[link to post] – http://twitter.com/SPID2/statuses/1055642221 – Posted using Chat Catcher (http://www.chatcatcher.com/) …

How Canadians feel about social media [link to post] – http://twitter.com/SPID2/statuses/1055642810 – Posted using Chat Catcher (http://www.chatcatcher.com/) …

Yet I’d agree that the figures, while encouraging, are also not telling the whole story. Just because someone goes online to read an email doesn’t mean they’ll use Twitter (or are even aware of it).

Same goes for Friendfeed, Google Reader, Stumbleupon, BackType and so many more tools. Pretty much all household names for anyone in social media, but what do they mean (if anything) to the average person or business professional.

Perhaps an email poll or some form of online market research would offer more substantial figures?

Not that I’m demeaning the findings or results – far from it. But while I and others here believe in social media and its numerous benefits, I still feel we’re the minority among the majority.

-DK

I’m with you on the data relating to the subset of social media users – that data is very useful and very interesting.

As far as generalizing it out to the ‘average Canadian’ goes, that’s still something I’m not sure I’d do. While that issue may come up regularly with other surveys, this one specifically relates to online tools. It might not matter as much if you’re asking about eating habits, but asking the online population whether they use online tools is clearly going to skew the results (as much as it pains me to say so, because the results are very encouraging).

After reading your methodology concerns, I checked in with Robert Hutton, executive vice president at Pollara Strategic Research, which conducted the survey.

He told me this issue – of online versus offline results – comes up regularly. But he said there is no evidence in any polling research to suggest that there would be any meaningful differences between the two. This is especially true in the case of the consumer data where we’re talking specifically to the subset who say they have used social media.

Love face validity. RT @edlee: \”survey showing increases in social media and PR spend for 2009\” shocker. [link to post] – http://twitter.com/Rericson/statuses/1049811434 – Posted using Chat Catcher (http://www.chatcatcher.com/) …

social media and PR consultancy in \”survey showing increases in social media and PR spend for 2009\” shocker. [link to post] – http://twitter.com/edlee/statuses/1049782952 – Posted using Chat Catcher (http://www.chatcatcher.com/) …

RT @davefleet: New blog post: Survey Sheds Light On Canadians\’ Views Towards Social Media – [link to post] (hint: more social media) – http://twitter.com/stevecunningham/statuses/1049211482 – Posted using Chat Catcher (http://www.chatcatcher.com/)…

RT @davefleet: New blog post: Survey Sheds Light On Canadians\’ Views Towards Social Media – [link to post] – http://twitter.com/zunaid/statuses/1049178795 – Posted using Chat Catcher (http://www.chatcatcher.com/) …