The Evolution of Impression Management Research in Social Media: A Bibliometric Perspective

The purpose of the present study is to investigate impression management (IM) usage by companies in the context of social media communication and emerging technologies through a comprehensive mapping of the scientific literature. In this matter, a bibliometric analysis has been conducted, extracting a sample of 262 peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2000 and 2024 from the Scopus database. The research explores the evolution, disciplinary composition, and thematic structure of the topic, identifying four main research clusters related to the usage of IM for identity construction on social platforms, the enhancement of credibility through technology adoption, strategic self-presentation and branding in digital environments, and the socio-psychological aspects of online impression formation. Despite the increasing interest in IM in digitally mediated environments in psychology, communication, and information science, the topic remains marginally considered in management and business studies. This paper aims to contribute to the literature on IM by offering a structured and interdisciplinary overview of existing studies and proposing future research avenues. The findings suggest the need for integrating IM into managerial communication and knowledge management frameworks, particularly considering the challenges and opportunities presented by artificial intelligence (AI) and transformed stakeholder interactions.