Abstract

The purpose of this study is to ascertain the prominent topics of research on social media published in the first twenty international journals in the area of marketing in the 2014 SCImago Journal & Country Rank journal ranking list, and to make a situational assessment directed towards the research design and methodology tendencies of these articles. The first 224 scientific articles obtained through full count method were analyzed utilizing qualitative data analysis methods. According to the findings, in journals that were scanned, articles on social media began to be published starting in 2009, the number of articles marked an increase in number through the years, and the greatest number of articles were published in 2012. While studies on social media marketing focused mostly on analysis of social media platforms with regard to economic values obtained, studies on consumer behavior focused on factors influencing online consumer brand/product comments/suggestions and the effects of online consumer-consumer interactions. Chiefly, applied studies were conducted and quantitative research design was utilized. Consumer behavior in social media, the role of social media in marketing mix management, and the effectiveness of social media marketing are research topics that have been noted to be presenting significant opportunities for future studies.