Best Social Listening Tools Shortlist
I've handpicked the best social listening tools on the market right now, and here's a quick roundup of my top picks.
- Hootsuite - Best tool for ecommerce
- Buffer - Best tool for small businesses
- Brandwatch - Best tool for large enterprises
- Awario - Best tool for solopreneurs
- Digimind - Best tool for growing teams
- Ipsos Synthesio - Best tool for global brands
- BuzzSumo - Best tool for startups
- Brand24 - Best cost-effective tool
- Sprout Social - Best tool for B2B Teams
- Agorapulse - Best user-friendly tool
- Keyhole - Best social listening tool for hashtag analytics
- YouScan - Best social listening tool for market researchers
As you navigate the digital landscape, social listening tools offer real-time data, trend analysis, and valuable customer insights to help understand your audience, make informed decisions, refine your marketing strategies, and gain a competitive edge.
Whether you're an experienced marketer or new to the field, these top social listening tools can help you harness the power of social media.
What Are Social Listening Tools?
Social listening tools are platforms that track conversations and activities across various social media channels. Their purpose is to assist businesses in gathering real-time insights about their customers.
These tools track mentions, hashtags, and keywords. They also can analyze the sentiment of online discussions. Social listening tools provide access to customer feedback, trends, and reputation insights. Equipped with this knowledge, you can make better decisions and enhance your marketing strategies, engage with your audience, and address customer concerns.
Overviews of the 12 Best Social Listening Tools
In this section, I'll provide an assessment of high-quality social listening tools currently available on the market. These tools help businesses with essential features like content management and comprehensive reporting. They also promote effective collaboration and knowledge-sharing within your team. Throughout the evaluation, I'll discuss the key advantages, limitations, and provide user interface screenshots for each tool.
1. Hootsuite - Best social listening tool for e-commerce
Why I picked Hootsuite
I chose Hootsuite for this list because it is particularly well-suited for ecommerce businesses. Hootsuite stands out as an ideal choice for ecommerce businesses due to its comprehensive social media management features, advanced monitoring and tracking capabilities, integration with ecommerce platforms, and robust customer engagement functionalities. With Hootsuite, ecommerce businesses can effectively manage their social media presence and foster stronger customer relationships in the competitive ecommerce industry.
Hootsuite Standout Features and Integrations:
Features include social media scheduling, content curation, customer engagement tools, and robust analytics. In my opinion, when it comes to dashboards, they have one of the best compared to other industry tools. Hootsuite’s features assist businesses with their social media operations and marketing efforts. I find the user-friendly interface and scalability make it an ideal choice for ecommerce businesses of all sizes.
Integrations include both native and pre-built platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, WordPress, Pinterest, Slack, MailChimp, Dropbox, and more. Hootsuite also supports a RESTful API.
Pricing: From $99/user/month
Free Trial: 30-day free trial
Pros
- Highly scalable
- Easy-to-use
- Collaboration and workflow efficiency
Cons
- Limited language support
- Dependency on social media APIs
2. Buffer - Best social listening tool for small businesses
Why I picked Buffer
I picked Buffer because it is well-suited for small businesses with limited budgets or training resources available. Buffer stands out as a preferred social listening solution for small businesses due to its ease of use, cost-effectiveness, and comprehensive monitoring and reporting capabilities. It empowers small businesses with limited resources to effectively listen to and analyze social media conversations without compromising on essential features required for successful social media management.
Buffer Standout Features and Integrations:
Features include a user-friendly interface, social media scheduling, content planning and organization, analytics and reporting, content suggestions, educational resources, and affordable pricing. These factors make Buffer a popular choice for small businesses looking to efficiently manage their social media presence, engage with their audience, and grow their brand without significant time or resource investments.
Integrations include both native and pre-built platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Feedly, Pocket, Slack, Shopify, Google Analytics, and more. Buffer integrates with Zapier if you need any other third party connectors. It also supports a RESTful API.
Pricing: From $6/channel/month
Free Trial: 14-day free trial and freemium version available
Pros
- Easy-to-use
- Cost-effective
- Strong content scheduling capabilities
Cons
- No offline access
- No live chat support
3. Brandwatch - Best social listening tool for large enterprises
Why I picked Brandwatch
I picked Brandwatch because it’s scalability, comprehensive support, and training resources make it an excellent choice for large enterprises seeking a robust social listening solution. Its ability to handle significant data volumes and provide reliable support and training sets it apart as a valuable tool for businesses operating at scale.
Brandwatch Standout Features and Integrations:
Features include AI-powered insights, competitive intelligence, customizable dashboards and reports, real-time monitoring, data coverage, and advanced analytics. Brandwatch is also designed to handle large volumes of data in order to accommodate the social listening needs of large enterprises with extensive online presence.
Integrations include both native and pre-built platforms like Adobe Analytics, Slack, Salesforce, Tableau, Hootsuite, Microsoft Teams, Adobe Experience Manager, Brandwatch Vizia, and more. Brandwatch integrates with Zapier if you need any other third party connectors. It also supports a Brandwatch API.
Pricing: Pricing upon request
Free Trial: Free demo available
Pros
- Comprehensive data coverage
- Advanced analytics and insights
- Highly scalable
Cons
- Lack of pricing transparency
- Limited historical data
4. Awario - Best social listening tool for solopreneurs
Why I picked Awario
I chose Awario because it is a popular social listening tool that offers several features and benefits that make it well-suited for solopreneurs. Not only is it affordable, but it’s great for solopreneurs who need to identify potential leads and sales opportunities.
Awario Standout Features and Integrations:
Features include real-time monitoring, social media coverage, sentiment analysis, competitor analysis, reports and analytics, email alerts, customizable and shareable dashboards, and real-time alerts.
Integrations include both native and pre-built platforms like Slack, Salesforce, Google Drive, HubSpot, Microsoft Teams, Trello, Google Analytics, Google Sheets, and more. Awario integrates with Zapier if you need any other third party connectors. It also supports a RESTful API.
Pricing: From $30/user/month (billed annually)
Free Trial: 7-day free trial
Pros
- Provides social selling opportunities
- Detailed reports and analytics
- User-friendly interface
Cons
- Lack of boolean search operators
- Slower data processing speed
5. Digimind - Best social listening tool for growing teams
Why I picked Digimind
I picked Digimind because it’s the best social listening tool for growing teams who need multilingual support and global coverage. Digimind is highly scalable and can be customized to fit the ever-changing needs of growing teams.
Digimind Standout Features and Integrations:
Features include collaboration and workflow management, multilanguage support, customization features, competitive intelligence, advanced analytics and reporting, and comprehensive social listening capabilities. These features help growing teams gain insights into customer opinions, analyze industry trends, track competitors, and collaborate.
Integrations include both native and pre-built platforms like Hootsuite, Salesforce, Tableau, HubSpot, Microsoft Teams, Google Analytics, Zendesk, and more. Digimind also supports its own Digimind API.
Pricing: Pricing upon request
Free Trial: Free demo available
Pros
- Highly scalable
- Multilingual global coverage and support
- Robust data security
Cons
- Lack of pricing transparency
- Integration limitations
6. Ipsos Synthesio - Best social listening tool for global brands
Why I picked Ipsos Synthesio
I selected Ipsos Synthesio because it has a range of multilingual features that make it best suited for global brands. It also boasts industry expertise and support thanks to its parent company—a globally recognized market research and consulting firm.
Ipsos Synthesio Standout Features and Integrations:
Features include collaboration and workflow management, crisis management and brand protection, competitive intelligence, data analytics, multilingual sentiment analysis, and global social listening. These features can help brands gain insight into customer sentiment all over the world.
Integrations include both native and pre-built platforms like Slack, Salesforce, Adobe Analytics, Hootsuite, Microsoft Teams, Tableau, Google Analytics, Brandwatch, and more. The platform also supports its own Ipsos Synthesio API.
Pricing: Pricing upon request
Free Trial: Free demo available
Pros
- Advanced analytics and reporting
- Global coverage
- Accessible expertise and support
Cons
- Lack of pricing transparency
- Reliance on third-party data
7. BuzzSumo - Best social listening tool for startups
Why I picked BuzzSumo
I picked BuzzSumo because it is an excellent choice for startups due to its user-friendly interface, content amplification features, insights into content performance, and social media monitoring capabilities. Using BuzzSumo, startups can effectively increase their content reach, gain valuable insights, and make data-driven decisions to fuel their growth and success.
BuzzSumo Standout Features and Integrations:
Features include influencer discovery and outreach, content research and idea generation, social media monitoring, competitor analysis, backlink analysis, content amplification and distribution, trend analysis, content performance tracking, and collaboration and workflow management.
Integrations include both native and pre-built platforms like Slack, Salesforce, Canva, Hootsuite, Buffer, Microsoft Teams, Trello, Mailchimp, Google Sheets, and more. BuzzSumo integrates with Zapier if you need any other third party connectors. BuzzSumo also supports a RESTful API.
Pricing: From $119/user/month
Free Trial: 30-day free trial
Pros
- Advanced competitor analysis
- Easy-to-use
- Robust customer support and training
Cons
- Limited emerging platform coverage
- Historical data limitations
8. Brand24 - Best cost-effective social listening tool
Why I picked Brand24
I chose Brand24 because it offers the most amount of social listening features for the least amount of money. Brand24 stands out as a top choice for businesses looking to maximize their social listening capabilities while keeping costs in check. With its comprehensive feature set, competitive pricing, user-friendly interface, and powerful reporting capabilities, Brand24 offers exceptional value for money.
Brand24 Standout Features and Integrations:
Features include real-time social listening, sentiment analysis, competitive analysis, influencer identification, data visualization and reports, customization options, and more.
Integrations include both native and pre-built platforms like Slack, Salesforce, Buffer, HubSpot, Google Analytics, Trello, Google Sheets, and more. Brand24 integrates with Zapier if you need any other third party connectors. Brand24 also supports a RESTful API.
Pricing: From $69/user/month (billed annually)
Free Trial: 14-day free trial
Pros
- High value for money
- Easy-to-use
- Flexible customization options
Cons
- Limited data sources
- Language limitations
9. Sprout Social - Best social listening tool for B2B teams
Why I picked Sprout Social
I selected Sprout Social because its integration options and publishing and scheduling features make it a great fit for B2B teams. It is highly scalable and caters to the needs of growing B2B teams who need enterprise-level features like user roles and permissions, advanced analytics, team reporting, cross-profile reporting, etc.
Sprout Social Standout Features and Integrations:
Features include social media management, publishing and scheduling, audience targeting and segmentation, collaboration and workflow management, analytics and reporting, social listening and reputation management, and more.
Integrations include both native and pre-built platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, TINT, Zendesk, Google Analytics, Bitly, Google My Business, and more. Sprout Social also supports a RESTful API.
Pricing: From $249/user/month
Free Trial: 30-day free trial
Pros
- Comprehensive social media management
- In-depth analytics and reporting
- Robust publishing and scheduling
Cons
- Limited emerging platform coverage
- Limited social listening languages
10. Agorapulse - Best user-friendly social listening tool
Why I picked Agorapulse
I picked Agorapulse because its user-focused design stood out to me compared to its competitors. It offers a unified inbox for managing messages and comments, and is easy to learn thanks to its intuitive interface.
Agorapulse Standout Features and Integrations:
Features include content scheduling, social listening and monitoring, inbox management, reporting and analytics, user-focused design, a mobile app, and more.
Integrations include both native and pre-built platforms like Slack, Salesforce, Buffer, HubSpot, Google Analytics, Trello, Google Sheets, and more. Brand24 integrates with Zapier if you need any other third party connectors. Brand24 also supports a RESTful API.
Pricing: From $49/user/month (billed annually)
Free Trial: 30-day free trial
Pros
- Easy-to-use
- Unified social media management
- Mobile app for iOS and Android
Cons
- Third-party integration limitations
- Limited language support
11. Keyhole - Best social listening tool for hashtag analytics
Why I picked Keyhole
I selected Keyhole because of its features that provide comprehensive hashtag analytics features. Keyhole’s hashtag analytics features can help businesses gain more insight into trends and how hashtag campaigns are doing over time.
Keyhole Standout Features and Integrations:
Features include influencer identification, audience insights, sentiment analysis, historical data analysis, automated reporting, competitor analysis, hashtag campaign monitoring, comprehensive metrics, and real-time tracking.
Integrations include both native and pre-built platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Slack, LinkedIn, Data Export, Google Analytics, and more. Keyhole integrates with Zapier if you need any other third party connectors. Keyhole also supports a RESTful API.
Pricing: From $79/user/month
Free Trial: 7-day free trial
Pros
- Customized reporting
- Robust data visualization
- Historical data analysis
Cons
- Lack of real-time engagement
- Data limitations
12. YouScan - Best social listening tool for market researchers
Why I picked YouScan
I picked YouScan because it is considered a top tool for market researchers due to its robust reporting and data visualization features and capabilities. YouScan also provides broad coverage of the most popular social media platforms, ensuring that market researchers have access to a wide range of social media data.
YouScan Standout Features and Integrations:
Features include advanced sentiment analysis, powerful data visualization, comprehensive coverage, competitive analysis features, trend analysis capabilities, and real-time monitoring. These features help market researchers access and visualize data, making it easy for them to quickly analyze information on the market.
Integrations include both native and pre-built platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, Salesforce, Zendesk, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Tableau, Power BI, and more. YouScan also supports a RESTful API.
Pricing: Pricing upon request
Free Trial: Free demo available
Pros
- Comprehensive social media coverage
- Advanced sentiment analysis
- Powerful data visualization
Cons
- Lack of pricing transparency
- API access limitations
Other Options
Don't miss out on these additional noteworthy options that are worth exploring:
- Talkwalker - Best tool for AI-insights
- Zoho Social - Best tool for beginners
- Meltwater - Best tool for PR teams
- Semrush - Best all-in-one tool
Selection Criteria For the Best Social Listening Tools
After conducting extensive research and analysis of various social listening tools, incorporating user and industry expert feedback, I have carefully selected a curated list of the top solutions available. Throughout my evaluation, emphasis was placed on usability and customization, which will be explored in greater detail below.
Core Functionality
Firstly, I evaluated the core functionalities of sales enablement software, which encompass:
- Monitoring and analyzing conversations and activities across social media platforms
- Tracking mentions, hashtags, and keywords
- Performing sentiment analysis on social media content
Key Features
In order to offer the foundational functionalities mentioned previously, social listening tools require the following essential features:
- Real-time Monitoring: Track and monitor online conversations in real-time across various social media platforms.
- Keyword and hashtag tracking: Track specific keywords, hashtags, or mentions relevant to your brand or industry, helping you identify trends and topics of interest.
- Sentiment analysis: Analyze the sentiment behind social media mentions, determining whether the sentiment is positive, negative, or neutral. This helps you gauge the overall sentiment towards your brand or specific topics.
- Competitor analysis: Monitor competitor’s mentions, engagement, and overall social media strategy.
- Influencer identification: Identify influential individuals or accounts in your industry, making it easier to collaborate with them or engage in influencer marketing campaigns.
- Demographic and geographic insights: Demographic and geographic data about your audience helps you understand their characteristics and preferences.
- Trend analysis: Detect and analyze emerging trends and topics in social media conversations. Stay ahead of the curve and adapt your marketing strategies accordingly.
- Visualizations and reports: Summarized collected data makes it easier to understand and present insights to stakeholders.
- Customizable alerts and notifications: You can set up customized alerts and notifications based on specific keywords, mentions, or sentiment changes, ensuring that you stay informed in real-time.
Usability
To determine the best social listening tools for this list, I focused on evaluating the usability of the iPaaS solution. I looked for an intuitive UI, strong real-time monitoring capabilities, competitor and trend analysis, and comprehensive support and documentation. To assess usability, I tested out software demos and read user reviews.
Software Integrations
Software integrations ensure that your social listening tools can connect with other tech solutions in your portfolio. The most obvious example is that social listening tools must integrate with all popular social media platforms, like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, as well as review sites like Yelp and Google My Business. Ideally, social listening tools are quick to adapt to new social platforms, like Hive and Threads. Additonally, I look for tools that connect to other useful marketing software, like marketing attribution software.
Value for Money
My approach involved selecting social listening tools that offer a wide range of features at an affordable price point. Small businesses could expect to pay $6 per month for basic features, while enterprises could expect to pay $800 for more robust features. Additionally, I chose software options that offer free trials or demos so that you can assess their ability to meet your specific business requirements.
Real-time Monitoring
My choices for this list were also driven by their real-time monitoring capabilities. I wanted to find tools that could track and analyze social media conversations as they occur, allowing for swift responses to customer inquiries, emerging trends, and potential issues. I kept an eye out for features such as tracking brand mentions, monitoring customer sentiment, identifying influencers, and tracking industry trends.
People Also Ask
Curious about social listening tools? Here are frequently asked questions about this powerful tool:
Which social media sites matter the most to social listening experts?
What are the 3 types of social listening?
What is the difference between social media monitoring and social listening?
How can social media listening increase customer advocacy?
Other Marketing Tool Reviews
Marketing tools come in all shapes and sizes, from social media platform management to website and product reporting. You'll probably need several tools to cover the whole gambit of needs. Here are some other tool review lists that I recommend checking out:
Social Media Software
- Social Media Management Software
- Social Media Marketing
- Social Media Scheduling
- Social Media Analytics
Social Advocacy Software
- Customer Advocacy Software
- Affiliate Marketing Software
- Influencer Marketing Software
- Employee Advocacy Software
Marketing Intelligence Software
- Content Marketing Platform
- Marketing Attribution Software
- Marketing Dashboard Software
- Marketing Measurement Tools
- Market Intelligence Software
- PR Analytics Tools
Brand Protection Software
Continue the Conversation
As we wrap up our exploration of social listening tools, you should be able to see how integrating such a tool can bring notable benefits to your marketing strategy. Whether you are striving to understand how people feel about your brand on social media channels, or you are trying to find influencers to champion your brand, social listening tools can help.
To make the most out of social listening, organizations should try to select a reliable tool that aligns with their specific needs, integrates well with existing systems, and provides comprehensive analytics and actionable insights.
However, with the abundance of options available for social listening tools, it's common to feel overwhelmed when selecting the most suitable solution for your unique business needs. If you're seeking further guidance on industry tools and trends, we invite you to subscribe to The CMO newsletter for valuable insights and updates.