15 social listening global skill

Social Listening & Monitoring (Global)

Listen before you speak. Understand what customers are saying, how they feel, and where the market is headed — before competitors do.

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Information Gathering

Ask up to 4 questions:

1. Brand / product? Brand name, primary product names, founder name (if personal brand).
2. Main competitors? List 2–3 direct competitors to monitor.
3. Current concern? Bad reviews? Trend tracking? Competitor watch?
4. Most important channels? Twitter/X, Reddit, TikTok, Instagram, Google Reviews, all of the above?

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Framework: Listen → Analyze → Report → Act

LISTEN    — Collect mentions, comments, reviews, related posts
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ANALYZE   — Classify sentiment, identify trends, detect anomalies
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REPORT    — Aggregate into weekly/monthly reports with clear insight
    |
ACT       — Respond, adjust strategy, manage crises

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Channels to Monitor (Global)

Channel List

Channel	Content type	How to monitor	Frequency
Twitter / X	Mentions, threads, retweets	Native search + saved searches + Tweetdeck	Daily
Reddit	Subreddit discussions, AMAs	Subreddit search + Reddit RSS	Daily
TikTok	Comments, duets, stitches, hashtags	Hashtag search + comments on brand videos	Daily
Instagram	Comments, mentions, story tags	Native notifications + hashtag search	Daily
Facebook Groups	Discussions, Q&As, reviews	Group keyword search	Daily
Facebook Pages	Comments, reviews, mentions	Page notifications + keyword search	Daily
YouTube	Video comments, review videos	Search brand + product names	2–3x/week
Google Reviews	Business reviews	Google Business Profile dashboard	Daily
Google Search	Articles, news	Google Alerts on brand keywords	Automated
Trustpilot / G2 / Capterra	Product/service reviews	Native dashboards + email alerts	Daily
Discord communities	Niche industry discussions	Server-by-server, manual	2x/week
LinkedIn	Posts, mentions (B2B)	LinkedIn search + saved searches	2x/week
Quora	Questions about brand/category	Topic follows + alerts	Weekly
Online press	News articles, PR	Google News Alerts	Automated
Amazon / Shopee / Etsy	Product reviews	Review tab on listings	2–3x/week

Keywords to Monitor

Keyword group	Examples
Brand name	"[Brand]", "[Brand] review", "[Brand] scam", "[Brand] worth it"
Product name	"[Product]", "[Product] price", "[Product] review"
Founder name	"[Founder]", "[Founder] who"
Competitors	"[Competitor 1]", "[Competitor 2]", "[Competitor] vs [Brand]"
Industry	"[Industry keyword]", "[Common industry pain]"
Negative phrases	"not good", "disappointed", "scam", "low quality", "false advertising"
Positive phrases	"amazing", "recommend", "best ever", "worth it", "loving it"

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Sentiment Analysis

Sentiment Scale

Level	Score	Description	Example
Very negative	1	Outrage, public callout, boycott calls	"Total scam, reporting them to FTC"
Negative	2	Disappointment, complaint, unfavorable comparison	"Tried it for 3 months, way worse than X"
Neutral	3	Asking info, comparison, on-the-fence	"Anyone tried [Brand]? Thoughts?"
Positive	4	Satisfied, recommends, praises	"Been using for 3 months, happy with it"
Very positive	5	Enthusiastic advocate, brand champion	"Best service ever, told all my friends"

Categorization by Topic

Topic	What to monitor	Meaning
Product / Quality	Reviews, comparisons, feedback	Product improvement
Service / Experience	Comments about staff, processes	Operations improvement
Pricing	Price comparisons, complaints	Pricing/communication adjustment
Marketing / Advertising	Reactions to content, ads	Creative improvement
Competitors	Comparisons, switching mentions	Opportunity or threat

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Crisis Detection

Early Warning Signals

Level	Signal	Threshold	Action
Green — Normal	Steady mentions, neutral/positive sentiment	<5 negative mentions/day	Standard monitoring
Yellow — Watch	Rising negative mentions, 1–2 high-engagement complaint posts	5–15 negative mentions/day OR 1 post >100 engagements	Increase monitoring frequency, prep response
Orange — Alert	Negative mentions spreading fast, press picking up	15–50 negative mentions/day OR press coverage	Activate response workflow, brief leadership
Red — Crisis	Viral negative, opposition hashtags, revenue impact	>50 negative mentions/day OR trending topic	Full crisis response activation

Crisis Response Workflow

Step 1 — Identify (within 1 hour)

Item	What to check
Origin	Which post/comment started it? Who posted?
Spread velocity	How many shares/comments? How fast is it growing?
Accuracy	Is the claim accurate? Is there evidence?
Impact	Who's affected? Customers, partners, employees?

Step 2 — Respond (within 2–4 hours)

Situation	Response approach
Valid complaint	Apologize + acknowledge + concrete fix + timeline
Misinformation	Official correction + evidence + calm tone
Trolls / defamation	Don't argue publicly + save evidence + report to platform
Major crisis	Press statement + founder video + continuous updates

Step 3 — Resolve (1–7 days)

Item	What to do
Direct resolution	Privately contact the complainant, resolve individually
Public update	Communicate progress on main channels
Lessons learned	Internal post-mortem, root cause, prevention plan
Post-crisis monitoring	Sentiment tracking 2 weeks after, measure brand impact

Step 4 — Recover (2–4 weeks)

Item	What to do
Recovery content	Boost positive social proof, testimonials, case studies
Positive PR	Articles about improvements, quality commitments
Engagement push	Increase community responsiveness, faster reply time
Effectiveness	Compare sentiment before — during — after crisis

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Niche Research — 20 hot topics in 7 days

Niche research, adapted for global channels.

Goal

Each week, surface the 20 hottest topics/trends in your niche to:

• Create timely content (don't lag competitors)
• Spot content opportunities first
• Know what customers are arguing/curious about

Research Workflow (30–45 min/week)

Step	Source	How	Time
1	Reddit (niche subreddits)	Sort by Top this week, scan high-engagement posts	10 min
2	TikTok Discover	Hashtag search, filter 7-day, review videos > 50K views	10 min
3	Google News	Search "[industry] news", filter past 7 days	5 min
4	Twitter / X (industry lists)	Saved lists of industry voices, scan top tweets	5 min
5	Industry forums / Discord	Active threads from past 7 days	5 min
6	KOL / Influencer feeds	Watch what 5–10 niche leaders posted this week	5 min

Output Format

# Niche Research — Week [X] ([DD/MM] – [DD/MM/YYYY])

| # | Topic / Trend | Source | Heat | Discussion focus | Content angle | Suggested post |
|---|---------------|--------|------|------------------|---------------|----------------|
| 1 | [Topic] | Reddit / TikTok / News | High/Med/Low | [Summary] | [Description] | [Idea] |
| 2 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| 20 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |

Rules

• 7-day window only — anything older drops out
• Verify post date before adding to the table
• Never invent links or stats — real data only
• If you can't find 20 — record the actual count, don't pad
• Prioritize topics with debate or high engagement — not just news
• Tip: pair with Content Matrix → take hot topics → fill matrix → timely content

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Trend Identification

Trend Types to Watch

Type	Description	Action
Rising topic	New industry topic gaining discussion	Create content early, claim first-mover
Viral format	Spreading content format (sound, POV, trend)	Adapt for brand within 24–48h
Seasonal	Recurring seasonal trends	Plan 2–4 weeks ahead
Competitor moves	New campaigns, new products, pricing changes	Analyze + strategic response
Industry sentiment	Shifts in overall industry feeling (e.g. trust loss, rising expectation)	Adjust tone, messaging

Detection Methods

Method	Tool	Frequency
Trending hashtags	TikTok Discover, Twitter Trends	Daily
High-engagement comments	Comments on industry / influencer posts	Daily
Google Trends	Filter by region (US, UK, EU, etc.)	2x/week
Industry reports	Reports from Gartner, McKinsey, Statista, eMarketer	Monthly
KOL / Influencer feeds	Top 5–10 niche voices	3x/week

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Competitive Monitoring

Competitor Tracking Template

Metric	[Competitor 1]	[Competitor 2]	[Your brand]
Followers (TikTok)	[X]	[X]	[X]
Followers (Instagram)	[X]	[X]	[X]
Followers (LinkedIn — B2B)	[X]	[X]	[X]
Posts per week	[X]	[X]	[X]
Primary content type	[Description]	[Description]	[Description]
Avg engagement rate	[X%]	[X%]	[X%]
Tone of voice	[Description]	[Description]	[Description]
Communicated USP	[Description]	[Description]	[Description]
Most recent campaign	[Description]	[Description]	[Description]

What to Watch on Competitors

Item	What to track	Why
New content	Posts, videos, stories	Learn effective formats, avoid duplication
Ads Library	Active ads (Meta Ads Library, TikTok Creative Center)	Understand strategy, creative, offers
Landing pages	Sales page, form, pricing	Benchmark conversion approach
Customer reviews	Reviews on Google, Trustpilot, FB	Find weak spots to target
Job postings	Open roles	Predict their direction
PR / Press	Articles, interviews	Read their comms strategy

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Brand Health Metrics

4 Core Metrics

Metric	Formula	Benchmark	Frequency
Share of Voice (SOV)	Brand mentions / Total industry mentions × 100%	>15% is strong	Monthly
Net Sentiment	(Positive - Negative) / Total mentions × 100%	>60% is good	Weekly
Response Rate	Mentions responded / Total mentions needing response × 100%	>80% is good	Weekly
Response Time	Avg time from mention to response	<2h good, <30 min excellent	Weekly

Detailed Benchmark

Metric	Poor	Average	Good	Excellent
SOV	<5%	5–15%	15–25%	>25%
Net Sentiment	<40%	40–60%	60–80%	>80%
Response Rate	<50%	50–70%	70–90%	>90%
Response Time	>24h	4–24h	1–4h	<1h

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Tools (Global)

Free

Tool	Channels	Use
Google Alerts	Web, news, blogs	Create alerts for brand + competitors, daily email
Meta Business Suite	Facebook, Instagram	Comments, mentions, messages — built-in
TikTok Studio	TikTok	Comment management, analytics
Google Trends	Google Search	Compare brand vs competitor keywords over time
Meta Ads Library	Facebook, Instagram	View competitor active ads
TikTok Creative Center	TikTok	Top ads, trending sounds, creative inspiration
Reddit search / RSS	Reddit	Subreddit-specific keyword tracking
Talkwalker Free Alerts	Web, social	Free brand mention alerts

Paid (when scaling)

Tool	Pricing	Strength
Brandwatch	Enterprise (custom)	Most powerful enterprise listening, AI sentiment
Sprout Social	From $249/mo	Listening + management + reporting in one
Mention	From $49/mo	SMB-friendly, real-time mentions across web + social
Brand24	From $79/mo	Multi-channel monitoring, automatic sentiment
Hootsuite Insights	From $99/mo	Listening + scheduling integration
Meltwater	Enterprise	PR + social listening + media intelligence
Talkwalker	Enterprise	Image recognition, AI-driven insights

Manual Workflow (small teams)

Daily (15–20 min):

1. Check Facebook Page + Instagram notifications (comments, mentions, reviews)
2. Check TikTok comments (latest 3 videos)
3. Search brand on Twitter/X (filter: past 24h)
4. Check Google Business Profile reviews

Weekly (30–45 min):

1. Search brand on TikTok, Reddit, Facebook Groups
2. Check Meta Ads Library for competitors
3. Read Google Alerts digest
4. Update competitor tracking sheet
5. Write weekly report

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Weekly Report

Template

# Social Listening Report — Week [X] ([Date] — [Date])

## Summary

| Metric | This week | Prior week | Change |
|--------|-----------|------------|--------|
| Total mentions | [X] | [X] | [+/- %] |
| Positive mentions | [X] | [X] | [+/- %] |
| Negative mentions | [X] | [X] | [+/- %] |
| Net Sentiment | [X%] | [X%] | [+/- %] |
| Response Rate | [X%] | [X%] | [+/- %] |
| Avg Response Time | [Xh] | [Xh] | [+/- h] |

## Top positive mentions

1. [Source + content summary + reach/engagement]
2. [Source + content summary + reach/engagement]
3. [Source + content summary + reach/engagement]

## Top negative mentions

1. [Source + summary + handled? + outcome]
2. [Source + summary + handled? + outcome]

## Notable competitor activity

- [Competitor 1]: [Notable activity this week]
- [Competitor 2]: [Notable activity this week]

## Trends this week

- [Trend 1]: [Description + brand opportunity]
- [Trend 2]: [Description + brand opportunity]

## Alerts

- [Level: Green/Yellow/Orange/Red] — [Situation description]

## Recommended actions

| # | Action | Priority | Owner | Deadline |
|---|--------|----------|-------|----------|
| 1 | [Description] | [High/Med/Low] | [Role] | [Date] |
| 2 | [Description] | [High/Med/Low] | [Role] | [Date] |

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Monthly Report

Template

# Social Listening Report — Month [X]/[YYYY]

## Executive summary

**3 most important insights:**
1. [Insight 1]
2. [Insight 2]
3. [Insight 3]

## Brand Health Dashboard

| Metric | This month | Prior month | Change | Target |
|--------|------------|-------------|--------|--------|
| Share of Voice | [X%] | [X%] | [+/- %] | [X%] |
| Net Sentiment | [X%] | [X%] | [+/- %] | >60% |
| Response Rate | [X%] | [X%] | [+/- %] | >80% |
| Avg Response Time | [Xh] | [Xh] | [+/- h] | <2h |
| Total mentions | [X] | [X] | [+/- %] | — |

## Sentiment by topic

| Topic | Positive | Neutral | Negative | Trend |
|-------|----------|---------|----------|-------|
| Product | [X%] | [X%] | [X%] | [Up/Down/Flat] |
| Service | [X%] | [X%] | [X%] | [Up/Down/Flat] |
| Pricing | [X%] | [X%] | [X%] | [Up/Down/Flat] |
| Marketing | [X%] | [X%] | [X%] | [Up/Down/Flat] |

## Competitor analysis

| Metric | [Brand] | [Competitor 1] | [Competitor 2] |
|--------|---------|----------------|----------------|
| SOV | [X%] | [X%] | [X%] |
| Net Sentiment | [X%] | [X%] | [X%] |
| Notable content | [Description] | [Description] | [Description] |
| Notable campaign | [Description] | [Description] | [Description] |

## Monthly trends

| Trend | Strength | Brand opportunity | Recommendation |
|-------|----------|-------------------|----------------|
| [Trend 1] | [Strong/Med/Weak] | [Description] | [Action] |
| [Trend 2] | [Strong/Med/Weak] | [Description] | [Action] |

## Crisis / Incidents (if any)

| Date | Incident | Severity | Handled | Outcome | Lesson |
|------|----------|----------|---------|---------|--------|
| [Date] | [Description] | [Green-Red] | [Description] | [Description] | [Description] |

## Next month actions

| # | Action | Priority | Owner | Deadline | Measure by |
|---|--------|----------|-------|----------|------------|
| 1 | [Description] | [High] | [Role] | [Date] | [Metric] |
| 2 | [Description] | [Med] | [Role] | [Date] | [Metric] |
| 3 | [Description] | [Low] | [Role] | [Date] | [Metric] |

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Skill Cross-references

• 08-competitor-research-global — deep competitor analysis (listening provides real-time data)
• 09-customer-insight-global — listening is the strongest qualitative source for insight
• 13-data-analysis-global — combine qualitative (sentiment) with quantitative (metrics)
• 07-marketing-report-global — brand health section in monthly reports
• 01-content-calendar-global — trends found in listening → fresh content ideas

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Quality Checklist

Initial Setup

• Complete keyword list (brand + product + competitors + industry)
• Google Alerts created for each keyword group
• Notifications enabled on Facebook Page, Instagram, TikTok Studio
• Competitor tracking sheet created
• Crisis response workflow documented and team briefed
• Daily listening owner assigned

Weekly

• Daily checks completed every day
• Negative mentions handled within 24h
• Weekly report sent to team/stakeholders
• Competitor sheet updated
• New trends logged with content ideas
• Niche research done — at least 10 topics/week
• Hot topics fed into Content Matrix or content calendar

Monthly

• Full monthly report with 4 brand health metrics
• Competitor comparison updated
• Monthly trends summarized
• Next-month actions assigned with owners and deadlines
• Keyword list reviewed — added/removed where needed