{"id":108639,"date":"2026-02-06T12:11:04","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T11:11:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/?p=108639"},"modified":"2026-02-11T11:24:05","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T10:24:05","slug":"what-is-social-listening","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/what-is-social-listening\/","title":{"rendered":"Social Listening: All You Need to Know in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Social listening is about understanding conversation. What are people talking about? How they feel? Why they care? What\u2019s trending? Who\u2019s influencing the discussion?<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.acf-key-takeaways__heading{padding:22px 30px 20px;margin:0;font-weight:600;display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:1.1875rem;border:1px solid #c3e1d2;border-bottom:none;border-top-left-radius:1.25rem;border-top-right-radius:1.25rem}@media(min-width: 768px){.acf-key-takeaways__heading{padding:22px 40px 20px;gap:1.4375rem}}.acf-key-takeaways__icon{width:1.625rem;height:1.625rem;background-color:#9cbfaf;border-radius:50%;display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center}.acf-key-takeaways__list{border:1px solid #c3e1d2;border-top-right-radius:1.25rem;border-bottom-right-radius:1.25rem;border-bottom-left-radius:1.25rem;margin:0;padding:0;list-style:none;overflow:hidden}.acf-key-takeaways__item{padding:28px 34px 28px 61px;background-color:#e8f4ee;margin:0;border-bottom:1px solid #c3e1d2;position:relative}@media(min-width: 768px){.acf-key-takeaways__item{padding:28px 54px 28px 81px}}.acf-key-takeaways__item::before{content:\"\";position:absolute;top:35px;left:28px;width:.75rem;height:.75rem;background-color:#9cbfaf;border-radius:50%}@media(min-width: 768px){.acf-key-takeaways__item::before{top:39px;left:40px}}.acf-key-takeaways__item:nth-child(even){background-color:#dfefe7}.acf-key-takeaways__item:last-child{border-bottom:none}.acf-key-takeaways__title{font-weight:600;margin-bottom:.625rem}.acf-key-takeaways__text{font-family:\"Inter\",sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:26px;margin:0}@media(min-width: 768px){.acf-key-takeaways__text{font-size:18px;line-height:30px}}.single-post-content__content h3.acf-key-takeaways__heading{font-family:\"Inter\",sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:26px}@media(min-width: 768px){.single-post-content__content h3.acf-key-takeaways__heading{font-size:18px;line-height:30px}}.single-post-content__content h4.acf-key-takeaways__title{font-family:\"Inter\",sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:26px}@media(min-width: 768px){.single-post-content__content h4.acf-key-takeaways__title{font-size:18px;line-height:30px}}.single-post-content__content p.acf-key-takeaways__text{line-height:1.875rem}@media(max-width: 768px){.single-post-content__content p.acf-key-takeaways__text{font-size:1rem !important}}<\/style><div class=\"acf-key-takeaways\">\n    <h3 class=\"acf-key-takeaways__heading\">\n        <span class=\"acf-key-takeaways__icon\">\n            <svg width=\"10\" height=\"12\" viewBox=\"0 0 10 12\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                <path d=\"M8.41177 0C8.8341 0 9.17647 0.34237 9.17647 0.764706V11.0882C9.17647 11.3821 9.00815 11.6501\n                8.74334 11.7775C8.47839 11.9049 8.16337 11.8693 7.93382 11.6857L4.58824 9.00919L1.24265 11.6857C1.01311\n                11.8693 0.698079 11.9049 0.433134 11.7775C0.168324 11.6501 0 11.3821 0 11.0882V0.764706C0 0.561893\n                0.0806248 0.367445 0.224035 0.224035C0.367445 0.0806248 0.561893 0 0.764706 0H8.41177ZM1.52941\n                9.49609L4.11029 7.43199C4.38958 7.20856 4.78689 7.20856 5.06618 7.43199L7.64706\n                9.49609V1.52941H1.52941V9.49609Z\" fill=\"black\"\/>\n            <\/svg>\n        <\/span>\n        Key takeaways:    <\/h3>\n    <ul class=\"acf-key-takeaways__list\">\n                    <li class=\"acf-key-takeaways__item\">\n                <h4 class=\"acf-key-takeaways__title\">What is social listening? Definition<\/h4>\n                <p class=\"acf-key-takeaways__text\">Social listening means monitoring online conversations about a brand, product, topic, or industry in real time. Not just counting mentions but understanding context, sentiment, and trends.<\/p>\n            <\/li>\n                    <li class=\"acf-key-takeaways__item\">\n                <h4 class=\"acf-key-takeaways__title\">Why does it matter? <\/h4>\n                <p class=\"acf-key-takeaways__text\">Social listening helps companies: understand brand reputation and customer sentiment, gain real-time feedback and audience insights, spot trends early, track competitors, measure campaign impact, and handle crises faster and more strategically.<\/p>\n            <\/li>\n                    <li class=\"acf-key-takeaways__item\">\n                <h4 class=\"acf-key-takeaways__title\">Core elements <\/h4>\n                <p class=\"acf-key-takeaways__text\">In 2026, social listening includes: real-time monitoring across multiple digital channels, sentiment analysis using NLP\/AI, instant alerts for spikes or negative trends, topic clustering, competitive benchmarking, and advanced reporting.<\/p>\n            <\/li>\n                    <li class=\"acf-key-takeaways__item\">\n                <h4 class=\"acf-key-takeaways__title\">AI-powered social listening<\/h4>\n                <p class=\"acf-key-takeaways__text\">AI enhances the process by: understanding context and emotions, clustering conversations into themes, spotting unusual patterns or spikes, reducing irrelevant mentions, generating summaries, and actionable insights.<\/p>\n            <\/li>\n                    <li class=\"acf-key-takeaways__item\">\n                <h4 class=\"acf-key-takeaways__title\">Difference from social monitoring<\/h4>\n                <p class=\"acf-key-takeaways__text\">Social monitoring = collecting mentions and alerts (tactical, reactive). Social listening = analyzing data to drive strategic decisions (long-term, proactive).<\/p>\n            <\/li>\n                    <li class=\"acf-key-takeaways__item\">\n                <h4 class=\"acf-key-takeaways__title\">How to start?<\/h4>\n                <p class=\"acf-key-takeaways__text\">Strategic steps to start social listening: 1. Define goals (e.g., brand health, market insights, crisis prevention). 2. Choose the right tool. 3. Pick the key keywords to track. 4. Analyze the results. 5. Act on insights and optimize over time.<\/p>\n            <\/li>\n            <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In this post, we&#8217;ll discuss everything you need to know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So read on to learn more!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-is\">What is social listening? Definition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#e8f4ee\"><strong>Social listening<\/strong> is paying attention to what people are saying online about a brand, topic, or industry and then taking action based on that information. It goes beyond counting likes or mentions. The point is to understand context, sentiment, patterns, and intent behind conversations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>In simple words:<\/strong> Social listening = What are people saying? + Why are they saying it? + What should we do about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Why do you need it? It will help you discover:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Brand reputation &amp; perception<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Competitor reputation &amp; perception<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Customer sentiment &amp; emotions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Real-time feedback<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>AI brand visibility<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Emerging trends &amp; market opportunities<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Target audience insights &amp; demographics<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Campaign effectiveness<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>PR crisis quickly<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Backlink opportunities<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>To listen to conversations, you need a tool that monitors the entire web in real time, including <strong>social media, news, blogs, forums, reviews<\/strong> <strong>and LLMs<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Such a tool should track both tagged and untagged mentions and offer advanced analytics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Key elements of social listening in 2026:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Real-time monitoring<\/strong> of conversations across multiple platforms and channels<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sentiment analysis<\/strong> that automatically detects whether mentions are positive, neutral, or negative, and uses natural language processing (NLP) for emotion detection<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Instant notifications<\/strong> for spikes in mentions and sentiment drops<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Topic and trend analysis<\/strong> that clusters conversations into themes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Competitive benchmarking<\/strong> to pay attention to competitors&#8217; share of voice, reach, customer satisfaction, and PR wins or failures<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Trendspotting <\/strong>to track emerging hashtags, keywords, and hot topics in the industry<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Advanced reporting<\/strong> with scheduling and quick sharing features<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<style>.acf-quote-square{padding:40px 30px;background-color:#e8f4ee;border-radius:20px;max-width:640px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto}@media(min-width: 768px){.acf-quote-square{padding:62px 91px}}.acf-quote-square__icon{margin-bottom:20px}@media(min-width: 768px){.acf-quote-square__icon{margin-bottom:36px}}.acf-quote-square__quote{font-family:\"Inter\",sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:26px;margin-bottom:20px}@media(min-width: 768px){.acf-quote-square__quote{font-size:18px;line-height:30px}}@media(min-width: 576px){.acf-quote-square__quote{margin-bottom:44px}}.acf-quote-square__quote:last-child{margin-bottom:0}@media(min-width: 576px){.acf-quote-square__row{display:flex;gap:25px;align-items:center}}.acf-quote-square__author-image{width:60px;height:60px;border-radius:50%;overflow:hidden;flex-shrink:0;margin-bottom:10px}@media(min-width: 768px){.acf-quote-square__author-image{width:80px;height:80px;margin-bottom:0}}.acf-quote-square__author-image img{width:100%;height:100%;object-fit:cover}.acf-quote-square__author-name{font-size:16px;line-height:140%;font-weight:700;margin-bottom:4px}@media(min-width: 768px){.acf-quote-square__author-name{font-size:18px;line-height:140%}}.acf-quote-square__author-linkedin{display:inline-block;position:relative;top:-4px;margin-left:8px}.acf-quote-square__author-position{font-size:16px;line-height:100%}@media(min-width: 768px){.acf-quote-square__author-position{font-size:18px}}.acf-quote-square--primary{background-color:#00ef88}.acf-quote-square--primary .acf-quote-square__quote,.acf-quote-square--primary .acf-quote-square__author-name,.acf-quote-square--primary .acf-quote-square__author-position{color:#000}.acf-quote-square--primary .acf-quote-square__icon svg path{fill:#000}.acf-quote-square--violet{background-color:#000}.acf-quote-square--violet .acf-quote-square__quote,.acf-quote-square--violet .acf-quote-square__author-name,.acf-quote-square--violet .acf-quote-square__author-position{color:#fff}.acf-quote-square--violet .acf-quote-square__icon svg path{fill:#bf00ff}<\/style><div class=\"acf-quote-square acf-quote-square--default\">\n            <div class=\"acf-quote-square__icon\">\n            <svg width=\"53\" height=\"46\" viewBox=\"0 0 53 46\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<path d=\"M52.9064 22.6459H41.2236C41.4114 25.3738 42.318 27.7372 43.9479 29.7374C45.5763 31.7361 48.5625 33.7452 52.9064 35.7631L47.5716 45.7405C40.6068 42.676 35.6846 39.145 32.8005 35.1461C29.9178 31.1471 28.4758 25.6912 28.4758 18.7783V0H52.9079V22.6459H52.9064ZM24.4321 22.6459H12.7492C12.9371 25.3738 13.8437 27.7372 15.4736 29.7374C17.102 31.7361 20.0882 33.7452 24.4321 35.7631L19.0972 45.7405C12.1325 42.676 7.21028 39.145 4.32617 35.1461C1.44206 31.1471 0 25.6912 0 18.7783V0H24.4321V22.6459Z\" fill=\"#00EF88\"\/>\n<\/svg>        <\/div>\n                <div class=\"acf-quote-square__quote\">Social listening helps you understand what people really think about your brand, your industry, and your competitors. I use it to make smarter content decisions, spot trends early, and stay relevant in conversations that matter.<\/div>\n        <div class=\"acf-quote-square__row\">\n                    <div class=\"acf-quote-square__author-image\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"80\" height=\"80\" src=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Phil-Pallen-2-min-1-80x80.jpg\" class=\"attachment-author-avatar size-author-avatar\" alt=\"Phil-Pallen\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Phil-Pallen-2-min-1-80x80.jpg 80w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Phil-Pallen-2-min-1-250x250.jpg 250w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Phil-Pallen-2-min-1-60x60.jpg 60w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Phil-Pallen-2-min-1-64x64.jpg 64w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Phil-Pallen-2-min-1-314x314.jpg 314w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Phil-Pallen-2-min-1-48x48.jpg 48w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Phil-Pallen-2-min-1-42x42.jpg 42w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 80px) 100vw, 80px\" \/>            <\/div>\n                <div class=\"acf-quote-square__author-content\">\n                            <div class=\"acf-quote-square__author-name\">\n                    Phil Pallen                                    <\/div>\n                                        <div class=\"acf-quote-square__author-position\">Brand Strategist<\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"ai-powered\">What is AI-powered social listening?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#e8f4ee\"><strong>AI-powered social listening<\/strong> is an advanced form of social listening that enhances artificial intelligence (AI),<strong> <\/strong>especially natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning, to monitor, analyze, and understand mentions in real time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>In simple words:<\/strong> Instead of just tracking mentions, AI-powered social listening understands context, emotion, trends and delivers <strong>actionable insights<\/strong> faster.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.acf-simple-cta{border-radius:20px;background-color:#fff;max-width:640px;margin:auto;margin-bottom:30px;padding:30px 15px}@media(min-width: 768px){.acf-simple-cta{padding:48px 62px 46px 62px}}.acf-simple-cta__title{font-size:22px !important;font-weight:600;line-height:23px !important;color:#000;text-align:center;margin-top:10px}@media(min-width: 576px){.acf-simple-cta__title{max-width:280px;text-align:left;margin-top:0}}.acf-simple-cta__title span{color:#00ef88}.acf-simple-cta__row{text-align:center}@media(min-width: 768px){.acf-simple-cta__row{display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:space-between;gap:10px;text-align:left}}.acf-simple-cta__content{margin-bottom:20px;text-align:center}@media(min-width: 576px){.acf-simple-cta__content{display:flex;justify-content:center;align-items:center;gap:10px;width:100%;max-width:100%}}@media(min-width: 768px){.acf-simple-cta__content{align-items:center;justify-content:space-between;margin-bottom:0;max-width:66%}}.acf-simple-cta__btn{flex-shrink:0;border-radius:30px;padding:11px 21px;font-size:14px;line-height:18px;font-weight:500 !important;color:#000 !important;letter-spacing:-0.14px;background-color:#00ef88;border:none;transition:background-color .3s ease,opacity .3s ease;display:inline-block}.acf-simple-cta__btn:hover{background-color:#4bffae;text-decoration:none;opacity:.9}.acf-simple-cta__btn:focus-visible{outline:2px solid #00ef88}.acf-simple-cta--primary{background-color:#00ef88}.acf-simple-cta--primary .acf-simple-cta__title{color:#fff}.acf-simple-cta--primary .acf-simple-cta__title span{color:#000}.acf-simple-cta--primary .acf-simple-cta__btn{background-color:#000;color:#fff !important;transition:background-color .3s ease-in-out}.acf-simple-cta--primary .acf-simple-cta__btn:hover{background-color:#171717}.acf-simple-cta--violet{background-color:#000}.acf-simple-cta--violet .acf-simple-cta__title{color:#fff}.acf-simple-cta--violet .acf-simple-cta__title span{color:#bf00ff}.acf-simple-cta--violet .acf-simple-cta__btn{background-color:#bf00ff;color:#000 !important;transition:background-color .3s ease-in-out}.acf-simple-cta--violet .acf-simple-cta__btn:hover{background-color:#bf00ff}.acf-simple-cta--small{padding:20px 15px}@media(min-width: 768px){.acf-simple-cta--small{padding:33px 45px 31px 56px}}.acf-simple-cta--no-icon .acf-simple-cta__content{max-width:100%;width:auto}.acf-simple-cta--no-icon .acf-simple-cta__title{max-width:100%}@media(min-width: 768px){.acf-simple-cta--no-icon.acf-simple-cta--small .acf-simple-cta__content{max-width:55%}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"acf-simple-cta acf-simple-cta--default acf-simple-cta--no-icon acf-simple-cta--small\">\n    <div class=\"acf-simple-cta__wrapper\">\n        <div class=\"acf-simple-cta__row\">\n            <div class=\"acf-simple-cta__content\">\n                                                    <div class=\"acf-simple-cta__title\">Start Social Listening Now!<\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                            <a href=\"https:\/\/app.brand24.com\/user\/register-account\/?custom_form=38\" class=\"acf-simple-cta__btn\" target=\"_blank\">Start Trial!<\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What does the AI actually do?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First of all, it speeds up the analysis of monitored data. Secondly, it presents ready-to-use insights and recommendations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You don&#8217;t need to interpret the data by yourself. AI does the work for you, that&#8217;s the point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s take a quick look at how AI can boost social listening in 2026. Top tools already offer those features:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Deeper sentiment analysis &#8211; <\/strong>It automatically detects whether mentions are positive, negative, or neutral, even when there&#8217;s irony, sarcasm, or slang involved, and understands emojis and hashtags.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Built-in AI chat (just like ChatGPT) &#8211; <\/strong>Acts like your personal analyst. You can ask it any questions, and it gives you answers based on real-time monitoring data.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Better topic clustering<\/strong> &#8211; AI groups similar mentions or discussions into themes or trends (e.g., customer complaints, promotional content, product feedback).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Quicker anomaly spotting<\/strong> &#8211; Detects unusual spikes in mentions, reach, or sentiment and explains what caused them.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Automated insight generation<\/strong> &#8211; Transforms complex data into summaries, recommendations, and key takeaways.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Noise reduction<\/strong> &#8211; AI understands what you&nbsp;mean, not just what you type. Enables filtering and analyzing mentions based on specific contexts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Important: Some social listening tools now offer LLM Listening to track ChatGPT, Perplexity, AI Mode, AI Overviews, and more. That gives you full access to your brand visibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"vs-social-monitoring\">Social listening vs. social monitoring<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Monitoring tells you what happened. Listening tells you why it happened and what to do next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Social monitoring = watching<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Social listening = understanding<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#e8f4ee\"><strong>In a nutshell:<\/strong>&nbsp;Monitoring helps you handle day-to-day interactions. Listening helps you make informed, strategic business decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s take a closer look at how they differ.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.acf-tools-table{border:1px solid #d4e5dc;border-radius:16px;overflow:hidden;overflow-x:auto}.acf-tools-table__table{width:100%;min-width:582px;border-collapse:collapse}.acf-tools-table__row:last-child td{border-bottom:none}.acf-tools-table__row:nth-child(even){background-color:#e8f4ee}.acf-tools-table__cell{padding:14px 20px;font-size:.875rem;line-height:1.125rem;border-bottom:1px solid #d4e5dc;border-right:1px solid #d4e5dc}.acf-tools-table__cell p{font-size:.875rem !important;line-height:1.125rem;margin-bottom:0}.acf-tools-table__cell:last-child{border-right:none}.acf-tools-table__cell--header{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.875rem;font-weight:700}@media(max-width: 768px){.acf-tools-table__cell--header{font-size:.875rem !important;line-height:1.125rem !important}}.acf-tools-table__cell--center{padding-left:70px}.acf-tools-table__cell strong{font-weight:700}.acf-tools-table__number{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;width:32px;height:32px;border-radius:16px;background-color:#cbe7d9;font-size:.875rem;line-height:1em;font-weight:700}.acf-tools-table__logo{max-width:91px;margin-bottom:8px}.acf-tools-table__link{font-weight:400 !important;text-decoration:underline !important}.acf-tools-table__link:hover{text-decoration:none !important}.acf-tools-table__wrapper{display:flex;align-items:center;gap:17px}<\/style><div class=\"acf-tools-table\">\n    <table class=\"acf-tools-table__table\">\n        <thead class=\"acf-tools-table__thead\">\n            <tr class=\"acf-tools-table__row acf-tools-table__row--header\">\n                                    <th class=\"acf-tools-table__cell acf-tools-table__cell--header \">\n                        Aspect                    <\/th>\n                                    <th class=\"acf-tools-table__cell acf-tools-table__cell--header \">\n                        Social media monitoring                    <\/th>\n                                    <th class=\"acf-tools-table__cell acf-tools-table__cell--header \">\n                        Social listening                    <\/th>\n                            <\/tr>\n        <\/thead>\n        <tbody class=\"acf-tools-table__tbody\">\n                    <tr class=\"acf-tools-table__row\">\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                                                        <p>Definition<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                                                        <p><strong>Tracking and collecting<\/strong> online mentions, keywords, brand tags, and hashtags<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                                                        <p><strong>Analyzing <\/strong>the monitoring data to extract insights, patterns, trends, and recommendations<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                            <\/tr>\n                    <tr class=\"acf-tools-table__row\">\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                                                        <p>Goal<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                                                        <p>Respond to conversations<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                                                        <p>Understand the conversations<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                            <\/tr>\n                    <tr class=\"acf-tools-table__row\">\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                                                        <p>Focus<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                                                        <p>Real-time, short-term, reactive<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                                                        <p>Strategic, long-term, proactive<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                            <\/tr>\n                    <tr class=\"acf-tools-table__row\">\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                                                        <p>Sources<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                                                        <p>Social media channels<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                                                        <p>Social media channels, news, websites, blogs, podcasts, video platforms, review sites, LLMs<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                            <\/tr>\n                    <tr class=\"acf-tools-table__row\">\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                                                        <p>Use Cases<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                                                        <p>Identifying mentions, customer service, crisis and reputation management, and community engagement<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                                                        <p>Shaping marketing or product strategy, understanding consumer sentiment, competitive intelligence, and crisis prevention<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                            <\/tr>\n                    <tr class=\"acf-tools-table__row\">\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                                                        <p>Example<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                                                        <p>Replying to a customer\u2019s social media post complaining about delayed shipping<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                                                        <p>Identifying that customers want sms notifications about shipping based on repeated mentions<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                            <\/tr>\n                <\/tbody>\n    <\/table>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Summing up,&nbsp;<strong>social media monitoring is a part of social listening<\/strong> \u2013 the part that observes and collects data, while listening analyzes it to generate insights and guide strategic action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"benefits\"><strong>What are the benefits of social listening?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We must clarify one thing: social conversations listening isn&#8217;t just about just tracking mentions,<strong> it&#8217;s about unlocking real business value<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As such, it becomes a powerful asset in any brand&#8217;s toolkit.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.acf-testimonial{padding:40px 30px;background-color:#e8f4ee;border-radius:20px;max-width:640px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto}@media(min-width: 768px){.acf-testimonial{padding:62px 91px}}.acf-testimonial__logos{margin-bottom:20px}@media(min-width: 768px){.acf-testimonial__logos{margin-bottom:36px}}.acf-testimonial__question{font-family:\"Inter\",sans-serif;font-size:20px;line-height:28px;font-weight:700;margin-bottom:15px;max-width:450px}@media(min-width: 768px){.acf-testimonial__question{font-size:24px;line-height:32px}}@media(min-width: 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768px){.acf-testimonial__author-name{font-size:18px;line-height:140%}}.acf-testimonial__author-linkedin{display:inline-block;position:relative;top:-4px;margin-left:8px}.acf-testimonial__author-position{font-size:16px;line-height:100%}@media(min-width: 768px){.acf-testimonial__author-position{font-size:18px}}.acf-testimonial__button{margin-top:30px;flex-shrink:0;border-radius:30px;padding:11px 21px;font-size:14px;line-height:18px;font-weight:500 !important;color:#000 !important;letter-spacing:-0.14px;background-color:#00ef88;border:none;transition:background-color .3s ease,opacity .3s ease;display:inline-block}@media(min-width: 768px){.acf-testimonial__button{margin-top:60px}}.acf-testimonial__button:hover{background-color:#4bffae;text-decoration:none;opacity:.9}.acf-testimonial__button:focus-visible{outline:2px solid #00ef88}.acf-testimonial--primary{background-color:#00ef88}.acf-testimonial--primary .acf-testimonial__question,.acf-testimonial--primary .acf-testimonial__answer,.acf-testimonial--primary .acf-testimonial__author-name,.acf-testimonial--primary .acf-testimonial__author-position{color:#000}.acf-testimonial--primary .acf-testimonial__button{background-color:#000;color:#fff !important;transition:background-color .3s ease-in-out}.acf-testimonial--primary .acf-testimonial__button:hover{background-color:#171717}.acf-testimonial--violet{background-color:#000}.acf-testimonial--violet .acf-testimonial__question,.acf-testimonial--violet .acf-testimonial__answer,.acf-testimonial--violet .acf-testimonial__author-name,.acf-testimonial--violet .acf-testimonial__author-position{color:#fff}.acf-testimonial--violet .acf-testimonial__author-image{background-color:#22272a}.acf-testimonial--violet .acf-testimonial__logo--b24 svg path,.acf-testimonial--violet .acf-testimonial__separator svg path{fill:#fff}.acf-testimonial--violet .acf-testimonial__button{background-color:#bf00ff;color:#000 !important;transition:background-color .3s ease-in-out}.acf-testimonial--violet .acf-testimonial__button:hover{background-color:#bf00ff}<\/style><div class=\"acf-testimonial acf-testimonial--default\">\n                <div class=\"acf-testimonial__question\">Why is social listening important?<\/div>\n                <div class=\"acf-testimonial__answer\">Your audience is out there talking about their challenges, goals, and what\u2019s changing in their industry. If you\u2019re not listening, you\u2019re missing a goldmine of insights to shape your messaging, content, and entire go-to-market strategy.<\/div>\n        <div class=\"acf-testimonial__row\">\n                <div class=\"acf-testimonial__author-content\">\n                            <div class=\"acf-testimonial__author-name\">Sara Stella Lattanzio                            <\/div>\n                                        <div class=\"acf-testimonial__author-position\">B2B marketing leader &#038; LinkedIn influencer<\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are the 8 key benefits that make it an essential part of brand and marketing strategies:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Customer Sentiment<\/strong> \u2013 See how audiences feel about your brand and campaigns.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Brand Health<\/strong> \u2013 Track reputation changes and emerging risks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Competitive Analysis<\/strong> \u2013 Compare share of voice and audience opinions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Crisis Management<\/strong> \u2013 Spot issues early and monitor response impact.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Trend Discovery<\/strong> \u2013 Identify rising topics and market trends.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Campaign Performance<\/strong> \u2013 Measure reach, engagement, and ROI.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Customer Satisfaction<\/strong> \u2013 Capture real feedback and user content.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Product Development<\/strong> \u2013 Use insights to improve and innovate.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Curious how social listening drives real results? Check out the <strong>Labubu case study<\/strong> in our article on <a href=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/the-benefits-of-sentiment-analysis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">the benefits of sentiment analysis<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Understanding of customer sentiment &amp; insights<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Sentiment analysis shows you how people feel about your brand &#8211; positive, negative, or neutral. Those insights help you understand why they feel that way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can discover:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Whether the target audience sees your campaigns in a positive or a negative way<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What specific products, features, or messages trigger emotional reactions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Which platforms generate the most feedback (positive or negative)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69d711f0d6b57&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"69d711f0d6b57\" class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"985\" height=\"308\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/07\/social-listening-positive-mention-bluesky-reebook-min.jpg\" alt=\"Example of a positive mention posted on Bluesky\" class=\"wp-image-177001\" srcset=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/07\/social-listening-positive-mention-bluesky-reebook-min.jpg 985w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/07\/social-listening-positive-mention-bluesky-reebook-min-18x6.jpg 18w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/07\/social-listening-positive-mention-bluesky-reebook-min-300x94.jpg 300w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/07\/social-listening-positive-mention-bluesky-reebook-min-248x78.jpg 248w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 985px) 100vw, 985px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Example of a positive mention posted on Bluesky<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Brand health under control<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Advanced listening software delivers real-time reputation insights and competitive perspective, so you can protect and strengthen your brand image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can discover:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Whether <a href=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/brand-sentiment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"brand sentiment\">brand sentiment<\/a> is rising or declining<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What people talk about most when mentioning your brand (e.g., customer service, pricing, product quality)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How does your brand perception shifts after campaigns, product launches, or crises<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Specific events, social media posts, or authors driving brand reputation risks<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Access to competitive analysis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/perform-competitor-analysis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"competitor analysis\">Competitor analysis<\/a><strong> is the primary use case for analyzing social data<\/strong> for agencies and independent brands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, most specialists use social media listening to understand consumer perceptions of competitors&#8217; brands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can discover:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Who\u2019s leading the market buzz<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What percentage of mentions do belongs to you<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What users like most about a competitor\u2019s product<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Are influential sources talking about your competitors<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69d711f0d6fd3&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"69d711f0d6fd3\" class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"998\" height=\"650\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/social_listening_stat.png\" alt=\"64% of agencies and 57% brands use social listening for competitive benchmarking\" class=\"wp-image-175316\" srcset=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/social_listening_stat.png 998w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/social_listening_stat-18x12.png 18w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/social_listening_stat-300x195.png 300w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/social_listening_stat-244x159.png 244w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 998px) 100vw, 998px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Powerful crisis management<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Social media listening tools are designed to detect early warning signs, track public sentiment, and help you react before a crisis escalates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can discover:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Sudden spike in mentions, especially negative ones<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The original post or comment that triggered the issue<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How the public mood is changing hour by hour or day by day<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Whether your response is effective<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Immediate trend discovery<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Many brands use social listening to identify industry trends before they become mainstream. That&#8217;s because it&#8217;s one of the fastest, most scalable ways to discover what&#8217;s going on in the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can discover:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Rising keywords, hashtags, and phrases before they spike<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Niche trends formed in specific subcultures or communities<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Influencers who started the trend<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Trends your competitors are actively engaging with<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Campaign performance boost<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/hivemindinsights.com\/blog\/f\/5-stats-about-social-listening-you-need-to-know-in-2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">According to Socialbakers<\/a>, social listening can improve campaign return-on-investment by even 25%! How? By more accurate targeting and content creation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Analyzing audience conversations is a game-changer for optimizing data-driven marketing campaigns, as it helps teams understand customer needs, language and interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can discover:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How people feel about your campaign<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Which campaign elements generate the strongest reactions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Social and non-social reach of a camapign<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Advertising Value Equivalent (AVE) based on digital buzz<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69d711f0d7413&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"69d711f0d7413\" class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1140\" height=\"622\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/07\/social-listening-comparison-of-marketing-camapign-min-1140x622.jpg\" alt=\"The comparison of the #ShotoniPhone hashtag campaign\" class=\"wp-image-177002\" srcset=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/07\/social-listening-comparison-of-marketing-camapign-min-1140x622.jpg 1140w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/07\/social-listening-comparison-of-marketing-camapign-min-18x10.jpg 18w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/07\/social-listening-comparison-of-marketing-camapign-min-300x164.jpg 300w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/07\/social-listening-comparison-of-marketing-camapign-min-248x135.jpg 248w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/07\/social-listening-comparison-of-marketing-camapign-min.jpg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1140px) 100vw, 1140px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The comparison of the #ShotoniPhone hashtag campaign<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Improved customer satisfaction<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Listening to customer conversations lets you understand their emotions &amp; preferences, detect frequently reported issues, and \u2013 ultimately \u2013 improve customer feedback. Evidence?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.palowise.ai\/blog\/social-listening\/social-listening-statistics\/\">McKinsey report<\/a>, companies implementing listening into their customer experience strategy enjoy a 17% higher customer satisfaction rate than competitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can discover:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Unfiltered, authentic customer opinions and emotions about your brand<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Complaints, frustrations, the time of posting, even if you&#8217;re not tagged<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Which stages of the customer journey trigger the most negative reactions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>User-generated content that boosts brand credibility<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"acf-quote-square acf-quote-square--default\">\n            <div class=\"acf-quote-square__icon\">\n            <svg width=\"53\" height=\"46\" viewBox=\"0 0 53 46\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<path d=\"M52.9064 22.6459H41.2236C41.4114 25.3738 42.318 27.7372 43.9479 29.7374C45.5763 31.7361 48.5625 33.7452 52.9064 35.7631L47.5716 45.7405C40.6068 42.676 35.6846 39.145 32.8005 35.1461C29.9178 31.1471 28.4758 25.6912 28.4758 18.7783V0H52.9079V22.6459H52.9064ZM24.4321 22.6459H12.7492C12.9371 25.3738 13.8437 27.7372 15.4736 29.7374C17.102 31.7361 20.0882 33.7452 24.4321 35.7631L19.0972 45.7405C12.1325 42.676 7.21028 39.145 4.32617 35.1461C1.44206 31.1471 0 25.6912 0 18.7783V0H24.4321V22.6459Z\" fill=\"#00EF88\"\/>\n<\/svg>        <\/div>\n                <div class=\"acf-quote-square__quote\">Social media listening gives you all the information you need about the right channels, topics, people, and hashtags to connect with your audience. All you need to do is use this data and go out there!<\/div>\n        <div class=\"acf-quote-square__row\">\n                    <div class=\"acf-quote-square__author-image\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"250\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/10\/PAWL8180-1-4-fotor-2023092520343-250x250.png\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Justyna_Dzikowska_Head_of_Marketing_Brand24\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/10\/PAWL8180-1-4-fotor-2023092520343-250x250.png 250w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/10\/PAWL8180-1-4-fotor-2023092520343-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/10\/PAWL8180-1-4-fotor-2023092520343-60x60.png 60w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/10\/PAWL8180-1-4-fotor-2023092520343-64x64.png 64w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/10\/PAWL8180-1-4-fotor-2023092520343-314x314.png 314w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/10\/PAWL8180-1-4-fotor-2023092520343.png 1037w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/>            <\/div>\n                <div class=\"acf-quote-square__author-content\">\n                            <div class=\"acf-quote-square__author-name\">\n                    Justyna Dzikowska                                            <a class=\"acf-quote-square__author-linkedin\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/justyna-dzikowska-content-marketing-digital-pr\/\" target=\"_blank\"><svg width=\"20\" height=\"22\" viewBox=\"0 0 20 22\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<g clip-path=\"url(#clip0_2734_535)\">\n<mask id=\"mask0_2734_535\" style=\"mask-type:luminance\" maskUnits=\"userSpaceOnUse\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\" width=\"20\" height=\"22\">\n<path d=\"M20 0H0V21.1111H20V0Z\" fill=\"white\"\/>\n<\/mask>\n<g mask=\"url(#mask0_2734_535)\">\n<path d=\"M18.5195 0H1.47656C0.660156 0 0 0.680338 0 1.52149V19.5855C0 20.4267 0.660156 21.1111 1.47656 21.1111H18.5195C19.3359 21.1111 20 20.4267 20 19.5896V1.52149C20 0.680338 19.3359 0 18.5195 0ZM5.93359 17.9898H2.96484V7.91254H5.93359V17.9898ZM4.44922 6.53949C3.49609 6.53949 2.72656 5.72721 2.72656 4.72526C2.72656 3.7233 3.49609 2.91102 4.44922 2.91102C5.39844 2.91102 6.16797 3.7233 6.16797 4.72526C6.16797 5.7231 5.39844 6.53949 4.44922 6.53949ZM17.043 17.9898H14.0781V13.0913C14.0781 11.9245 14.0586 10.4195 12.5352 10.4195C10.9922 10.4195 10.7578 11.6936 10.7578 13.0089V17.9898H7.79688V7.91254H10.6406V9.28971H10.6797C11.0742 8.49805 12.043 7.66102 13.4844 7.66102C16.4883 7.66102 17.043 9.7474 17.043 12.4605V17.9898Z\" fill=\"#2058B7\"\/>\n<\/g>\n<\/g>\n<defs>\n<clipPath id=\"clip0_2734_535\">\n<rect width=\"20\" height=\"21.1111\" fill=\"white\"\/>\n<\/clipPath>\n<\/defs>\n<\/svg><\/a>\n                                    <\/div>\n                                        <div class=\"acf-quote-square__author-position\">Head of Marketing<\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">8. Smarter product development<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>By listening to social media conversations, you can build, improve, and prioritize product features based on real user feedback, not assumptions, personal bias, or limited survey responses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can discover:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Unmet needs, feature requests, or frustrations in organic conversations across Reddit, X (Twitter), TikTok, forums, and reviews<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What users say they don\u2019t use or don\u2019t like<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hidden expectations by analyzing how people talk about your product and competitors<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How users describe your product<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"acf-simple-cta acf-simple-cta--default acf-simple-cta--no-icon acf-simple-cta--small\">\n    <div class=\"acf-simple-cta__wrapper\">\n        <div class=\"acf-simple-cta__row\">\n            <div class=\"acf-simple-cta__content\">\n                                                    <div class=\"acf-simple-cta__title\">Start Social Listening Now!<\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                            <a href=\"https:\/\/app.brand24.com\/user\/register-account\/?custom_form=38\" class=\"acf-simple-cta__btn\" target=\"_blank\">Start Trial!<\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"strategy\">How to implement social listening? Strategy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Social listening is a quite simple process, but you&#8217;ll need the right <a href=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/brand-monitoring-tools\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"brand monitoring tool\">brand monitoring tool<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, you can do it manually, but it&#8217;s much more time-consuming and less effective.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Below you&#8217;ll find a complete, step-by-step social listening strategy for 2026:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 1: Define your goals and use cases<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In the beginning, decide what you want to achieve. And you have plenty to choose from:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Brand monitoring: <\/strong>Track what people are saying about your brand.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Brand health:<\/strong> Track negative mentions, sentiment shifts, and share of voice.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Customer care:<\/strong> Spot complaints and questions outside your owned channels.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Market intelligence:<\/strong> Monitor competitors, industry trends, and emerging players.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Campaign analysis:<\/strong> Measure buzz, reach, and sentiment around launches.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Crisis prevention:<\/strong> Detect negative sentiment spikes early and manage response.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Product feedback: <\/strong>Improve products and services based on real, relevant conversations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Influencer discovery:<\/strong> Find advocates in your niche that match your business.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thesilab.com\/state-of-social-listening\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">State of Social Listening 2025<\/a>, the most frequent goals for real businesses are:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Market insights<\/strong>&nbsp;(58% of agencies and 37,5% of brands)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Brand perception&nbsp;<\/strong>(56% of agencies and 52,8% of brands)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cultural &amp; societal trend analysis&nbsp;<\/strong>(56% of agencies and 61,1% of brands)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Crisis management<\/strong>&nbsp;(42% of agencies and 56,9% of brands)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Content strategy<\/strong>&nbsp;(37% of agencies and 31,9% of brands)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69d711f0d8441&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"69d711f0d8441\" class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"637\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/wykres.png\" alt=\"primary purposes of social listening: market insights, brand perception, trend analysis, crisis management, content strategy\" class=\"wp-image-175312\" srcset=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/wykres.png 600w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/wykres-11x12.png 11w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/wykres-300x319.png 300w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/wykres-150x159.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Market insights<\/strong>&nbsp;(58% of agencies and 37,5% of brands)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Brand perception&nbsp;<\/strong>(56% of agencies and 52,8% of brands)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cultural &amp; societal trend analysis&nbsp;<\/strong>(56% of agencies and 61,1% of brands)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Crisis management<\/strong>&nbsp;(42% of agencies and 56,9% of brands)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Content strategy<\/strong>&nbsp;(37% of agencies and 31,9% of brands)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember, though, that choosing your goal or goals for your social listening strategy is not a lifetime decision! They can evolve with time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What\u2019s important is to have a well-defined starting point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 2: Choose the right social listening tool<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Advanced<a href=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/tag\/social-listening-tools\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"social listening tools\"> social listening tools<\/a> automatically analyze online data to surface the most relevant mentions, uncover insights, and spot emerging trends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once your goals are defined, the next step is choosing the right tool, most offer <strong>free trials<\/strong>, so you can test before committing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When looking for the right tool, check those 3 factors:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. <strong>The number of monitored sources<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2026, advanced social listening tools should scan various online sources, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, X\/Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, Bluesky, Telegram)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Blogs and forums (Reddit, Quora)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>News sites and online magazines (e.g., Medium)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Podcasts and video platforms (YouTube, Twitch, Spotify, Soundcloud)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Review sites (TripAdvisor, Booking, Yelp, App Store, Google Play, Trustpilot)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>LLMs (like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Newsletters<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Multilingual and regional sources<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69d711f0d8824&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"69d711f0d8824\" class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"945\" height=\"231\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/social-listening-positive-mention-iphone17-min.jpg\" alt=\"Example of a positive mention posted on Reddit\" class=\"wp-image-177419\" srcset=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/social-listening-positive-mention-iphone17-min.jpg 945w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/social-listening-positive-mention-iphone17-min-18x4.jpg 18w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/social-listening-positive-mention-iphone17-min-300x73.jpg 300w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/social-listening-positive-mention-iphone17-min-248x61.jpg 248w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 945px) 100vw, 945px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Example of a positive mention posted on Reddit<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. <strong>Features that will support your goals<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Pay attention to whether the tool constantly develops its service and offers helpful AI features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are the key features to look for in 2026:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Data collection and coverage:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Real-time monitoring<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Historical data<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Multi-platform coverage<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Search and filtering:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Advanced filters &amp; Boolean search<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Noise reduction<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Analytics and insights:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Sentiment &amp; emotion analysis<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Intent detection<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Topic clustering<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Trends spotting<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Share of voice (SOV)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Competitor comparison<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reach &amp; engagement tracking<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Geo &amp; demographic insights<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Finding influencers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Alerting and proactive detection:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Event detection<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Real-time &amp; storm alerts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Multi-channel notifications<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>AI &amp; Advanced Intelligence:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>AI summaries, insights, and recommendations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Built-in AI chat (ChatGPT-like)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. <strong>Cost-effective pricing&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Before buying the software, calculate the total cost of ownership, which includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Subscription fee<\/strong> (monthly\/annual).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Add-ons<\/strong> (extra mentions, extra seats, advanced modules like AI or historical data).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>I want you to know that large media management tools usually offer social listening as an extra add-on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those tools are (list updated in February 2026):<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"acf-tools-table\">\n    <table class=\"acf-tools-table__table\">\n        <thead class=\"acf-tools-table__thead\">\n            <tr class=\"acf-tools-table__row acf-tools-table__row--header\">\n                                    <th class=\"acf-tools-table__cell acf-tools-table__cell--header  acf-tools-table__cell--center\">\n                        Tool                    <\/th>\n                                    <th class=\"acf-tools-table__cell acf-tools-table__cell--header \">\n                        Overview                    <\/th>\n                                    <th class=\"acf-tools-table__cell acf-tools-table__cell--header \">\n                        Starting price                    <\/th>\n                            <\/tr>\n        <\/thead>\n        <tbody class=\"acf-tools-table__tbody\">\n                    <tr class=\"acf-tools-table__row\">\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__number\">1<\/div>\n                                                                                        <p>Hootsuite<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                                                        <p>Powerful social media management platform offering monitoring<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                                                        <p>Basic monitoring starts at $199\/per user, advanced social listening is offered as an add-on in a custom plan<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                            <\/tr>\n                    <tr class=\"acf-tools-table__row\">\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__number\">2<\/div>\n                                                                                        <p>HubSpot<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                                                        <p>All-in-one marketing, sales, CRM platform with a social media management toolset<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                                                        <p>Plans start at $800 per month<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                            <\/tr>\n                    <tr class=\"acf-tools-table__row\">\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__number\">3<\/div>\n                                                                                        <p>Sprout Social<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                                                        <p>Social media management and analytics platform offering a social listening feature<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                                                        <p>Pricing starts at $199 per month, social listening is offered as an add-on<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                            <\/tr>\n                <\/tbody>\n    <\/table>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, you have tools that social listening is their core feature (list updated in February 2026):<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"acf-tools-table\">\n    <table class=\"acf-tools-table__table\">\n        <thead class=\"acf-tools-table__thead\">\n            <tr class=\"acf-tools-table__row acf-tools-table__row--header\">\n                                    <th class=\"acf-tools-table__cell acf-tools-table__cell--header  acf-tools-table__cell--center\">\n                        Tool                    <\/th>\n                                    <th class=\"acf-tools-table__cell acf-tools-table__cell--header \">\n                        Overview                    <\/th>\n                                    <th class=\"acf-tools-table__cell acf-tools-table__cell--header \">\n                        Starting price                    <\/th>\n                            <\/tr>\n        <\/thead>\n        <tbody class=\"acf-tools-table__tbody\">\n                    <tr class=\"acf-tools-table__row\">\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__number\">1<\/div>\n                                                                                        <p>Brand24<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                                                        <p>Specialized social listening qith AI visibility monitoring<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                                                        <p>Individual plan starts at $149<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                            <\/tr>\n                    <tr class=\"acf-tools-table__row\">\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__number\">2<\/div>\n                                                                                        <p>Mention<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                                                        <p>Social listening and media monitoring tool<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                                                        <p>Starts at $599<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                            <\/tr>\n                    <tr class=\"acf-tools-table__row\">\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__number\">3<\/div>\n                                                                                        <p>Meltwater<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                                                        <p>Global media intelligence and social listening platform<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                                    <td class=\"acf-tools-table__cell\">\n                        <div class=\"acf-tools-table__wrapper\">\n                                                                                        <p>Around $7000 per year for a basic, 1-user subscription<\/p>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/td>\n                            <\/tr>\n                <\/tbody>\n    <\/table>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>As you can see, the prices vary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most tools provide cost estimates upon request. To get the final price of a tool, it&#8217;s best to schedule a meeting for accurate information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"acf-simple-cta acf-simple-cta--default acf-simple-cta--no-icon acf-simple-cta--small\">\n    <div class=\"acf-simple-cta__wrapper\">\n        <div class=\"acf-simple-cta__row\">\n            <div class=\"acf-simple-cta__content\">\n                                                    <div class=\"acf-simple-cta__title\">Start Social Listening Now!<\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                            <a href=\"https:\/\/app.brand24.com\/user\/register-account\/?custom_form=38\" class=\"acf-simple-cta__btn\" target=\"_blank\">Start Trial!<\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 3: Choose key terms to monitor<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Social media listening tools work by tracking keywords, such as brand names, hashtags, or industry topics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your role is to choose the keywords that align with your monitoring goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Think about what will work best, like:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The name of your brand, product, or service<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Your company hashtag<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Your campaign-specific hashtag<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Your CEO&#8217;s or any other prominent employee&#8217;s name<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Your competitors&#8217; brand names and hashtags<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Industry buzzwords&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Trending topics relevant to your niche<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Names of events you&#8217;re participating in or sponsoring<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Step 4: Analyze social listening data<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, it&#8217;s time to explore data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the Mentions tab, you&#8217;ll start seeing results whenever someone mentions your keywords on social &amp; non-social platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69d711f0d98f8&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"69d711f0d98f8\" class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"998\" height=\"488\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/social-listening-mention-tab-min-1.jpg\" alt=\"An example of a mentions stream\" class=\"wp-image-178687\" srcset=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/social-listening-mention-tab-min-1.jpg 998w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/social-listening-mention-tab-min-1-18x9.jpg 18w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/social-listening-mention-tab-min-1-300x147.jpg 300w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/social-listening-mention-tab-min-1-248x121.jpg 248w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/social-listening-mention-tab-min-1-90x44.jpg 90w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 998px) 100vw, 998px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An example of a mentions stream<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>From there, you can engage with them directly or take action based on what you &#8220;hear&#8221;. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The good practice is to&nbsp;<strong>monitor the results regularly&nbsp;<\/strong>and&nbsp;<strong>respond as necessary<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pay attention to those key <a href=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/social-listening-metrics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">social listening metrics<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Volume of Mentions:<\/strong> How often are your brand, products, or keywords mentioned?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Reach\/Impressions:<\/strong> How many people potentially saw your brand mentions?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Engagement:<\/strong> Likes, shares, comments, clicks, showing target audience interaction.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sentiment:<\/strong> Proportion of positive, negative, and neutral mentions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Share of Voice (SOV):<\/strong> \u2013 your brand\u2019s conversation share vs. competitors.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Trending Topics\/Keywords:<\/strong> \u2013 common themes, hashtags, or terms linked to your brand or industry.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Audience Demographics &amp; Location:<\/strong> \u2013 who\u2019s talking about you and where.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Influencers\/Key Sources:<\/strong>\u2013 individuals or sites driving the conversation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Response Time:<\/strong> How quickly and effectively does your brand respond?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Crisis Signals\/Spikes:<\/strong> Sudden increases in mentions or negative sentiment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Step 5: Optimize, expand, and continue<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>At this stage, you have probably tested your social listening strategies. It&#8217;s time to maximize your results and reach even further.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How to do it?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take a look at the tips written by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/adam-g%C3%B3rnicz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"Adam G\u00f3rnicz\">Adam G\u00f3rnicz<\/a>,<strong> <\/strong>Customer Success Manager at Brand24, who is an expert in optimizing monitoring projects.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"optimize\"><strong>Optimize<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Use the brand\u2019s X (Twitter) handle, domain, or Facebook URL as keywords to boost results. Some posts may only include those forms instead of the full brand name. Catch \u2019em all!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Polish<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Exclude irrelevant keywords to clean up your data. No need to guess, check the context of a discussion tab in the Analysis section to spot common words worth excluding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Extend your view<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Don\u2019t just monitor your brand or competitors. Track the whole industry. It can reveal new clients, trends, and unexpected insights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To do that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Create projects with industry topics and variations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use the context of a discussion tab for an instant overview of key players, issues, and hot debates.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Identify influential profiles with the Most Share of Voice or the Most Followers and follow their opinions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Track popular mentions, the bigger the reach, the bigger the impact.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>With these tips, you\u2019ll level up your results and feel like a true <a href=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/what-is-media-monitoring-and-analysis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"media monitoring\">media monitoring<\/a> ninja!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"acf-simple-cta acf-simple-cta--default acf-simple-cta--no-icon acf-simple-cta--small\">\n    <div class=\"acf-simple-cta__wrapper\">\n        <div class=\"acf-simple-cta__row\">\n            <div class=\"acf-simple-cta__content\">\n                                                    <div class=\"acf-simple-cta__title\">Start Social Listening Now!<\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                            <a href=\"https:\/\/app.brand24.com\/user\/register-account\/?custom_form=38\" class=\"acf-simple-cta__btn\" target=\"_blank\">Start Trial!<\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"polish\">Social listening examples<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to see how a well-optimized digital listening strategy can uncover valuable and actionable insights?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Check out these case studies from real brands:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Trend analysis: Neon Panda<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/case-study\/neonpanda\/\">Neon Panda<\/a>, a Mexican beverage brand, uses a monitoring tool to stay culturally relevant and ahead of consumer trends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Results:<\/strong> When \u201cnatural hydration\u201d started growing as a topic among consumers, Neon Panda immediately spotted it. Then they used it to guide future messaging and product exploration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Competitor analysis: XTB<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/case-study\/xtb\/\">XTB<\/a>, a global trading platform, monitors competitors&#8217; activities, including their promotions of features or offers, changes to their products, and customer complaints or negative feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Results<\/strong>: When XTB notices competitors making changes that customers don\u2019t like, it becomes an opportunity. For example, if a rival modified its stock investment offering and received negative feedback, XTB used that as a chance to highlight how its own offering was superior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Improved customer experience: Pasibus<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/case-study\/pasibus\/\">Pasibus<\/a>, a Polish restaurant brand, uses a brand listening tool to detect customer feedback and meet customer expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Results:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Started a \u201cBurger of the Month\u201d campaign, where followers vote for what they want. This is a direct way to get feedback about menu preferences.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>After launching new or special menu items, they use the tool to monitor reactions, including reviews, shares, discussions, and what people like and dislike.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They also track feedback from cities where they don\u2019t yet have a restaurant. Those mentions are used to measure demand in new markets.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"acf-quote-square acf-quote-square--default\">\n            <div class=\"acf-quote-square__icon\">\n            <svg width=\"53\" height=\"46\" viewBox=\"0 0 53 46\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<path d=\"M52.9064 22.6459H41.2236C41.4114 25.3738 42.318 27.7372 43.9479 29.7374C45.5763 31.7361 48.5625 33.7452 52.9064 35.7631L47.5716 45.7405C40.6068 42.676 35.6846 39.145 32.8005 35.1461C29.9178 31.1471 28.4758 25.6912 28.4758 18.7783V0H52.9079V22.6459H52.9064ZM24.4321 22.6459H12.7492C12.9371 25.3738 13.8437 27.7372 15.4736 29.7374C17.102 31.7361 20.0882 33.7452 24.4321 35.7631L19.0972 45.7405C12.1325 42.676 7.21028 39.145 4.32617 35.1461C1.44206 31.1471 0 25.6912 0 18.7783V0H24.4321V22.6459Z\" fill=\"#00EF88\"\/>\n<\/svg>        <\/div>\n                <div class=\"acf-quote-square__quote\">Monitoring mentions of your brand is the icing on the cake, while the data that measures the effectiveness of your actions\u2014helping you spend money more wisely and effectively\u2014is simply a must-have.<\/div>\n        <div class=\"acf-quote-square__row\">\n                <div class=\"acf-quote-square__author-content\">\n                            <div class=\"acf-quote-square__author-name\">\n                    Maciej Moc                                    <\/div>\n                                        <div class=\"acf-quote-square__author-position\">Marketing Director at Pasibus<\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Link building: Chilli Fruit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/case-study\/chillifruit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chilli Fruit<\/a>, a link-building and consulting agency, tracks <a href=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/media-mentions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">media mentions<\/a> related to clients&#8217; names and companies to discover backlink opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Results<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Up to 1,500 unnotified mentions captured for more than a dozen clients. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>About 10% of a client\u2019s backlink requirement was satisfied through link\u2011building activities derived purely from monitoring mentions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Over 100 projects (guest post \/ external content) set up using data from Brand24 for content\/visual enhancement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Brand reputation: PiwikPRO<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/case-study\/piwik-pro\/\">PiwikPRO<\/a>, an analytics and data activation platform, uses social media listening to protect, measure, and maximize its reputation. Credibility is crucial in analytics and privacy business. Misinformation or false claims can damage trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Results<\/strong>: The team watches for \u201coutdated or incorrect descriptions\u201d of their product&#8217;s functions, especially in contexts of privacy, data security, and GDPR compliance. If someone has misrepresented their work, Piwik PRO responds and corrects it.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"acf-quote-square acf-quote-square--default\">\n            <div class=\"acf-quote-square__icon\">\n            <svg width=\"53\" height=\"46\" viewBox=\"0 0 53 46\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<path d=\"M52.9064 22.6459H41.2236C41.4114 25.3738 42.318 27.7372 43.9479 29.7374C45.5763 31.7361 48.5625 33.7452 52.9064 35.7631L47.5716 45.7405C40.6068 42.676 35.6846 39.145 32.8005 35.1461C29.9178 31.1471 28.4758 25.6912 28.4758 18.7783V0H52.9079V22.6459H52.9064ZM24.4321 22.6459H12.7492C12.9371 25.3738 13.8437 27.7372 15.4736 29.7374C17.102 31.7361 20.0882 33.7452 24.4321 35.7631L19.0972 45.7405C12.1325 42.676 7.21028 39.145 4.32617 35.1461C1.44206 31.1471 0 25.6912 0 18.7783V0H24.4321V22.6459Z\" fill=\"#00EF88\"\/>\n<\/svg>        <\/div>\n                <div class=\"acf-quote-square__quote\">Dealing with data privacy can be tricky. Credibility comes from having accurate information, and Brand24 helps us find important mentions so we can respond quickly and avoid crises.<\/div>\n        <div class=\"acf-quote-square__row\">\n                    <div class=\"acf-quote-square__author-image\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"80\" height=\"80\" src=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Marcin-Pluskota-piwikpro-80x80.webp\" class=\"attachment-author-avatar size-author-avatar\" alt=\"Marcin Pluskota, PR Manager at Piwik PRO\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Marcin-Pluskota-piwikpro-80x80.webp 80w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Marcin-Pluskota-piwikpro-12x12.webp 12w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Marcin-Pluskota-piwikpro-60x60.webp 60w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Marcin-Pluskota-piwikpro-64x64.webp 64w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Marcin-Pluskota-piwikpro-48x48.webp 48w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Marcin-Pluskota-piwikpro-42x42.webp 42w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Marcin-Pluskota-piwikpro-90x90.webp 90w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Marcin-Pluskota-piwikpro.webp 105w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 80px) 100vw, 80px\" \/>            <\/div>\n                <div class=\"acf-quote-square__author-content\">\n                            <div class=\"acf-quote-square__author-name\">\n                    Marcin Pluskota                                    <\/div>\n                                        <div class=\"acf-quote-square__author-position\">PR Manager at Piwik PRO<\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Read more: <a href=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/social-listening-examples\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Social Listening Examples From Inspiring Brands\">Social Listening Examples From Inspiring Brands<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"future\">The future of social listening <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>What can we expect in 2026? Are there any emerging trends in the digital listening area?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;ve asked those questions to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/michalsadowski1\/\">Micha\u0142 Sadowki<\/a>, CEO &amp; Founder of media monitoring and listening software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are his key predictions for the coming months:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Social listening as fuel for AI Visibility &amp; LLM SEO<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Brand\/topic mentions turn into ranking signals for LLMs (GPT, Claude, Gemini).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/social-listening-examples\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">AI mentions<\/a> act like the new \u201cbacklinks\u201d for AI search visibility.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Volume + quality of mentions on Reddit, LinkedIn, Quora, YouTube and X directly influence appearance in AI-generated answers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Social listening tools will help marketers identify conversations that shape how LLMs understand brands.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"acf-simple-cta acf-simple-cta--primary acf-simple-cta--no-icon acf-simple-cta--small\">\n    <div class=\"acf-simple-cta__wrapper\">\n        <div class=\"acf-simple-cta__row\">\n            <div class=\"acf-simple-cta__content\">\n                                                    <div class=\"acf-simple-cta__title\">Start Social Listening Now!<\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                            <a href=\"https:\/\/app.brand24.com\/user\/register-account\/?custom_form=38\" class=\"acf-simple-cta__btn\" target=\"_blank\">Start Trial!<\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Integration with AI Assistants via MCP and similar protocols<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Growth of MCPs and API links allows real-time access to social data via chatbots\/LLMs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>By mid-2026, 40% of enterprises will use LLMs to query third-party social data (Forrester).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Social listening evolves from passive analytics to interactive, LLM-accessible intelligence.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69d711f0da775&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"69d711f0da775\" class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1140\" height=\"690\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/02\/social-listening-mcp-chatgpt-1-1-1140x690.jpg\" alt=\"Brand24 data via ChatGPT\" class=\"wp-image-180983\" srcset=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/02\/social-listening-mcp-chatgpt-1-1-1140x690.jpg 1140w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/02\/social-listening-mcp-chatgpt-1-1-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/02\/social-listening-mcp-chatgpt-1-1-300x182.jpg 300w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/02\/social-listening-mcp-chatgpt-1-1-248x150.jpg 248w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/02\/social-listening-mcp-chatgpt-1-1-90x54.jpg 90w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/02\/social-listening-mcp-chatgpt-1-1.jpg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1140px) 100vw, 1140px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Smarter, correlative insights powered by AI<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Advanced AI models will uncover hidden links between social chatter and business results.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Platforms like Brand24, Talkwalker, and Sprinklr are already embedding predictive analytics modules.  IDC forecasts that&nbsp;<strong>AI-driven insight layers will grow by 55% YoY<\/strong>&nbsp;through 2026 in social intelligence platforms.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Expect tools to:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Predict brand perception shifts based on sentiment and competitor buzz<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Correlate spikes in <a href=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/how-to-track-social-mentions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">social mentions<\/a> with customer churn or NPS drops<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Detect emerging influencer clusters in micro-communities before they trend<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"acf-quote-square acf-quote-square--default\">\n            <div class=\"acf-quote-square__icon\">\n            <svg width=\"53\" height=\"46\" viewBox=\"0 0 53 46\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<path d=\"M52.9064 22.6459H41.2236C41.4114 25.3738 42.318 27.7372 43.9479 29.7374C45.5763 31.7361 48.5625 33.7452 52.9064 35.7631L47.5716 45.7405C40.6068 42.676 35.6846 39.145 32.8005 35.1461C29.9178 31.1471 28.4758 25.6912 28.4758 18.7783V0H52.9079V22.6459H52.9064ZM24.4321 22.6459H12.7492C12.9371 25.3738 13.8437 27.7372 15.4736 29.7374C17.102 31.7361 20.0882 33.7452 24.4321 35.7631L19.0972 45.7405C12.1325 42.676 7.21028 39.145 4.32617 35.1461C1.44206 31.1471 0 25.6912 0 18.7783V0H24.4321V22.6459Z\" fill=\"#00EF88\"\/>\n<\/svg>        <\/div>\n                <div class=\"acf-quote-square__quote\">As we look ahead to 2026 and 2027, social listening is evolving from a traditional brand monitoring tool into a strategic driver of visibility in the age of AI.<\/div>\n        <div class=\"acf-quote-square__row\">\n                    <div class=\"acf-quote-square__author-image\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"250\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Michal-sadowski-250x250.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Michal-sadowski-250x250.jpg 250w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Michal-sadowski-12x12.jpg 12w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Michal-sadowski-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Michal-sadowski-60x60.jpg 60w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Michal-sadowski-64x64.jpg 64w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Michal-sadowski-314x314.jpg 314w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Michal-sadowski-159x159.jpg 159w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Michal-sadowski.jpg 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/>            <\/div>\n                <div class=\"acf-quote-square__author-content\">\n                            <div class=\"acf-quote-square__author-name\">\n                    Micha\u0142 Sadowski                                            <a class=\"acf-quote-square__author-linkedin\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/michalsadowski1\/\" target=\"_blank\"><svg width=\"20\" height=\"22\" viewBox=\"0 0 20 22\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<g clip-path=\"url(#clip0_2734_535)\">\n<mask id=\"mask0_2734_535\" style=\"mask-type:luminance\" maskUnits=\"userSpaceOnUse\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\" width=\"20\" height=\"22\">\n<path d=\"M20 0H0V21.1111H20V0Z\" fill=\"white\"\/>\n<\/mask>\n<g mask=\"url(#mask0_2734_535)\">\n<path d=\"M18.5195 0H1.47656C0.660156 0 0 0.680338 0 1.52149V19.5855C0 20.4267 0.660156 21.1111 1.47656 21.1111H18.5195C19.3359 21.1111 20 20.4267 20 19.5896V1.52149C20 0.680338 19.3359 0 18.5195 0ZM5.93359 17.9898H2.96484V7.91254H5.93359V17.9898ZM4.44922 6.53949C3.49609 6.53949 2.72656 5.72721 2.72656 4.72526C2.72656 3.7233 3.49609 2.91102 4.44922 2.91102C5.39844 2.91102 6.16797 3.7233 6.16797 4.72526C6.16797 5.7231 5.39844 6.53949 4.44922 6.53949ZM17.043 17.9898H14.0781V13.0913C14.0781 11.9245 14.0586 10.4195 12.5352 10.4195C10.9922 10.4195 10.7578 11.6936 10.7578 13.0089V17.9898H7.79688V7.91254H10.6406V9.28971H10.6797C11.0742 8.49805 12.043 7.66102 13.4844 7.66102C16.4883 7.66102 17.043 9.7474 17.043 12.4605V17.9898Z\" fill=\"#2058B7\"\/>\n<\/g>\n<\/g>\n<defs>\n<clipPath id=\"clip0_2734_535\">\n<rect width=\"20\" height=\"21.1111\" fill=\"white\"\/>\n<\/clipPath>\n<\/defs>\n<\/svg><\/a>\n                                    <\/div>\n                                <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We&#8217;ve covered a lot today, so let&#8217;s review!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Final thoughts:<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.acf-numeric-list__list{list-style:none;padding:0;margin:0}.acf-numeric-list__item{display:grid;grid-template-columns:1.875rem 1fr;grid-template-rows:1fr;align-items:center;gap:1.5625rem;margin-bottom:.9375rem}.acf-numeric-list__item:last-child{margin-bottom:0}.acf-numeric-list__number{background-color:#00ef88;color:#000;border-radius:50%;width:1.875rem;height:1.875rem;display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;font-weight:600}<\/style><div class=\"acf-numeric-list\">\n    <ul class=\"acf-numeric-list__list\">\n                    <li class=\"acf-numeric-list__item\">\n                <span class=\"acf-numeric-list__number\">1<\/span>\n                <span class=\"acf-numeric-list__text\">Look beyond mentions, understand context and sentiment. Social listening is about interpreting why people are talking and what they feel.<\/span>\n            <\/li>\n                    <li class=\"acf-numeric-list__item\">\n                <span class=\"acf-numeric-list__number\">2<\/span>\n                <span class=\"acf-numeric-list__text\">Listen beyond social media. To get a complete picture, include news sites, blogs, forums, reviews, podcasts, and even AI\/LLM conversations.<\/span>\n            <\/li>\n                    <li class=\"acf-numeric-list__item\">\n                <span class=\"acf-numeric-list__number\">3<\/span>\n                <span class=\"acf-numeric-list__text\">Use AI-powered tools that will automate the process and do most of the job for you.<\/span>\n            <\/li>\n                    <li class=\"acf-numeric-list__item\">\n                <span class=\"acf-numeric-list__number\">4<\/span>\n                <span class=\"acf-numeric-list__text\">Companies use social media listening for market research, brand perception, trend analysis, crisis management, and content optimization.<\/span>\n            <\/li>\n                    <li class=\"acf-numeric-list__item\">\n                <span class=\"acf-numeric-list__number\">5<\/span>\n                <span class=\"acf-numeric-list__text\">Social listening can help you find leads, but you must set up a project correctly and use filters smartly.\u00a0<\/span>\n            <\/li>\n                    <li class=\"acf-numeric-list__item\">\n                <span class=\"acf-numeric-list__number\">6<\/span>\n                <span class=\"acf-numeric-list__text\">Starting brand listening is simple, but you need to pick your goals and choose relevant keywords you want to monitor first.\u00a0<\/span>\n            <\/li>\n                    <li class=\"acf-numeric-list__item\">\n                <span class=\"acf-numeric-list__number\">7<\/span>\n                <span class=\"acf-numeric-list__text\">Most of the tools, like Brand24, offer a free trial\u00a0so you can test them carefully.\u00a0<\/span>\n            <\/li>\n            <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is social listening, and why should you care? It has lots of benefits. Read our guide and check how you can implement it in 5 steps!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":154746,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[112],"tags":[33,1522,34,32,1992,1521,2205,2203,2201,2202,2204],"class_list":["post-108639","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-listening","tag-internet-monitoring","tag-media-monitoring","tag-social-listening","tag-social-media-monitoring","tag-social-mentions","tag-web-monitoring","tag-what-is-internet-monitoring","tag-what-is-media-monitoring","tag-what-is-social-listening","tag-what-is-social-media-monitoring","tag-what-is-web-monitoring"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"cf_author_first_name":"Katarzyna","cf_author_last_name":"Dere\u0144","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108639","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/74"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=108639"}],"version-history":[{"count":215,"href":"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108639\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":182141,"href":"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108639\/revisions\/182141"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/154746"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=108639"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=108639"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=108639"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}