert media agencies it is too difficult to access particularly when the perception of cost gets in the way. Surely, this presents an opportunity for the likes of TV and newspapers.”