Social Media Listening Software: Best Choices for Brands in 2025

Discover what social media listening software really offers in 2025. Learn how top tools track sentiment, trends, and influencers—and see how Phyllo’s APIs deliver deeper, real-time insights.
https://www.getphyllo.com/post/social-media-listening-software-sl

1. October 3, 2025
Social Media Listening Software:
Best Choices for Brands in 2025
Social media listening has become a critical strategy for brands navigating today’s digital
landscape. Unlike monitoring, listening digs into broader conversations, sentiment, and
influencer impact to drive smarter decisions. This guide explores how the best tools of
2025 work, highlights success stories, and shows how Phyllo helps brands unlock
unified, real-time intelligence.
In today’s digitally-driven business landscape, brands cannot afford to be passive
players on social media. The landscape is vast and dynamic, with millions of
conversations happening every second globally. The true power lies in the ability to
listen—and listen deeply—to these real-time streams of customer opinions,
competitor moves, and market trends. Social media listening software has become
the ultimate toolkit for brands aiming to thrive by understanding and responding toContact Us
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2. their audiences effectively. This expanded guide takes an in-depth look at what
social media listening software offers, profiles the best tools of 2025, highlights
trends and real-world success stories, and showcases the innovating capabilities
of Phyllo’s product suite.
What is Social Media Listening Software?
Social media listening software is a sophisticated solution built to continuously
monitor and interpret online conversations about a brand, industry, or topic across
social networks, forums, blogs, news, and review sites. It does far more than
simple monitoring—which tracks direct mentions and hashtags—by capturing
indirect or implied mentions, analyzing sentiment, detecting emerging trends, and
identifying key influencers.
How Listening Software Works
Data Collection: Using APIs and web scraping, software aggregates real-time
data across dozens of social platforms, blogs, forums, and news outlets.
Natural Language Processing (NLP): AI-powered engines analyze posts to
identify sentiment type (positive/negative/neutral) and underlying emotions
such as joy, anger, or confusion.
Trend Analysis: Detect trending topics, hashtags, and viral content patterns to
help brands stay ahead culturally and competitively.
Influencer Analytics: Assess the reach, credibility, and audience alignment of
key social voices driving conversations.
Customizable Reporting: Dynamic dashboards and alert systems provide
tailored insights and early warnings to support proactive strategies.
The ability to synthesize qualitative and quantitative data unlocks a richer, more
actionable understanding of audience behavior and public perception.
Read more:
The Benefits of Social Media Monitoring with Social Intelligence
20 Types of Red Flag Behavior Found on Social Media Background Checks
How to Integrate Social Media APIs for Complete Influencer Risk Profiles

3. The Strategic Importance of Social Media
Monitoring Tools in 2025
Why do brands invest heavily in social media monitoring and listening software?
Consider the marketing environment today:
Hyper-Digital Consumer: Audiences are vocal and connected, freely sharing
product experiences and opinions across numerous channels.
Rapidly Changing Sentiment: Brand perception can change overnight,
impacted by viral trends, crises, or influencer endorsements.
Multi-Channel Engagement: Customers jump fluidly between Facebook,
Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, forums, and video platforms.
Data-Driven Decisions: Brands must align messaging, campaigns, and product
development tightly to consumer pulse.
Benefits of Social Media Monitoring Tools
Protect & Enhance Brand Reputation: Spot risks or emerging issues early and
respond swiftly.
Elevate Customer Experience: Address feedback, complaints, and questions in
real time.
Inform Marketing & Product Strategy: Leverage insights on customer
preferences and competitor strategies.
Measure Campaign Performance: Track engagement metrics and public
sentiment to optimize investments.
Scouting Influencers & Advocates: Identify brand champions and key opinion
leaders to amplify reach.
These platforms increasingly incorporate social media analytics features—tracking
impressions, engagement rates, conversions, and more—to close the loop
between listening and marketing action.
Market Trends: How Social Media Listening
Evolved to 2026

4. Social media listening tools have dramatically evolved, embracing cutting-edge
technologies:
AI & Machine Learning
The most advanced platforms today use AI and machine learning for deeper
sentiment analysis and context understanding. This includes detecting sarcasm,
slang, and cultural nuances in conversations.
Expanded Channel Coverage
Listening extends beyond text to encompass video captions, images, podcasts,
and newer social apps.
Predictive Insights
Modern tools go beyond descriptive analytics to forecast emerging conversation
trends, enable brands to anticipate consumer behavior shifts.
Integration & Automation
Seamless integration with marketing automation, CRM, and analytics platforms
allows businesses to embed social insights into workflows.
The Best Social Media Listening Software for
Brands in 2025
Below is an expanded and detailed list of notable social media listening software
platforms tailored for a range of business sizes and aims:
Tool Best For Price Range
Platform
Support
Unique
Feature
Awario
SMEs,
Agencies
$29–
$299/month
Social, Web,
Reddit
Complex
Boolean
search, Lead
generation

5. Tool Best For Price Range
Platform
Support
Unique
Feature
Brandwatch
Enterprise,
Agencies
$800+/month
Social, News,
Images
AI-based Visual
recognition,
Deep analytics
Talkwalker
Enterprise,
Global
$9600+/year
Social,
Broadcast
media
Virality Map,
Multilingual
Sentiment
Mention
Individuals,
Startups
Free,
$29+/month
Social, Blogs,
News
Social & Web
Monitoring,
Scheduling
Agorapulse
Agencies,
SMBs
€99–
€499/month
Social
One-inbox
management,
Team
workflows
Keyhole
Marketers,
Campaigns
$199–
$999+/month
Social, Blogs,
News
Hashtag
analytics,
Predictive
trends
Sprout Social
Teams,
Agencies
$99–
$249/month
Social,
Collaboration
AI-driven
insights, Smart
Inbox
Buffer
Individuals,
SMBs
$15–
$99/month
Social
Publishing
workflow,
Simple
reporting
Meltwater Enterprise, PR Custom pricing
Social, News,
Reviews
Broad media
monitoring,
Influencer
identification
Phyllo
Developers,
Brands
Custom pricing Social APIs
Unified real-
time API,
Advanced
influencer

6. Tool Best For Price Range
Platform
Support
Unique
Feature
vetting
Detailed Feature Insights
Awario
Awario offers small and medium businesses access to powerful Boolean search
capabilities. Its real-time alerts and lead generation functionality help nimble
brands capture emerging opportunities quickly.
Brandwatch
Built for enterprise needs, Brandwatch combines vast data coverage with
advanced AI. Its visual recognition detects logo appearances in images/videos,
while in-depth market segmentation delivers nuanced intelligence.
Talkwalker
Integrating social media and broadcast monitoring, Talkwalker’s AI tools sift
through diverse data streams and languages. Its Virality Map helps identify
breaking trends and influential voices globally.
Mention
This tool bridges social and web monitoring while integrating content scheduling
for streamlined brand messaging. The freemium option makes it popular for
startups.
Agorapulse
Popular with agencies, Agorapulse’s unified inbox and task assignment features
support collaborative teams managing multiple clients and accounts effectively.
Keyhole
Keyhole’s focus on hashtags and predictive analytics is handy for campaign
planners wanting to anticipate and capitalize on trending discussions.

7. Understanding the features and pricing of top platforms is vital, but seeing these
solutions in action reveals their true business value. Let’s explore some real-world
case studies where brands used social media listening software to drive
remarkable outcomes.
Real-World Case Studies: How Social Media
Listening Drives Business Success
To fully grasp the transformative impact of social media listening software, it’s
helpful to look at real-world applications where brands have leveraged social
listening to achieve remarkable outcomes. These case studies highlight best
practices and tangible benefits across industries.
Case Study 1: Samsung’s Viral TikTok
Success with Social Listening
Background:
Samsung, a global consumer electronics giant, turned to social media listening to
proactively engage with rapidly evolving digital trends, especially among Gen Z
and Millennial audiences on emerging platforms like TikTok.
Action:
Using advanced social media listening software with AI-powered trend detection
capabilities, Samsung monitored global conversations around its products in real
time. When a TikTok sound “washing machine jingle” unexpectedly started
trending, Samsung’s marketing team immediately spotted the viral momentum
through their listening dashboards.
They quickly launched a campaign featuring popular TikTok creators using the
sound while showcasing Samsung’s washers and dryers, turning the organic trend
into a full-fledged marketing success. This real-time agility wouldn’t have been
possible without the rich insights and alerting capabilities of social media listening
tools.
Outcome:

8. Engagement rates on TikTok increased by over 250%.
The campaign generated millions of organic impressions, substantially
increasing brand visibility among younger demographics.
Samsung gained a competitive edge on other home appliance brands by
aligning content with viral, culturally relevant trends early on.
Case Study 2: Fashion Retailer Uses Listening
to Spot and Capitalize on Micro-Trends
Background:
A mid-size fashion retailer wanted to sharpen its product development and
marketing strategies by understanding fast-changing customer preferences across
online communities and social platforms.
Action:
By employing a social media monitoring tool capable of analyzing sentiment,
hashtags, and influencer content around fashion subcultures, the retailer identified
an emerging trend around “eco-conscious accessories” within niche forums and
Instagram circles.
They adapted the product line to incorporate sustainable materials and partnered
with micro-influencers popular in ethical fashion. Listening data provided
recommendations on colors, styles, and messaging preferences most resonant
with their target audience.
Outcome:
New sustainable products sold out within the first quarter of launch.
Social engagement increased by 40%, with positive sentiment rising across
platforms.
The retailer enhanced brand loyalty by aligning with consumer values
authentically, securing its competitive positioning.

9. Case Study 3: Airlines Managing Customer
Sentiment During Service Disruptions
Background:
An international airline faced challenges managing customer sentiment during
sudden weather disruptions affecting flights globally.
Action:
Leveraging comprehensive social media listening and sentiment analysis software,
the airline monitored real-time complaints, questions, and praise on Twitter,
Facebook, and travel forums.
The social media team used listening dashboards to segment issues by location
and sentiment severity, enabling rapid responses and focused customer service
interventions. They proactively communicated delays and resolutions through
social posts and direct outreach informed by social listening insights.
Outcome:
Response time to customer complaints decreased by 60%, improving public
perception.
Negative sentiment during disruptions dropped by 25% compared to previous
similar events without listening tools.
Passenger satisfaction scores improved as real-time engagement helped
reduce frustration and misinformation.
Case Study 4: B2B Technology Firm
Strengthens Competitive Intelligence
Background:
A B2B technology company sought to outmaneuver competitors in a saturated
market by gaining deeper competitor and industry intelligence from social media

10. conversations and thought leader discourse.
Action:
Using enterprise social listening software, the company tracked hashtags,
competitor mentions, and sentiment related to product launches, pricing changes,
and industry events. They identified gaps in competitor offerings and customer
pain points discussed frequently online.
This intelligence informed their product roadmap and positioning strategy, helping
the company refine messaging and accelerate the development of features
customers demanded.
Outcome:
Increased market share by entering underserved niches revealed through
listening insights.
Improved marketing campaigns based on competitor weaknesses and customer
needs.
Strengthened customer acquisition with messaging that directly addressed pain
points surfaced via social data.
Case Study 5: Food & Beverage Brand Boosts
Product Launch Success with Influencer
Vetting
Background:
A well-known food and beverage brand planned to launch a new product line
focused on health-conscious consumers. They wanted to ensure influencer
partners were authentic and aligned with brand values.
Action:
The brand adopted Phyllo’s social screening and influencer vetting solution to
assess prospective influencers’ audience authenticity, content relevance, and
compliance. This eliminated risks of fake followers or reputation misalignments that

11. might reduce campaign effectiveness.
The vetted influencers created content that generated genuine engagement and
authentic conversations, amplified by social listening insights on what resonated
most with audiences.
Outcome:
Campaign engagement rates exceeded targets by 30%.
Negative brand safety incidents were avoided, securing trust internally and
externally.
Boosted awareness and sales of the new product line in targeted
demographics.
Key Takeaways from These Case Studies
Real-time Trend Detection Enables Agility: Brands that quickly spot and
respond to viral trends capture incremental market share and buzz.
Deep Customer Insights Guide Product Innovation: Listening to authentic
customer feedback informs more successful product decisions.
Proactive Crisis and Sentiment Management Builds Trust: Rapid response to
issues limits negative fallout.
Competitor and Market Intelligence Opens Strategic Opportunities: Social
listening uncovers gaps and unmet needs.
Rigorous Influencer Vetting Safeguards Campaign Success: Authenticity and
compliance ensure long-term marketing ROI.
These cases reinforce how strategic use of social media listening software is no
longer a luxury, but a critical success factor for brands striving to lead in their
markets.
Read more:
Finance Influencers on LinkedIn: How to Vet Creators Before You Collaborate
Using APIs to Automate Content Upload on YouTube, Instagram & TikTok
How YouTube Analytics APIs Help Spot Fake Influencers Before Collaboration

12. How to Choose the Right Social Media
Listening Software
Selecting the right social media listening software requires understanding your
brand’s requirements and prioritizing features accordingly.
Key Considerations Include:
Comprehensive Channel Coverage: Choose a platform covering all social
channels and forums relevant to your audience.
Depth of Insights: Prioritize tools with advanced sentiment analysis, trend
forecasting, and influencer discovery.
Customization & Integration: Ensure flexible dashboards and APIs that fit your
internal systems and workflows.
Ease of Use: Look for intuitive interfaces to increase team adoption and
efficiency.
Pricing Across Scale: Assess whether pricing tiers align with data
consumption, team size, and business growth.
Support & Training: Strong customer support and onboarding resources
improve long-term success.
Lessons from industry leaders show extensive pilot testing and phased
implementation yield the best adoption.
How Phyllo is Elevating Social Media
Listening
Phyllo is notable for its API-first, developer-centric approach to social listening,
making comprehensive social intelligence easily accessible to brands and
marketers.
Phyllo Product Suite:
Social Listening API: Aggregate real-time data on topics, hashtags, sentiment,

13. and influencers from top social networks — YouTube, Instagram, TikTok,
Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn — through a single API.
Social Screening: Authenticate influencer profiles and social identities,
safeguarding campaigns and ensuring brand safety.
Social Media Intelligence: Real-time analytics combining audience behavior,
sentiment trends, and influencer impact.
Influencer Vetting for Brand Safety: Screen influencers to confirm audience
authenticity, brand fit, and regulatory compliance.
Why Phyllo Stands Out:
Powerful, flexible APIs tailor data integration to company-specific needs.
Broad platform coverage and up-to-date social signals.
Advanced risk mitigation with influencer vetting.
Developer-friendly design for high scalability.
Phyllo suits brands and agencies looking to embed rigorous social listening into
their software ecosystems without the limitations of off-the-shelf tools.
Success Stories: Social Media Listening in
Action
Social listening delivers tangible results across industries:
Technology: Samsung’s viral TikTok campaign insight helped them mobilize
influencer partnerships rapidly, resulting in major engagement upticks.
Retail: Fashion brands use listening to spot micro-trends and adjust inventory
and messaging.
Travel and Aviation: Airlines monitor sentiment about service disruptions in real
time and manage customer expectations more effectively.
Data shows businesses integrating listening tools report faster decision-making
and stronger customer trust, directly impacting revenue growth.

14. FAQs:
1. What is the difference between social
media listening software and monitoring
tools?
Monitoring focuses on direct mentions and tags; listening captures broader
conversations, sentiment, and trends for richer insights.
2. How does social media analytics
complement listening?
Analytics quantifies engagement and conversion metrics, while listening adds
contextual understanding of sentiments and trends.
3. Can startups and SMEs benefit from social
listening?
Yes, many vendors offer tiered pricing and scalable features ideal for smaller
brands to gain competitive digital intelligence.
4. How important is influencer tracking?
Tracking influencers helps brands identify and leverage key voices shaping
conversations for outreach and risk management.
5. Why are real-time alerts critical?
They enable brands to respond immediately to trends, crises, or customer needs,
protecting reputation and optimizing engagement.
6. What makes Phyllo unique in social
listening?

15. Phyllo offers developer-first APIs, unified data streams from multiple platforms, and
comprehensive influencer vetting to secure and enhance brand strategies.
Investing in advanced social media listening software is no longer optional but
essential for brands wanting to thrive amid a deluge of online conversations.
Armed with the right tools and data-driven insights, companies can build authentic
connections, safeguard reputation, and outpace competitors in 2025 and beyond.
Explore the future of social listening with Phyllo’s innovative product suite:
Social Listening API
Social Screening
Social Media Intelligence
Influencer Vetting for Brand Safety
Shubham Tiwari

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