Understanding what people are saying about your brand online is more crucial than ever. Whether it’s tracking mentions on social media or gauging customer sentiment across the web, having the right tools can make all the difference. Luckily, there are several free social listening tools available that allow businesses of all sizes to monitor conversations and gain valuable insights without breaking the bank. This guide will walk you through the importance of social listening, how free tools work, and the best options available this year to help you stay ahead in the digital space.
What is Social Listening?
Social listening is the process of monitoring online conversations to understand what people are saying about your brand, industry, or competitors. While it might sound similar to social media monitoring, there’s a key difference: social listening goes beyond just tracking mentions. It analyzes overall sentiment, identifies trends, and helps uncover insights that can improve your marketing strategy and customer engagement. By using free social media listening tools, businesses can stay informed about customer opinions, react quickly to feedback, and even adjust their campaigns based on what’s being said online.
Why is Social Listening Important for Your Brand?
Social listening is a vital strategy for any brand looking to stay relevant and competitive in today’s digital landscape. It offers deep insights into how your brand is perceived, what your customers are saying, and how you can improve.
Here’s why social listening is so important:
Assess Brand Awareness:
Tracking online mentions through free social listening tools helps you understand how visible your brand is across different platforms. You can monitor mentions on social media, blogs, forums, and news outlets to gauge how often your brand is discussed and where those conversations are happening.
This data is invaluable in identifying where your audience is most active and whether your marketing efforts are reaching the right people. Regularly assessing brand awareness helps you stay on top of trends and make informed decisions about future campaigns.
Improve Customer Service:
By keeping an eye on real-time conversations, brands can quickly identify customer concerns and address them before they escalate. Social listening tools allow you to monitor feedback, complaints, and questions as they appear across various platforms, enabling timely responses that can turn negative experiences into positive outcomes.
This proactive approach to customer service not only solves problems more efficiently but also demonstrates that your brand values customer feedback, fostering stronger loyalty and trust.
Track Brand Reputation:
Maintaining a strong brand reputation is essential, and social listening gives you the tools to do just that. By analyzing sentiment around your brand, you can get a clear picture of how the public perceives your business. This includes spotting potential issues early on, such as negative reviews, critical posts, or viral complaints.
When a potential PR crisis arises, free social media listening tools help you react swiftly to contain the issue before it grows, protecting your brand’s image. Continuously monitoring your reputation ensures that your brand remains in good standing with your audience.
How Do Free Social Listening Tools Work?
Free social listening tools work by monitoring online conversations related to specific keywords, hashtags, or brand mentions across a variety of platforms.
These tools gather data from social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, as well as blogs, forums, and even news outlets. By tracking these conversations, brands can analyze customer sentiment, spot emerging trends, and gain insights into what people are saying about their products or services.
The process begins with setting up the right keywords—such as your brand name, competitor names, or relevant industry terms. The tools then scan different platforms for mentions of these keywords, collecting the data into dashboards or reports. Some tools also provide sentiment analysis, which helps gauge whether the conversations about your brand are positive, negative, or neutral. This deeper level of insight allows businesses to understand not just what is being said, but how people feel about it.
While free versions of social listening tools often come with certain limitations—like fewer features or lower data limits—they still offer a powerful way to track brand mentions and customer feedback without needing to invest in a premium solution. Even with these constraints, many social listening tools free options provide enough functionality for small to mid-sized businesses to monitor their online presence effectively.
The Best Free Social Listening Tools
If you’re looking to dive into social listening without committing to expensive software, there are plenty of free social listening tools that offer excellent features at no cost. Below, we’ll explore some of the top free tools available, detailing their key features, advantages, disadvantages, and pricing.
1. Competitors App – Best Free Tool for Social Listening
Competitors App is a highly effective tool designed to help businesses monitor their competitors’ online activity. It tracks mentions in real time, providing detailed insights into how competitors are performing on social media. This can be invaluable for understanding industry trends, staying ahead of market changes, and identifying areas where your brand can improve.
- Key Features:
- Tracks competitor mentions across various platforms in real time.
- Analyzes competitors’ performance on social media.
- Provides daily reports on trending topics related to your industry.
- Advantages:
- User-friendly and simple to navigate.
- Comprehensive tracking of competitors’ social media activity.
- Free plan available, making it accessible to small businesses.
- Disadvantages:
- Free trial has limited features.
Price: Free plan available, with paid premium options for more advanced features.
How to Use Competitors App
1. Sign Up and Set Up Your Account
First, create an account on Competitors.app. You'll need to provide some basic information about your business and your competitors. The setup process is straightforward and user-friendly.
2. Add Your Competitors
Once your account is set up, add the competitors you want to analyze. You can usually do this by entering their website URLs. Competitors.app allows you to track multiple competitors, giving you a comprehensive view of your competitive landscape.
3. Navigate to the Activity Section
From the left sidebar, click on the "activity" section. This will take you to a page that shows all the data about your competitors, from paid ads, website changes, email marketing activities, social media activities to even their SEO performance.
4. Select Mentions
In the "Activity" page, select "mentions" from the navigation bar at the top.
This will show you all the mentions of you or your competitors on social media.
5. Filter by Date Range
You can also filter by specific date range, such as a specific week, month or even a day. This feature allows you to see yours or your competitors' mentions in a specific period of time.
6. Export Your Competitors' Activity
Competitors.app allows you to export your competitors' mentions into a CSV or PDF format so that you can share them with your colleagues or do further analysis on them.
2. Google Alerts
Google Alerts is one of the simplest and most accessible free social listening tools available. It allows you to monitor mentions of specific keywords across the web, including news sites, blogs, and other indexed content. While it doesn’t track social media platforms, it’s a valuable tool for keeping an eye on your brand or industry across the broader internet. Setting up Google Alerts is quick and easy, making it a popular choice for businesses that need a basic, no-cost monitoring solution.
- Key Features:
- Tracks mentions of selected keywords across websites, news outlets, and blogs.
- Sends email alerts when new content matches your chosen terms.
- Advantages:
- Completely free and easy to use.
- Provides coverage of a wide range of web mentions outside of social media.
- Disadvantages:
- Limited to Google’s web indexing, meaning it doesn’t track social media activity.
- No real-time tracking or sentiment analysis, offering less depth compared to dedicated social listening tools.
Price: Free.
3. Brand24
Brand24 is a popular social listening tool that offers a limited free plan for tracking brand mentions across social media, blogs, news sites, and forums. It provides real-time monitoring and in-depth insights into customer sentiment, helping businesses stay on top of their online reputation. While its paid plans offer more robust features, the free version still provides useful data for smaller brands or individuals.
- Key Features:
- Real-time tracking of brand mentions across social media, blogs, and forums.
- Sentiment analysis to gauge the tone of online conversations.
- Provides basic metrics like influence score and engagement.
- Advantages:
- Comprehensive tracking for multiple platforms, even in the free version.
- Sentiment analysis included in the free plan.
- Simple and intuitive interface for easy setup and monitoring.
- Disadvantages:
- Free version limits the number of mentions you can track and analyze.
- Advanced features, such as more in-depth reporting and analytics, are restricted to paid plans.
Price: Free version available; paid plans start at $49/month for more features and higher limits.
4. Mentionlytics
Mentionlytics is a versatile tool that tracks mentions across social media, blogs, forums, and news sites. The platform provides real-time monitoring and sentiment analysis, allowing businesses to understand how their brand is perceived online. The free trial offers a glimpse of its powerful features, but for full access, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan.
- Key Features:
- Monitors brand mentions across social media, blogs, forums, and websites.
- Provides sentiment analysis and competitor tracking.
- Real-time alerts and customizable reports.
- Advantages:
- Tracks mentions across multiple platforms in real-time.
- Offers sentiment analysis to gauge public opinion on your brand.
- Competitor tracking to analyze how you stack up against rivals.
- Disadvantages:
- Free trial is limited in duration and features.
- Export options and advanced reporting are restricted to paid plans.
Price: Free trial available; paid plans start at $39/month.
5. BuzzSumo
BuzzSumo is a well-known content discovery and social listening tool that helps track trending topics and the most shared content across the web. While its primary focus is on content marketing, it also serves as a powerful tool for monitoring brand mentions and identifying key influencers. The free version is limited but still provides value for brands looking to spot trends and analyze popular content.
- Key Features:
- Analyzes trending topics and most shared content across social media and websites.
- Identifies top influencers based on engagement with content.
- Provides basic content performance metrics like shares and backlinks.
- Advantages:
- Great for discovering popular content and identifying key influencers.
- Offers in-depth content analysis, even in the free plan.
- Intuitive interface, easy to set up and use.
- Disadvantages:
- Free plan offers limited searches and content reports per month.
- Full access to features requires a paid subscription for more detailed analysis.
Price: Free plan available with limited searches; paid plans start at $99/month.
6. Hootsuite
Hootsuite is primarily known for its social media management features, but it also offers basic social listening capabilities. With its free plan, you can manage multiple social accounts, schedule posts, and monitor brand mentions. It’s a solid option for small businesses or individuals who want to combine social media management with simple social listening in one platform.
- Key Features:
- Manages multiple social media accounts and schedules posts.
- Tracks brand mentions across social platforms.
- Customizable dashboards for monitoring conversations in real time.
- Advantages:
- Combines social media management with monitoring in one tool.
- Supports multiple platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
- Free plan available for limited use.
- Disadvantages:
- Free version has limited features and monitoring capabilities.
- Steeper learning curve compared to more straightforward listening tools.
Price: Free plan available; paid plans start at $99/month for expanded features.
7. Followerwonk
Followerwonk is a Twitter-specific tool designed to help businesses analyze their followers, track engagement, and search Twitter bios for specific keywords. While it focuses heavily on Twitter analytics, it also offers basic tracking of keywords and hashtags, making it a good social listening tool for brands with a strong Twitter presence.
- Key Features:
- Analyzes Twitter followers and engagement levels.
- Tracks keyword mentions and hashtags on Twitter.
- Allows searching of Twitter bios for specific keywords and users.
- Advantages:
- Provides in-depth analytics about Twitter followers.
- Free basic plan offers decent keyword tracking for small accounts.
- Useful for identifying influencers and potential collaborations on Twitter.
- Disadvantages:
- Limited to Twitter, with no support for other platforms.
- Free version has restricted access to advanced features.
Price: Free plan available; paid options start at $29/month for more detailed analytics.
8. Mention
Mention is a versatile social listening tool that offers real-time tracking across multiple social media platforms, blogs, and websites. It also includes sentiment analysis, competitor tracking, and customizable reports. While the free version is somewhat limited, it’s a great starting point for businesses wanting to monitor their online presence.
- Key Features:
- Real-time tracking of brand mentions across social media, blogs, and websites.
- Sentiment analysis to understand public opinion.
- Competitor tracking to compare your brand’s performance against others.
- Advantages:
- Cross-platform monitoring, covering multiple channels.
- Sentiment analysis included even in the free version.
- User-friendly interface with customizable reports.
- Disadvantages:
- The free plan is limited in terms of tracking volume and features.
- Full functionality requires upgrading to a paid plan.
Price: Free version available; paid plans start at $49/month.
9. Answer the Public
Answer the Public is a unique tool focused on keyword and search query insights. It analyzes what people are asking on search engines and presents those questions visually. While it’s not a traditional social listening tool, it’s excellent for understanding public interest and generating content ideas based on real user queries.
- Key Features:
- Analyzes search queries to identify frequently asked questions.
- Provides keyword insights to shape content and marketing strategies.
- Data presented in a visual, easy-to-understand format.
- Advantages:
- Great for generating content ideas based on actual user questions.
- Helps identify what your audience is curious about in your niche.
- Free plan available, offering keyword insights.
- Disadvantages:
- No real-time social media tracking or brand monitoring.
- Free plan limits the number of searches and data you can access.
Price: Free plan available; paid plans start at $9/month for more searches.
10. Google Trends
Google Trends is a free tool that tracks the popularity of search queries over time, making it useful for spotting trends and comparing keyword performance. Although it doesn’t track social media mentions, it’s an excellent tool for understanding what’s trending in your industry and how interest in certain topics evolves.
- Key Features:
- Tracks search trends and compares keyword performance over time.
- Provides insights into regional interest in specific topics.
- Allows comparison of up to five search terms simultaneously.
- Advantages:
- Completely free and easy to use.
- Excellent for identifying trending topics and spotting opportunities.
- Useful for tracking keyword performance over time.
- Disadvantages:
- Does not track social media or other online platforms.
- Limited to search engine data, lacking sentiment analysis.
Price: Free.
Social Listening Tools for Specific Platforms
Some social listening tools are specialized for individual platforms, offering deep insights tailored to a specific social media network. Here are two examples of tools designed for focused platform tracking:
1. X (formerly Twitter) Advanced Search
X Advanced Search is a free tool built into X (formerly Twitter), offering powerful search capabilities that allow users to filter specific posts, mentions, and hashtags using various criteria. It’s ideal for brands looking to analyze conversations, track keywords, and dive deeper into discussions happening on X.
- Key Features:
- Search for specific posts, hashtags, and mentions using filters like date, location, and keywords.
- Offers advanced keyword tracking and engagement metrics such as likes and reposts.
- Enables brands to filter by specific user interactions for more targeted insights.
- Advantages:
- Completely free and part of the X platform.
- Customizable and detailed search for in-depth analysis of X conversations.
- Helps brands identify key trends and influential users.
- Disadvantages:
- Limited to X, no cross-platform functionality.
- Lacks automated monitoring or sentiment analysis found in dedicated social listening tools.
Price: Free.
2. Exolyt (For TikTok)
Exolyt is a tool designed specifically for tracking TikTok trends, mentions, and competitor activity. It allows businesses to monitor the performance of their TikTok videos, track trending hashtags, and analyze their competitors’ content strategies. For brands with a significant TikTok presence, Exolyt is one of the best tools for gaining insights into the fast-moving platform.
- Key Features:
- Tracks mentions, trending hashtags, and TikTok user activity.
- Provides in-depth analysis of TikTok video performance.
- Competitor tracking to compare content strategies.
- Advantages:
- Focused specifically on TikTok, providing unique insights into platform activity.
- Helps track trends and measure content effectiveness.
- Free version available, making it accessible for smaller brands.
- Disadvantages:
- Limited to TikTok, no support for other social media platforms.
- The free version offers basic features, with more advanced analytics restricted to paid plans.
Price: Free version available; paid plans start at €49/month.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. What is a social listening tool?
A social listening tool is software that tracks online mentions of specific keywords, such as brand names, products, competitors, or industry terms, across social media, blogs, forums, and other online channels. It helps brands monitor conversations, analyze sentiment, and stay informed about customer opinions in real time.
2. How is social listening different from social media monitoring?
While both involve tracking mentions, social media monitoring focuses on collecting data about mentions and engagement, like comments, shares, and likes. Social listening takes it a step further by analyzing the sentiment behind these mentions and using that information to make strategic decisions, improve products, and engage with customers.
3. Are free social listening tools as effective as paid ones?
Free social listening tools offer basic features, like tracking mentions and analyzing simple metrics. However, they often come with limitations, such as platform restrictions or data access. Paid tools usually provide more comprehensive analysis, real-time tracking, and advanced features like competitor analysis, sentiment tracking, and customizable reports.
4. Can I use social listening tools for competitor analysis?
Yes, social listening tools like Competitors App and others allow you to track your competitors' online mentions and analyze their audience engagement. This can give you valuable insights into your competitors' strategies, their customer sentiment, and trending topics in your industry.
5. How do I choose the right social listening tool for my needs?
To choose the right tool, consider your brand's specific needs:
- Platforms: Make sure the tool supports the social platforms where your audience is most active.
- Features: Look for features like sentiment analysis, real-time tracking, and influencer identification.
- Budget: Free tools are a great start, but if you need more advanced insights, consider a paid tool with more robust capabilities.
