Several months ago, I participated in a survey conducted by Byron Smith from Content Connections involving more than 600 business people and educators–the goal to determine the impact social media is having on people’s personal lives and livelihoods.

The results were recently released. Smith writes in the section on methodology, “While not considered scientific because of the non-random sample surveyed the data should be considered reliable owing to the sample size and self-reported demographic attributes of the respondents.” He goes on to say, the survey was “designed to provide a reasonable and reliable snapshot of attitudes, practices and beliefs of a cross-section of U.S. adults.”

Scientific or not, here are of few of the things I found most interesting:

• 57% of respondents indicated social media was a component of their organization’s strategic planning
• 59% indicated familiarity with the term Social Media.
• 54% indicated familiarity with the term Web 2.0
• Blogs were cited as the most frequently used Social Media type, followed in descending order by e-mail, podcasts, wikis, and social networking.
• 95% of respondents indicated Social Media will impact the way companies do business (i.e. to leverage sales)– 68% said definitely, 27% said probably.

American novelist Eudora Welty is quoted as saying, “A good snapshot stops a moment from running away.”

Thank you to Byron Smith and Content Connections for providing data that deserves to be duly noted–and like a good snapshot–should also be preserved.