What is social listening?
Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2025 9:30 am
Social listening is the process of proactively monitoring social media for mentions of your brand, competitors, and keywords .
With social listening, you can track all mentions of your brand on social media in real time. This helps you understand what customers think about your products and services, what they want, and conversely, what they don't want.
However, social media monitoring isn't just about tracking mentions of your brand. It also allows you to:
Track competing brands
Monitor trending content
Conduct sentiment analysis on topics important to your business.
Social listening data can influence decisions you make for your business, including czech republic phone number data marketing, product strategy, customer service, and support. The insights gained can inform decision-making and positively impact your company's bottom line.
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The difference between social monitoring and social listening
These two practices are similar, but the difference between social monitoring and social listening is simple: social listening is proactive while social monitoring is reactive .
Social monitoring examines mentions of your brand and sends you an alert as soon as your brand is mentioned online. This is sometimes referred to as " brand monitoring ."
Social monitoring can be useful for quickly responding to complaints, but this approach doesn't offer a comprehensive view of what people are saying about your brand or industry.
Social listening , on the other hand, provides you with a comprehensive view of all online conversations related to your brand, products, industry, and competitors . This holistic approach provides valuable insights that can help you make strategic marketing and social media decisions.
In short, if you want to stay on top of the latest trends and know what people are saying about your brand over time , you need a social media listening strategy.
What does social listening actually look like?
We have highlighted some examples of social listening to illustrate this concept in a concrete way.
1. Spotify
Spotify has a Twitter account and website dedicated entirely to customer engagement. This type of social listening allows users to engage directly with the streaming company.
The Spotify Cares account also tracks mentions (tagged or not) so you never miss an opportunity to help.
2. McDonald's Canada
In 2023, McDonald's Grimace milkshake became a true internet phenomenon. But this limited edition was only available in the United States, and Canadian consumers didn't hesitate to publicly share their frustration.
With social listening, you can track all mentions of your brand on social media in real time. This helps you understand what customers think about your products and services, what they want, and conversely, what they don't want.
However, social media monitoring isn't just about tracking mentions of your brand. It also allows you to:
Track competing brands
Monitor trending content
Conduct sentiment analysis on topics important to your business.
Social listening data can influence decisions you make for your business, including czech republic phone number data marketing, product strategy, customer service, and support. The insights gained can inform decision-making and positively impact your company's bottom line.
#1 Social Media Tool
Plan. Publish. Interact. Measure. Win.
30-day free trial
The difference between social monitoring and social listening
These two practices are similar, but the difference between social monitoring and social listening is simple: social listening is proactive while social monitoring is reactive .
Social monitoring examines mentions of your brand and sends you an alert as soon as your brand is mentioned online. This is sometimes referred to as " brand monitoring ."
Social monitoring can be useful for quickly responding to complaints, but this approach doesn't offer a comprehensive view of what people are saying about your brand or industry.
Social listening , on the other hand, provides you with a comprehensive view of all online conversations related to your brand, products, industry, and competitors . This holistic approach provides valuable insights that can help you make strategic marketing and social media decisions.
In short, if you want to stay on top of the latest trends and know what people are saying about your brand over time , you need a social media listening strategy.
What does social listening actually look like?
We have highlighted some examples of social listening to illustrate this concept in a concrete way.
1. Spotify
Spotify has a Twitter account and website dedicated entirely to customer engagement. This type of social listening allows users to engage directly with the streaming company.
The Spotify Cares account also tracks mentions (tagged or not) so you never miss an opportunity to help.
2. McDonald's Canada
In 2023, McDonald's Grimace milkshake became a true internet phenomenon. But this limited edition was only available in the United States, and Canadian consumers didn't hesitate to publicly share their frustration.