From Visibility to Value: Social Media Strategies in the Global Market Research Sector

European Research Studies Journal Volume XXVIII, Issue 3, 2025 pp. 1104-1125 From Visibility to Value: Social Media Strategies in the Global Market Research Sector Submitted 05/09/25, 1st revision 19/08/25, 2nd revision 13/09/25, accepted 30/09/25 Dariusz Baran 1 , Ernest Górka 2 , Gabriela Wojak 3 , Michał Ćwiąkała 4 , Sebastian Zupok 5 , Marek Łażewski 6 Abstract: Purpose: This paper investigates how companies in the market research industry employ digital marketing, with a focus on social media strategies. The aim is to evaluate their impact on client engagement, brand visibility, and market positioning. Design/methodology/approach: A multi-case study was conducted on multinational and smaller research firms using a mixed-method approach. Publicly available data from LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube were analyzed through both qualitative content assessment and quantitative engagement metrics. Findings: The study reveals LinkedIn as the dominant platform for B2B communication, while other channels play supporting roles. Larger firms adopt multi-platform strategies, whereas smaller firms concentrate on LinkedIn. Posts highlighting achievements, industry recognition, or employee-focused narratives generate the strongest engagement. The study relies solely on publicly accessible data, without access to internal analytics or ROI. Future research should integrate company-level performance data and extend to a wider sample over time. Practical recommendations: The findings suggest that firms should prioritize LinkedIn, invest in visual channels when resources allow, and encourage employee advocacy to strengthen credibility and trust. Originality/value: The paper offers one of the first systematic analyses of social media strategies in the market research sector, providing insights for both academics and practitioners. Keywords: Digital marketing, social media, market research industry, B2B communication. 1 I'M BRAND INSTITUTE Sp. z o.o., ORCID: 0009-0006-8697-5459, e-mail: [email protected]; 2 I'M BRAND INSTITUTE Sp. z o.o., ORCID: 0009-0006-3293-5670, e-mail: [email protected]; 3 Pomeranian Higher School in Starogard Gdanski, Institute of Management, Economics and Logistics, ORCID: 0000-0002-9174-4376, e-mail: [email protected]; 4 Wyższa Szkoła Kształcenia Zawodowego, ORCID: 0000-0001-9706-864X, e-mail: michal.cwiaka[email protected]; 5 WSB - National-Louis University, College of Social and Computer Sciences, Poland, ORCID: 0000-0002-7969-4644, e-mail: [email protected]; 6 Pomeranian Higher School in Starogard Gdanski, Institute of Management, Economics and Logistics,ORCID: 0009-0009-2343-6564, e-mail: [email protected]; Dariusz Baran, Ernest Górka, Gabriela Wojak, Michał Ćwiąkała, Sebastian Zupok, Marek Łażewski 1105 JEL Code: M31, C83, L86. Paper type: Research article. Declaration of interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. 1. Introduction In recent years, digital marketing has evolved into one of the most dynamic areas of organizational transformation, reshaping communication models and strategic management practices across industries. The proliferation of digital technologies, advanced analytics, and social media platforms has changed how firms interact with their stakeholders and deliver value. As Chaffey and Ellis-Chadwick (2019) emphasize, digital marketing is no longer limited to brand visibility but has become a process of sustaining customer value throughout the entire lifecycle. This shift is particularly relevant in knowledgeintensive industries such as market research, where clients demand not only methodological rigor and transparency but also expertise communicated in credible and engaging ways. Social media platforms have become indispensable in this context, enabling organizations to co-create knowledge, strengthen professional credibility, and build long-term relationships with diverse audiences (Vinerean and Opreana, 2021). LinkedIn, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), and even emerging channels such as TikTok provide market research firms with opportunities to disseminate insights, foster thought leadership, and establish their role in the fast-paced digital economy. The importance of such activity is reflected in B2B purchasing behavior: HubSpot (2023) reports that 82% of buyers consult at least five pieces of content before making a decision, underscoring the critical role of systematic and high-quality communication. Within the research sector, where decision-making is complex and credibility is a decisive factor, social media increasingly functions not only as a promotional channel but as a trust-building mechanism. Existing scholarship highlights broader transformations in marketing practices, such as the transition from Marketing 4.0, which prioritizes omni-channel engagement and interactive brand narratives (Kotler, Kartajaya, and Setiawan, 2016), to Marketing 5.0, characterized by the integration of artificial intelligence, automation, and predictive analytics into customer-facing processes (Kotler et al., 2021). These frameworks are highly relevant to research firms, which must translate data-driven From Visibility to Value: Social Media Strategies in the Global Market Research Sector 1106 findings into accessible digital narratives distributed through platforms that maximize engagement and return on investment (Lewicki, 2023). However, despite growing interest in B2B social media marketing, studies tend to focus either on general business services or on consumer-oriented industries, leaving the specific dynamics of the market research sector underexplored. This gap is noteworthy given the sector’s reliance on authority, reputation, and the professional credibility of its experts. Recent empirical contributions suggest promising directions. For example, Balaji et al. (2023) demonstrate that employee-generated content significantly outperforms company-authored posts in terms of engagement, with authenticity and interpersonal tone being decisive factors. Yet, systematic evidence on how market research organizations design, implement, and evaluate their social media strategies remains scarce. The absence of sector-specific analyses creates a gap that this study seeks to address. Against this background, the present research investigates how firms in the market research industry utilize social media platforms within their digital marketing strategies. The study examines both large multinational agencies and smaller firms, with the objective of identifying the types of content and engagement approaches that contribute most effectively to visibility and client relationships. The analysis also considers whether organizational size and resource allocation influence the scope and effectiveness of online activities, thereby offering insights into the heterogeneity of practices within the sector. The remainder of this paper is structured as follows. The next section outlines the research design, which is based on a multi-case study approach combining qualitative and quantitative methods. This is followed by a detailed presentation of results, focusing on the social media activity of selected research companies. The discussion section then interprets these findings in relation to existing literature, highlighting both common strategies and distinctive practices. Finally, the article concludes by summarizing the key contributions and outlining avenues for future research, particularly regarding the long-term effectiveness of digital marketing strategies in knowledge-driven B2B environments. 2. Literature Review In recent years, the role of digital marketing has become increasingly complex, as it integrates with data science, behavioral psychology, and strategic management. Contemporary marketing practices are shaped not only by the availability of digital tools but also by the changing expectations of digital-native consumers and business clients. Dariusz Baran, Ernest Górka, Gabriela Wojak, Michał Ćwiąkała, Sebastian Zupok, Marek Łażewski 1107 As Chaffey and Ellis-Chadwick (2019) point out, digital marketing is no longer just about visibility - it is about value delivery through the entire customer lifecycle. This perspective is particularly relevant in knowledge-based sectors like market research, where clients expect expert content, methodological transparency, and evidencebased recommendations. Social media platforms have emerged as one of the most powerful tools for achieving these goals. According to Vinerean and Opreana (2021), social media enables companies not only to promote their services but also to co-create knowledge and build long-term relationships with their audiences. This is especially relevant for market research firms, which often operate in the B2B sector and rely on professional credibility and industry presence. Through LinkedIn, Twitter (now X), YouTube, or even TikTok, such companies can share insights, promote thought leadership, and position themselves as responsive actors in a fast-moving digital economy. The strategic use of content in social media marketing contributes to brand authority and client retention. According to HubSpot (2023), 82% of B2B buyers view at least five pieces of content before making a purchase decision. This underscores the importance of consistent, high-quality, and targeted communication. Research agencies that systematically publish expert analyses, case studies, or explainers not only strengthen their digital presence but also become part of the broader knowledge ecosystem in which business decisions are made (Patel and Chauhan, 2021). Market research organizations are increasingly adopting inbound marketing strategies that revolve around providing educational content in exchange for attention and trust. As noted by Kotler, Kartajaya, and Setiawan (2016), Marketing 4.0 emphasizes interactive brand narratives and omni-channel engagement. This is especially effective in environments where the purchase decision is complex, such as in the case of choosing a research partner. Here, social media serves not only as a promotional tool but as a trust-building mechanism. Moreover, the application of Marketing 5.0 principles - such as predictive analytics, personalization, and automation - enhances the effectiveness of social media campaigns in the market research industry. According to Kotler et al. (2021), Marketing 5.0 is characterized by the integration of next-generation technologies like AI and machine learning into customer-facing processes. In practice, this means that firms can tailor their social media content to specific audience segments, schedule posts based on optimal engagement times, and measure ROI with unprecedented accuracy through platforms like Google Analytics, SEMrush, or Meta Business Suite (Lewicki, 2023) The importance of these platforms is further underscored by statistical data. As reported by Gemius (2024), Facebook and YouTube each have over 25 million real users in Poland, with Instagram reaching approximately 15 million. This makes From Visibility to Value: Social Media Strategies in the Global Market Research Sector 1108 these platforms essential tools for any marketing strategy aimed at Polish consumers and businesses. In this context, social media becomes not only a communication channel but a primary marketplace of attention and influence, especially among Gen Z and digital-savvy professionals (Gemius et al., 2024) Notably, LinkedIn plays a particularly important role in the market research field. It functions as a space for building expert identity, sharing whitepapers, promoting webinars, and recruiting B2B leads. According to Zarrella (2009), LinkedIn’s structured network logic and high professional credibility make it especially effective in industries requiring reputation, trust, and authority - all essential for research institutions. Furthermore, social media marketing allows firms to implement two-way communication with their audience, enabling fast feedback, crisis response, and participation in ongoing societal or economic debates. This is especially significant in industries like market research, where public trust and transparency are vital. As Dragun and Kuczyńska (2024) note, digital interaction - such as surveys shared via social platforms, comment-enabled blog posts, or Instagram polls - can enhance both engagement and data collection for research purposes. The strategic alignment of digital marketing with organizational goals also requires measurement. Performance indicators such as engagement rate, cost per acquisition (CPA), and customer lifetime value (CLV) are used to assess the impact of social media initiatives. As Tennent (2018) emphasizes, ROI analysis remains essential in justifying marketing expenditure and guiding future campaigns. Tools like Google Data Studio or Tableau can visualize this impact and help managers refine their targeting strategies in near-real time. The market research industry is thus not only adapting to digital marketing trends - it is actively participating in shaping them. As firms become increasingly hybrid in their operations—combining fieldwork, analytics, and digital communication - they must also become fluent in online marketing strategies. The ability to translate research findings into compelling content, distributed effectively through the right social media channels, is emerging as a key success factor in this domain (Ait Yassine, 2023). A recent empirical contribution by Balaji et al. (2023) offers valuable insights into the effectiveness of B2B social media marketing by analyzing how message source and content affect user engagement. The findings demonstrate that employeegenerated content significantly outperforms company-authored posts in terms of both behavioral and intentional engagement metrics. This effect is attributed to increased perceived authenticity and trust, particularly when messages reflect interpersonal rather than corporate tone. Dariusz Baran, Ernest Górka, Gabriela Wojak, Michał Ćwiąkała, Sebastian Zupok, Marek Łażewski 1109 Interestingly, the inclusion of emoticons was found to positively influence engagement - but only in employee-originated posts - while the presence of factual content did not yield a significant impact. These results underscore the critical role of humanized, relationship-based communication in B2B contexts, reinforcing the strategic imperative for market research firms to empower their personnel as brand advocates and content cocreators across professional platforms such as LinkedIn (Balaji et al., 2023). 3. Research Methodology and Case Description The purpose of this study is to analyze digital marketing strategies used by companies operating in the market research industry, with particular emphasis on their activities on social media platforms. The aim is to identify the influence of online marketing actions on client engagement and the visibility of research firms, which together constitute essential components of their market positioning and brand building. This part is based on a multi-case study analysis of selected market research companies. The research process involved a qualitative assessment of digital marketing strategies alongside a quantitative overview of social media activity. Publicly available online content and posts were analyzed to evaluate the effectiveness of various approaches to digital marketing in this specific industry. The rationale for selecting the case study method stems from the need for an indepth analysis of marketing strategies that, due to their specificity, are difficult to assess using standard quantitative methods. This approach allows for the tracking of the real-world impact of marketing efforts on client relationships, corporate image, and the outreach of promoted services. Companies such as Ipsos and Kantar were examined to identify both challenges and best practices, offering valuable insights into the diverse strategies adopted in international and Polish markets. The selection criteria for the companies included: market relevance, geographic reach, activity level on social media platforms, and diversity in marketing strategy. The study incorporated both large multinational corporations and smaller research firms to provide a broader perspective. Particular attention was given to regular activity on key platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook, including the frequency and type of content shared. To analyze the published content, both qualitative and quantitative methods were applied. Engagement indicators such as likes, shares, comments, and link clicks were compared across the sample. The qualitative analysis focused on the nature of the content, its alignment with corporate branding, visual and linguistic appeal, and overall message coherence. From Visibility to Value: Social Media Strategies in the Global Market Research Sector 1110 The findings are presented in the form of comparative graphs and tables that highlight the key engagement metrics of each company. Each case is discussed narratively to preserve contextual specificity. A limitation of the study is the lack of access to internal analytics or customer data, meaning the research is based solely on publicly available information. Nevertheless, this approach allows for an evaluation of marketing actions in their natural context, adding value to the analysis. Overall, this case-based approach provides a detailed examination of how social media strategies influence brand visibility and client relationships in the market research industry. It offers a practical foundation for developing more effective online strategies in this dynamically evolving sector. 4. Research Results The market research industry plays a key role in providing businesses with essential information that supports strategic decision-making in areas such as product management, marketing and market strategies. The global research market is growing rapidly due to the increasing demand for data analysis, new technologies and the growing popularity of online research. According to ESOMAR's “Global Top Insights Companies 2024” report, the global market research market was valued at about $48.43 billion in 2023, accounting for 35% of the industry's total of $137 billion. The total also includes the market research software segment ($55.99 billion) and the reporting and consulting segment ($32.58 billion). What's more, these values are growing year after year. In the ESOMAR ranking, the market research industry leader is IQVIA with a turnover of $5.6 billion, or 11.6% of the global sector share. Nielsen ranks next with a turnover of $3.5 billion, or a 7.2% share of the sector. Kantar, Ipsos and Circana are also significant players, each with a market share in the range of 4.3% to 6.2%. Also in Poland, the market research industry is a rapidly growing sector, with both multinational corporations and Polish companies providing data and analysis to Polish and foreign companies. According to 2023 data, key players in the Polish market are companies such as Kantar Polska, Ipsos and NielsenIQ, which dominate in terms of revenue (Insight Map, 2024). The top five market research agencies operating in Poland are shown in the Figure 1. The largest player in the market is NielsenIQ, with revenue of PLN 146.3 million. The second largest company is Kantar Polska, with revenue of PLN 110.4 million, which makes it a serious competitor in the Polish research market. Another player is GfK, with PLN 89.9 million in revenue, followed by Ipsos with PLN 70 million in revenue. It is worth noting the difference between NielsenIQ and the other companies, which indicates the dominant position of this company in the market. At the end of the list is Nielsen with a revenue of PLN 50 million. Dariusz Baran, Ernest Górka, Gabriela Wojak, Michał Ćwiąkała, Sebastian Zupok, Marek Łażewski 1111 Figure 1. Revenue of research agencies in Poland in 2023 (PLN million) Source: Own study based on data from the report Research Market in 2023 (Insight Map) prepared by Tomasz Opalski. Below is an analysis of the marketing strategies of research companies, focusing on their social media activities. The analysis also includes an assessment of publication frequency, activity on various social media platforms and the effectiveness of their strategies in generating engagement. Ipsos is a global research company that actively uses social media to communicate and build relationships with clients. Their profile on LinkedIn, which is followed by more than 400,000 users, is one of the main tools in the company's marketing strategy. It's also worth noting that Ipsos has a well-developed structure of accounts on LinkedIn run by national affiliates. For example, the profile of Ipsos US (United States) has 43,000 followers, Ipsos UK (United Kingdom) 48,000, Ipsos in Canada (Canada) 10,000, and Ipsos in Romania (Romania) 24,000. Such a broad presence on LinkedIn testifies to the company's comprehensive marketing strategy, which adapts its activities to the specifics of local markets, while strengthening the global brand image. A detailed inventory of all the profiles of each company's geographic divisions on the LinkedIn platform exceeding at least 1,000 followers is included in Table 1. Table 1. Profiles of Ipsos' geographic divisions on LinkedIn exceeding at least a thousand followers (as of January 2025) Profile name Region of operation of the branch Number of observers (in 000) Ipsos US United States 43 Ipsos in Latin America Latin America 91 Ipsos UK United Kingdom 48 Ipsos in Canada Canada 10 Ipsos France France 11 Ipsos in Romania Romania 24 146,3 110,4 89,9 70 50 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 NielsenIQ Kantar Poland GfK IPSOS Nielsen From Visibility to Value: Social Media Strategies in the Global Market Research Sector 1112 Ipsos España ≡ Insights Accionables Spain 13 Ipsos Australia Australia 12 Ipsos Türkiye Turkey 17 Ipsos Italia Italy 10 Ipsos in Singapore Singapore 7 Ipsos Slovakia Slovakia 2 Ipsos in Switzerland Switzerland 3 Ipsos in Belgium Belgium 2 Ipsos Czech Republic Czech Republic 2 Ipsos Poland Poland 2 Ipsos in India India 16 Ipsos in South Africa South Africa 15 Ipsos Malaysia Malaysia 13 Ipsos Thailand Thailand 7 Ipsos in MENA Middle East and North Africa 6 Ipsos in Indonesia Indonesia 4 Ipsos in Kenya Kenya 8 Ipsos Denmark Denmark 4 Ipsos in Hong Kong Hong Kong 2 Ipsos Hungary Hungary 2 Ipsos Vietnam Vietnam 3 Ipsos - Caribbean and Central America Caribbean and Central America 1 Ipsos New Zealand New Zealand 2 Ipsos in the Philippines Philippines 2 Ipsos in Nigeria Nigeria 2 Ipsos Sweden Sweden 1 Ipsos Bulgaria Bulgaria 1 Ipsos in Norway Norway 1 Ipsos In Ghana Ghana 1 Source: Own study based on data available on LinkedIn (2025). The Ipsos in Latin America profile amassed the highest number of followers among regional affiliates, reaching 91,000 followers. This result distinguishes Latin America as an important region in IPSOS' marketing strategy, indicating strong audience engagement and effectiveness of activities in this area. However, it should be noted that this profile covers as many as 8 countries located in South America. Branches in the United States and the United Kingdom also boast a high number of observers, confirming the importance of these markets for the company's operations. IPSOS branches in Europe show varying levels of audience engagement on LinkedIn. Profiles in the UK, Romania and Spain have achieved the greatest popularity. Smaller countries, such as the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Belgium and Poland, have a lower number of observers, at around 2,000, which may be due to the limited reach of local marketing efforts. Dariusz Baran, Ernest Górka, Gabriela Wojak, Michał Ćwiąkała, Sebastian Zupok, Marek Łażewski 1119 Figure 5. Number of followers of SKIM’ main profile on selected social media (data as of January 2025). Source: Own study based on data from individual portals (2025). Figure 6. Number of followers of SKOPOS' main profile on selected social media (data as of January 2025). Source: Own study based on data from individual portals (2025). Analyzing the chart, it is noticeable that LinkedIn dominates as the key communication platform, with clearly the largest number of followers. YouTube, although present, plays a much smaller role, indicating the limited use of video content in the company's strategy. Facebook and Instagram are not used, highlighting the focus of activities on more formal communication channels. From Visibility to Value: Social Media Strategies in the Global Market Research Sector 1120 Summing up the above analysis, LinkedIn has by far the dominant role in the communication strategies of all the companies analyzed, serving as the main platform for building relationships with audiences and an expert image. Other platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, are used selectively. The following is a summary of the most popular posts on the profiles of the analyzed companies on LinkedIn in November-December 2024. Table 5. The most engaging posts on the main profiles of the analyzed companies on LinkedIn. Company Post topics Number of reactions Ipsos Distinction in GRIT innovation ranking 1114 Kantar Promotion of marketing trends report for 2025 552 MetrixLab Promotion of Women In Research industry event 100 SKIM Distinction in GRIT innovation ranking 106 SKOPOS 25 years of work of one of the employees 85 Source: Own study based on data from LinkedIn (2025). The highest user engagement was achieved by posts highlighting the achievements of and the innovation of companies, such as the GRIT awards in the case of Ipsos and SKIM, which garnered 1114 and 106 reactions, respectively. In the case of Kantara, the most popular post was the promotion of the 2025 marketing trends report, gathering 552 reactions. MetrixLab stood out with a post about the promotion of the Women In Research event, and SKOPOS attracted attention with a post celebrating the 25th anniversary of one of its employees. The data underscores that content related to successes, accolades and the human side of organizations engage audiences the most on LinkedIn. Table 6. The main topics of content published on the main LinkedIn profiles of the analyzed companies. Company Main Content Topics Frequency of publication Ipsos Research reports, industry accolades, year-end summaries, event announcements Several posts per week Kantar Marketing trend analysis, innovation, industry reports, industry events, social value posts Several posts per week MetrixLab Promotion of industry events, diversity initiatives, sustainability Several posts per month SKIM Industry accolades, conference announcements, team coverage Several posts per month SKOPOS Employee photos, work anniversaries, “human face” of the company Several posts per month Source: Own study based on data from individual portals (2025). Dariusz Baran, Ernest Górka, Gabriela Wojak, Michał Ćwiąkała, Sebastian Zupok, Marek Łażewski 1121 Table 6 illustrates the main topics of content published on the LinkedIn profiles of the research companies analyzed, showing their diverse approaches to communication on social media. All companies actively use LinkedIn to build relationships with their audience, with industry reports, awards, and event announcements being the dominant topics. Ipsos and Kantar stand out with the highest frequency of publications, which indicates their intensive communication strategy. As indicated above, only three of the five research companies analyzed maintain major profiles on Meta-owned sites, namely Facebook and Instagram. The chart below shows the total number of posts published on Facebook and Instagram in the months of November-December 2024. Figure 7. Number of posts published on the main profiles of the analyzed companies on Meta-owned portals (data for November and December 2024). Source: Own study based on data from Meta company websites. It can be observed that Kantar stands out as the most active, publishing a total of 56 posts - 27 on Facebook and 29 on Instagram. MetrixLab did not publish any content on the analyzed portals during the studied period. This demonstrates the company's different approach to social media. The company focuses on industry-specific LinkedIn, and does not use the other portals for ongoing publications. SKIM, on the other hand, shows marginal activity, limiting itself to just two Facebook posts. The lack of presence on Instagram may indicate a lack of resources or a deliberate focus on other communication platforms, including industry-specific LinkedIn, which plays a key role in the marketing strategy of market research companies as shown above. From Visibility to Value: Social Media Strategies in the Global Market Research Sector 1122 In order to assess the effectiveness of the analyzed research companies' social media marketing activities, data from LinkedIn was analyzed. The number of employees was estimated on the basis of data available on LinkedIn, which includes people who declare current employment with a given company or its subsidiaries. These data, although are not official statistics confirmed by companies, are a reliable source for determining the relative size of an organization. Based on the number of observers of companies' main profiles on LinkedIn, the ratio of the number of observers to the number of employees was determined, which allows to assess the effectiveness of the social media presence strategy in relation to the size of the company. Table 7 below shows how many observers there are per employee in each of the analyzed organizations. Table 7. Ratio of followers to employees on LinkedIn (data as of January 2025). Company Number of employees employee Number of followers on LinkedIn (in thousands) Followers per employee Ipsos 18 347 400 21,8 Kantar 35 254 873 24,8 MetrixLab 1201 128 106,6 SKIM 495 22 44,4 SKOPOS 120 2 16,7 Source: Own study based on data from LinkedIn (2025). The data presented shows that MetrixLab achieves the highest ratio of followers to employees, with as many as 106.6 followers per employee. This result suggests that the company uses LinkedIn effectively to promote its business, despite the relatively small number of employees. SKIM, with a score of 44.4 observers per employee, ranks second. Although the company is much smaller compared to Ipsos or Kantar, it manages to increase the number of observing users. Ipsos and Kantar, despite their large scale of operations, achieve ratios of 21.8 and 24.8, respectively. SKOPOS, with a score of 16.7, achieves the lowest ratio among the companies analyzed. Analysis of the relationship between the number of employees and the number of observers on LinkedIn showed a very strong positive correlation. The regression line and Pearson's coefficient r = 0.99 indicate an almost perfect linear relationship. Such a high result indicates that a higher number of employees is strongly associated with a higher number of observers on this platform. Therefore, it can be concluded that the size of an organization significantly influences its visibility on social media, bearing in mind that correlation does not imply a cause-and-effect relationship. Dariusz Baran, Ernest Górka, Gabriela Wojak, Michał Ćwiąkała, Sebastian Zupok, Marek Łażewski 1123 Figure 8. Correlation between number of employees and Linkedln followers Source: Own elaboration. Analysis of the relationship between the number of employees and the number of observers on LinkedIn showed a very strong positive correlation. The regression line and Pearson's coefficient r = 0.99 indicate an almost perfect linear relationship. Such a high result indicates that a higher number of employees is strongly associated with a higher number of observers on this platform. Therefore, it can be concluded that the size of an organization significantly influences its visibility on social media, bearing in mind that correlation does not imply a cause-and-effect relationship. 5. Conclusions and Future Research Implications The conducted analysis of social media marketing strategies in the market research industry confirms the central role of LinkedIn as the dominant communication platform for all companies examined. Regardless of their scale, all organizations in the sample - ranging from multinational corporations such as Ipsos and Kantar to smaller firms like SKIM and SKOPOS - prioritize LinkedIn for building client relationships and reinforcing their expert image. This aligns with earlier literature emphasizing LinkedIn’s role in professional branding and B2B engagement (Zarrella, 2009; Vinerean and Opreana, 2021). A key observation is the differentiation in multi-platform presence. Larger international corporations demonstrate comprehensive and diversified communication strategies, maintaining active profiles across LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. In contrast, smaller firms concentrate their activity on a narrower selection of platforms, often limiting outreach to LinkedIn alone. This finding resonates with Kotler et al.’s (2016; 2021) argument that omni-channel From Visibility to Value: Social Media Strategies in the Global Market Research Sector 1124 strategies require substantial resource allocation, which smaller organizations may find challenging. The study also reveals that companies with a high followers-to-employee ratio, such as MetrixLab, manage to achieve significant visibility despite limited human resources. This suggests that efficiency in social media marketing is not solely dependent on organizational size but can also be driven by targeted, high-quality engagement strategies. In terms of content, the most engaging posts across the analyzed companies were related to awards, industry recognition, and reports—alongside employee-centered “human face” materials. These findings corroborate Balaji et al.’s (2023) observation that authenticity, interpersonal tone, and personal representation can outperform generic corporate messaging in driving engagement. Conversely, generic or infrequent content appears to generate lower interaction rates, particularly in companies with minimal platform diversification. From a practical standpoint, the results suggest several recommendations: ➢ Prioritize LinkedIn as a strategic pillar for B2B communication, ensuring regular publication of industry reports, recognitions, and employee-focused content. ➢ Consider multi-platform expansion for broader audience reach, particularly through visual channels such as Instagram and YouTube, with optimized, platform-specific content. ➢ Leverage employee advocacy by encouraging staff to share and co-create content, thereby enhancing authenticity and perceived trust. This research has certain limitations. The analysis was based solely on publicly available data, without access to internal analytics or performance metrics, which restricts the ability to assess conversion rates or precise ROI. The study also focused on a limited set of companies, which, while representative of the sector, does not capture the full diversity of approaches in other geographical or market segments. Future research could address these limitations by: ➢ Expanding the sample to include a broader range of firms, including emerging market research agencies and niche specialists. ➢ Incorporating internal analytics to evaluate the direct impact of social media activities on lead generation, client acquisition, and retention. ➢ Conducting longitudinal studies to observe changes in engagement patterns and platform strategies over time. In conclusion, the findings underscore the strategic importance of LinkedIn as a primary marketing tool in the market research sector, while also highlighting the untapped potential of other platforms when leveraged with a clear, resource- Dariusz Baran, Ernest Górka, Gabriela Wojak, Michał Ćwiąkała, Sebastian Zupok, Marek Łażewski 1125 appropriate strategy. 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