2009AMASocialMediaSurvey:ResultsandAnalysisFebruary5,200912009AMASocialMediaSurveyResultsandAnalysisObjectiveandBackgroundInJanuary2009,theAmericanMarketingAssociationconductedaSocialMediaSurveytoassessinterestinsocialmediatoolsandsocialnetworkingbehaviorofitsmarketingprofessionalmembersandwebsiteregistrants.Recognizingthegrowingimportanceofsocialmediainthemarketingindustryandtheneedformarketingprofessionalstoutilizeexistingsocialnetworkingplatformstoformbusinessconnectionsandgeneratecustomerleads,theAMAsoughttobetterunderstandcurrentsocialmediausagepatternsofmarketingprofessionals.Inaddition,theAMAaimedtoevaluatethelikelihooditsmemberaudiencewouldactivelyparticipateinanAMAonlinesocialnetworkifitwereofferedonMarketingPower.com,theAssociation'swebsite.Thesurveyfocusedlargelyoncurrentusagepatternsofsocialmediatoolssuchasforums,groups,blogsandwikisaswellaspopularonlinesocialnetworkingplatforms.Theresultsofthissurveyandsubsequentanalysiscomprisethisdocument.2009SurveyMethodologyThedatawascollectedJanuary7-30,2009,viatheonlinesurveyavailableforreviewathttp://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=_2brpNNpe6mvyhOJvIp2b3jw_3d_3d.Duringthe24-daycollectionperiod,4,823individualsstartedthesurveyand4,147completedthesurvey.Notallquestionswereansweredbyallparticipants.Between4,605and4,790answeredquestionsdirectlyrelatingtosocialmediaandsocialnetworking.AMAmembersandMarketingPower.comregistrantswereinvitedtoparticipateinthesurveyviathedistributionoftwoseparatee-mailcommunicationsduringthecollectionperiod.Promotionofthesurveywasalsoincludedine-mailcommunicationstotheAMA'sprofessionalandcollegiatechapters.Additionally,abanneradappearedonthehomepageofMarketingPower.comthroughoutthecollectionperioddirectingvisitorstoparticipateinthesurvey.AdvertisementsappearedintheAMA'sMarketingPower,MarketingMattersandMarketingThoughtLeaderse-newslettersduringthemonthofJanuary2009.AnannouncementencouragingAMAmemberstoparticipateinthesurveywasalsopostedineachoftheAssociation's9pra