Copyright © 2026 Authors retain the copyright of this article. This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

@article{190305,
        author = {Dr. Rajeev Kumar Sinha and Aprajita Choudhary,},
        title = {EVALUATING SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS AS STRATEGIC INSTRUMENTS IN MARKETING RESEARCH},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {8},
        pages = {2408-2411},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=190305},
        abstract = {In the contemporary digital era, social media has transformed marketing research by providing real-time insights, consumer interactions, and rich behavioral data. This study evaluates how platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), YouTube, and emerging community video apps serve as strategic instruments in marketing research. A pilot study based on primary data from 50 respondents (marketers, small business owners, and consumers) was conducted to assess perceptions, usage patterns, and effectiveness of social media analytics. Data were analyzed to understand engagement levels, insights utility, decision-making support, and challenges. Findings reveal that social media is a powerful and cost-effective research instrument, though concerns about data reliability and privacy persist. The study concludes that with appropriate analytical frameworks and ethical considerations, social media platforms significantly enhance marketing research effectiveness.},
        keywords = {Social Media Marketing, Marketing Research, Consumer Insights, Digital Analytics, Strategic Instruments},
        month = {January},
        }