Social Listening & Monitoring (Global)
Listen before you speak. Understand what customers are saying, how they feel, and where the market is headed — before competitors do.
Information Gathering
Ask up to 4 questions:
- Brand / product? Brand name, primary product names, founder name (if personal brand).
- Main competitors? List 2–3 direct competitors to monitor.
- Current concern? Bad reviews? Trend tracking? Competitor watch?
- Most important channels? Twitter/X, Reddit, TikTok, Instagram, Google Reviews, all of the above?
Framework: Listen → Analyze → Report → Act
LISTEN — Collect mentions, comments, reviews, related posts
|
ANALYZE — Classify sentiment, identify trends, detect anomalies
|
REPORT — Aggregate into weekly/monthly reports with clear insight
|
ACT — Respond, adjust strategy, manage crises
Channels to Monitor (Global)
Channel List
| Channel |
Content type |
How to monitor |
Frequency |
| Twitter / X |
Mentions, threads, retweets |
Native search + saved searches + Tweetdeck |
Daily |
| Reddit |
Subreddit discussions, AMAs |
Subreddit search + Reddit RSS |
Daily |
| TikTok |
Comments, duets, stitches, hashtags |
Hashtag search + comments on brand videos |
Daily |
| Instagram |
Comments, mentions, story tags |
Native notifications + hashtag search |
Daily |
| Facebook Groups |
Discussions, Q&As, reviews |
Group keyword search |
Daily |
| Facebook Pages |
Comments, reviews, mentions |
Page notifications + keyword search |
Daily |
| YouTube |
Video comments, review videos |
Search brand + product names |
2–3x/week |
| Google Reviews |
Business reviews |
Google Business Profile dashboard |
Daily |
| Google Search |
Articles, news |
Google Alerts on brand keywords |
Automated |
| Trustpilot / G2 / Capterra |
Product/service reviews |
Native dashboards + email alerts |
Daily |
| Discord communities |
Niche industry discussions |
Server-by-server, manual |
2x/week |
| LinkedIn |
Posts, mentions (B2B) |
LinkedIn search + saved searches |
2x/week |
| Quora |
Questions about brand/category |
Topic follows + alerts |
Weekly |
| Online press |
News articles, PR |
Google News Alerts |
Automated |
| Amazon / Shopee / Etsy |
Product reviews |
Review tab on listings |
2–3x/week |
Keywords to Monitor
| Keyword group |
Examples |
| Brand name |
"[Brand]", "[Brand] review", "[Brand] scam", "[Brand] worth it" |
| Product name |
"[Product]", "[Product] price", "[Product] review" |
| Founder name |
"[Founder]", "[Founder] who" |
| Competitors |
"[Competitor 1]", "[Competitor 2]", "[Competitor] vs [Brand]" |
| Industry |
"[Industry keyword]", "[Common industry pain]" |
| Negative phrases |
"not good", "disappointed", "scam", "low quality", "false advertising" |
| Positive phrases |
"amazing", "recommend", "best ever", "worth it", "loving it" |
Sentiment Analysis
Sentiment Scale
| Level |
Score |
Description |
Example |
| Very negative |
1 |
Outrage, public callout, boycott calls |
"Total scam, reporting them to FTC" |
| Negative |
2 |
Disappointment, complaint, unfavorable comparison |
"Tried it for 3 months, way worse than X" |
| Neutral |
3 |
Asking info, comparison, on-the-fence |
"Anyone tried [Brand]? Thoughts?" |
| Positive |
4 |
Satisfied, recommends, praises |
"Been using for 3 months, happy with it" |
| Very positive |
5 |
Enthusiastic advocate, brand champion |
"Best service ever, told all my friends" |
Categorization by Topic
| Topic |
What to monitor |
Meaning |
| Product / Quality |
Reviews, comparisons, feedback |
Product improvement |
| Service / Experience |
Comments about staff, processes |
Operations improvement |
| Pricing |
Price comparisons, complaints |
Pricing/communication adjustment |
| Marketing / Advertising |
Reactions to content, ads |
Creative improvement |
| Competitors |
Comparisons, switching mentions |
Opportunity or threat |
Crisis Detection
Early Warning Signals
| Level |
Signal |
Threshold |
Action |
| Green — Normal |
Steady mentions, neutral/positive sentiment |
<5 negative mentions/day |
Standard monitoring |
| Yellow — Watch |
Rising negative mentions, 1–2 high-engagement complaint posts |
5–15 negative mentions/day OR 1 post >100 engagements |
Increase monitoring frequency, prep response |
| Orange — Alert |
Negative mentions spreading fast, press picking up |
15–50 negative mentions/day OR press coverage |
Activate response workflow, brief leadership |
| Red — Crisis |
Viral negative, opposition hashtags, revenue impact |
>50 negative mentions/day OR trending topic |
Full crisis response activation |
Crisis Response Workflow
Step 1 — Identify (within 1 hour)
| Item |
What to check |
| Origin |
Which post/comment started it? Who posted? |
| Spread velocity |
How many shares/comments? How fast is it growing? |
| Accuracy |
Is the claim accurate? Is there evidence? |
| Impact |
Who's affected? Customers, partners, employees? |
Step 2 — Respond (within 2–4 hours)
| Situation |
Response approach |
| Valid complaint |
Apologize + acknowledge + concrete fix + timeline |
| Misinformation |
Official correction + evidence + calm tone |
| Trolls / defamation |
Don't argue publicly + save evidence + report to platform |
| Major crisis |
Press statement + founder video + continuous updates |
Step 3 — Resolve (1–7 days)
| Item |
What to do |
| Direct resolution |
Privately contact the complainant, resolve individually |
| Public update |
Communicate progress on main channels |
| Lessons learned |
Internal post-mortem, root cause, prevention plan |
| Post-crisis monitoring |
Sentiment tracking 2 weeks after, measure brand impact |
Step 4 — Recover (2–4 weeks)
| Item |
What to do |
| Recovery content |
Boost positive social proof, testimonials, case studies |
| Positive PR |
Articles about improvements, quality commitments |
| Engagement push |
Increase community responsiveness, faster reply time |
| Effectiveness |
Compare sentiment before — during — after crisis |
Niche Research — 20 hot topics in 7 days
Niche research, adapted for global channels.
Goal
Each week, surface the 20 hottest topics/trends in your niche to:
- Create timely content (don't lag competitors)
- Spot content opportunities first
- Know what customers are arguing/curious about
Research Workflow (30–45 min/week)
| Step |
Source |
How |
Time |
| 1 |
Reddit (niche subreddits) |
Sort by Top this week, scan high-engagement posts |
10 min |
| 2 |
TikTok Discover |
Hashtag search, filter 7-day, review videos > 50K views |
10 min |
| 3 |
Google News |
Search "[industry] news", filter past 7 days |
5 min |
| 4 |
Twitter / X (industry lists) |
Saved lists of industry voices, scan top tweets |
5 min |
| 5 |
Industry forums / Discord |
Active threads from past 7 days |
5 min |
| 6 |
KOL / Influencer feeds |
Watch what 5–10 niche leaders posted this week |
5 min |
Output Format
# Niche Research — Week [X] ([DD/MM] – [DD/MM/YYYY])
| # | Topic / Trend | Source | Heat | Discussion focus | Content angle | Suggested post |
|---|---------------|--------|------|------------------|---------------|----------------|
| 1 | [Topic] | Reddit / TikTok / News | High/Med/Low | [Summary] | [Description] | [Idea] |
| 2 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| 20 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
Rules
- 7-day window only — anything older drops out
- Verify post date before adding to the table
- Never invent links or stats — real data only
- If you can't find 20 — record the actual count, don't pad
- Prioritize topics with debate or high engagement — not just news
- Tip: pair with Content Matrix → take hot topics → fill matrix → timely content
Trend Identification
Trend Types to Watch
| Type |
Description |
Action |
| Rising topic |
New industry topic gaining discussion |
Create content early, claim first-mover |
| Viral format |
Spreading content format (sound, POV, trend) |
Adapt for brand within 24–48h |
| Seasonal |
Recurring seasonal trends |
Plan 2–4 weeks ahead |
| Competitor moves |
New campaigns, new products, pricing changes |
Analyze + strategic response |
| Industry sentiment |
Shifts in overall industry feeling (e.g. trust loss, rising expectation) |
Adjust tone, messaging |
Detection Methods
| Method |
Tool |
Frequency |
| Trending hashtags |
TikTok Discover, Twitter Trends |
Daily |
| High-engagement comments |
Comments on industry / influencer posts |
Daily |
| Google Trends |
Filter by region (US, UK, EU, etc.) |
2x/week |
| Industry reports |
Reports from Gartner, McKinsey, Statista, eMarketer |
Monthly |
| KOL / Influencer feeds |
Top 5–10 niche voices |
3x/week |
Competitive Monitoring
Competitor Tracking Template
| Metric |
[Competitor 1] |
[Competitor 2] |
[Your brand] |
| Followers (TikTok) |
[X] |
[X] |
[X] |
| Followers (Instagram) |
[X] |
[X] |
[X] |
| Followers (LinkedIn — B2B) |
[X] |
[X] |
[X] |
| Posts per week |
[X] |
[X] |
[X] |
| Primary content type |
[Description] |
[Description] |
[Description] |
| Avg engagement rate |
[X%] |
[X%] |
[X%] |
| Tone of voice |
[Description] |
[Description] |
[Description] |
| Communicated USP |
[Description] |
[Description] |
[Description] |
| Most recent campaign |
[Description] |
[Description] |
[Description] |
What to Watch on Competitors
| Item |
What to track |
Why |
| New content |
Posts, videos, stories |
Learn effective formats, avoid duplication |
| Ads Library |
Active ads (Meta Ads Library, TikTok Creative Center) |
Understand strategy, creative, offers |
| Landing pages |
Sales page, form, pricing |
Benchmark conversion approach |
| Customer reviews |
Reviews on Google, Trustpilot, FB |
Find weak spots to target |
| Job postings |
Open roles |
Predict their direction |
| PR / Press |
Articles, interviews |
Read their comms strategy |
Brand Health Metrics
4 Core Metrics
| Metric |
Formula |
Benchmark |
Frequency |
| Share of Voice (SOV) |
Brand mentions / Total industry mentions × 100% |
>15% is strong |
Monthly |
| Net Sentiment |
(Positive - Negative) / Total mentions × 100% |
>60% is good |
Weekly |
| Response Rate |
Mentions responded / Total mentions needing response × 100% |
>80% is good |
Weekly |
| Response Time |
Avg time from mention to response |
<2h good, <30 min excellent |
Weekly |
Detailed Benchmark
| Metric |
Poor |
Average |
Good |
Excellent |
| SOV |
<5% |
5–15% |
15–25% |
>25% |
| Net Sentiment |
<40% |
40–60% |
60–80% |
>80% |
| Response Rate |
<50% |
50–70% |
70–90% |
>90% |
| Response Time |
>24h |
4–24h |
1–4h |
<1h |
Tools (Global)
Free
| Tool |
Channels |
Use |
| Google Alerts |
Web, news, blogs |
Create alerts for brand + competitors, daily email |
| Meta Business Suite |
Facebook, Instagram |
Comments, mentions, messages — built-in |
| TikTok Studio |
TikTok |
Comment management, analytics |
| Google Trends |
Google Search |
Compare brand vs competitor keywords over time |
| Meta Ads Library |
Facebook, Instagram |
View competitor active ads |
| TikTok Creative Center |
TikTok |
Top ads, trending sounds, creative inspiration |
| Reddit search / RSS |
Reddit |
Subreddit-specific keyword tracking |
| Talkwalker Free Alerts |
Web, social |
Free brand mention alerts |
Paid (when scaling)
| Tool |
Pricing |
Strength |
| Brandwatch |
Enterprise (custom) |
Most powerful enterprise listening, AI sentiment |
| Sprout Social |
From $249/mo |
Listening + management + reporting in one |
| Mention |
From $49/mo |
SMB-friendly, real-time mentions across web + social |
| Brand24 |
From $79/mo |
Multi-channel monitoring, automatic sentiment |
| Hootsuite Insights |
From $99/mo |
Listening + scheduling integration |
| Meltwater |
Enterprise |
PR + social listening + media intelligence |
| Talkwalker |
Enterprise |
Image recognition, AI-driven insights |
Manual Workflow (small teams)
Daily (15–20 min):
- Check Facebook Page + Instagram notifications (comments, mentions, reviews)
- Check TikTok comments (latest 3 videos)
- Search brand on Twitter/X (filter: past 24h)
- Check Google Business Profile reviews
Weekly (30–45 min):
- Search brand on TikTok, Reddit, Facebook Groups
- Check Meta Ads Library for competitors
- Read Google Alerts digest
- Update competitor tracking sheet
- Write weekly report
Weekly Report
Template
# Social Listening Report — Week [X] ([Date] — [Date])
## Summary
| Metric | This week | Prior week | Change |
|--------|-----------|------------|--------|
| Total mentions | [X] | [X] | [+/- %] |
| Positive mentions | [X] | [X] | [+/- %] |
| Negative mentions | [X] | [X] | [+/- %] |
| Net Sentiment | [X%] | [X%] | [+/- %] |
| Response Rate | [X%] | [X%] | [+/- %] |
| Avg Response Time | [Xh] | [Xh] | [+/- h] |
## Top positive mentions
1. [Source + content summary + reach/engagement]
2. [Source + content summary + reach/engagement]
3. [Source + content summary + reach/engagement]
## Top negative mentions
1. [Source + summary + handled? + outcome]
2. [Source + summary + handled? + outcome]
## Notable competitor activity
- [Competitor 1]: [Notable activity this week]
- [Competitor 2]: [Notable activity this week]
## Trends this week
- [Trend 1]: [Description + brand opportunity]
- [Trend 2]: [Description + brand opportunity]
## Alerts
- [Level: Green/Yellow/Orange/Red] — [Situation description]
## Recommended actions
| # | Action | Priority | Owner | Deadline |
|---|--------|----------|-------|----------|
| 1 | [Description] | [High/Med/Low] | [Role] | [Date] |
| 2 | [Description] | [High/Med/Low] | [Role] | [Date] |
Monthly Report
Template
# Social Listening Report — Month [X]/[YYYY]
## Executive summary
**3 most important insights:**
1. [Insight 1]
2. [Insight 2]
3. [Insight 3]
## Brand Health Dashboard
| Metric | This month | Prior month | Change | Target |
|--------|------------|-------------|--------|--------|
| Share of Voice | [X%] | [X%] | [+/- %] | [X%] |
| Net Sentiment | [X%] | [X%] | [+/- %] | >60% |
| Response Rate | [X%] | [X%] | [+/- %] | >80% |
| Avg Response Time | [Xh] | [Xh] | [+/- h] | <2h |
| Total mentions | [X] | [X] | [+/- %] | — |
## Sentiment by topic
| Topic | Positive | Neutral | Negative | Trend |
|-------|----------|---------|----------|-------|
| Product | [X%] | [X%] | [X%] | [Up/Down/Flat] |
| Service | [X%] | [X%] | [X%] | [Up/Down/Flat] |
| Pricing | [X%] | [X%] | [X%] | [Up/Down/Flat] |
| Marketing | [X%] | [X%] | [X%] | [Up/Down/Flat] |
## Competitor analysis
| Metric | [Brand] | [Competitor 1] | [Competitor 2] |
|--------|---------|----------------|----------------|
| SOV | [X%] | [X%] | [X%] |
| Net Sentiment | [X%] | [X%] | [X%] |
| Notable content | [Description] | [Description] | [Description] |
| Notable campaign | [Description] | [Description] | [Description] |
## Monthly trends
| Trend | Strength | Brand opportunity | Recommendation |
|-------|----------|-------------------|----------------|
| [Trend 1] | [Strong/Med/Weak] | [Description] | [Action] |
| [Trend 2] | [Strong/Med/Weak] | [Description] | [Action] |
## Crisis / Incidents (if any)
| Date | Incident | Severity | Handled | Outcome | Lesson |
|------|----------|----------|---------|---------|--------|
| [Date] | [Description] | [Green-Red] | [Description] | [Description] | [Description] |
## Next month actions
| # | Action | Priority | Owner | Deadline | Measure by |
|---|--------|----------|-------|----------|------------|
| 1 | [Description] | [High] | [Role] | [Date] | [Metric] |
| 2 | [Description] | [Med] | [Role] | [Date] | [Metric] |
| 3 | [Description] | [Low] | [Role] | [Date] | [Metric] |
Skill Cross-references
08-competitor-research-global — deep competitor analysis (listening provides real-time data)09-customer-insight-global — listening is the strongest qualitative source for insight13-data-analysis-global — combine qualitative (sentiment) with quantitative (metrics)07-marketing-report-global — brand health section in monthly reports01-content-calendar-global — trends found in listening → fresh content ideas
Quality Checklist
Initial Setup
- Complete keyword list (brand + product + competitors + industry)
- Google Alerts created for each keyword group
- Notifications enabled on Facebook Page, Instagram, TikTok Studio
- Competitor tracking sheet created
- Crisis response workflow documented and team briefed
- Daily listening owner assigned
Weekly
- Daily checks completed every day
- Negative mentions handled within 24h
- Weekly report sent to team/stakeholders
- Competitor sheet updated
- New trends logged with content ideas
- Niche research done — at least 10 topics/week
- Hot topics fed into Content Matrix or content calendar
Monthly
- Full monthly report with 4 brand health metrics
- Competitor comparison updated
- Monthly trends summarized
- Next-month actions assigned with owners and deadlines
- Keyword list reviewed — added/removed where needed
