Social listening tools have become a non-negotiable for businesses aiming to stay ahead of the competition. By utilizing social listening tools, companies can tap into these conversations, gain valuable insights, and make data-driven decisions to improve their marketing strategies.
What precisely social listening tools are?
Social listening refers to monitoring and analyzing digital conversations about a brand, product, or industry online. It involves collecting data from social media, blogs, forums, and news sites to gain insights into customer sentiment, preferences, and trends.
In 2025, the best social listening tools will be needed to analyze audience interaction. This blog will explore the top tools available in 2025, their key features, and how they can benefit your business.
Key Features in Social Listening Tools
When searching for the best social listening tools, several key features must be considered. These features ensure that you get the most value from your chosen tool.
Top Social Listening Tools for 2025
Further, let’s explore some of the best social listening tools available in 2025. While many of these tools offer paid plans with advanced features, some also provide free social listening features:
1. SocialBu
SocialBu is a social media management tool that includes basic social listening features. It offers an affordable solution for small businesses looking to manage their social media presence and track brand mentions. Indeed, SocialBu is the best social listening tool for LinkedIn.
Key features
Here are the key features of this social listening tool free:
- Social media scheduling and analytics: Schedule posts and analyze performance to optimize social media strategies.
- Unified dashboard for social media management: Manage all social platforms seamlessly from a single, intuitive interface.
- Social listening capabilities: Monitor brand mentions and trends to stay engaged with your audience.
- Multi-account management: Handle multiple accounts effortlessly with streamlined tools.
- Track performance of posts and hashtags: Gain insights into post engagement and hashtag effectiveness for better campaigns.
Pricing
- Starts at $19/month.
- Offers a free plan as well.
Best for
Small businesses and entrepreneurs seek an affordable social media management tool with basic listening features.
2. Brandwatch
Brandwatch is a powerful social listening tool example known for its comprehensive analytics capabilities. It offers deep insights into consumer trends and brand perception across various online platforms.
Key features
- Advanced AI-powered analytics: Offers advanced AI-powered analytics for actionable insights, making it the best social listening tool for 2025.
Real-time data collection from over 100 million sources: Brandwatch allows you to instantly explore free and premium social listening tools to monitor trends.
Custom dashboards and reporting: Tailor views with examples of top social listening tools for smarter decisions.
Pricing
- Custom pricing based on needs.
- There is no free plan, but it offers a free demo.
Best for
Large enterprises and agencies that requires in-depth analytics and customization.
3. Sprout Social
Sprout Social combines social media management with robust listening features. Its user-friendly interface allows users to track brand mentions, analyze sentiment, and manage social media campaigns.
Key features
- Comprehensive social media management suite: All-in-one platform for scheduling, monitoring, and engaging across social channels.
- Sentiment analysis and trend reporting: Analyze audience emotions and identify emerging trends to refine strategies.
Pricing
- Starts at $249/month per user.
- Offers a 30-day free trial.
Best for
Mid-sized businesses looking for an all-in-one social media solution.
4. Hootsuite Insights
As an extension of Hootsuite’s popular social media management platform, Hootsuite Insights offers advanced social listening capabilities. This Hootsuite social listening tool allows businesses to monitor conversations across multiple social networks and gain actionable insights.
Key features
- Real-time social listening across multiple platforms: Monitor conversations and trends instantly to stay ahead.
- Sentiment analysis in 50+ languages: Understand audience emotions globally with advanced linguistic insights.
- Integration with Hootsuite’s social media management tools: Seamlessly combine social listening with powerful management features.
Pricing
- Custom pricing for Insights.
- Hootsuite offers a limited free plan for essential social media management.
Best for
Businesses are already using Hootsuite for social media management.
5. Mention
Mention is a versatile tool that monitors brand mentions across social media, web, and news sources. It offers real-time alerts and competitive analysis to help businesses stay on top of their online presence.
Key features
- Real-Time Media Monitoring: Track brand mentions, keywords, and hashtags on social media, blogs, forums, and news sites in real time.
- Social Listening and Analysis: Monitor conversations about your brand, competitors, or industry to gain actionable insights.
- Sentiment Analysis: Evaluate the tone of online mentions to understand audience sentiment and improve strategies.
Pricing
- Starts at $49/month.
- Offers a free plan with limited features.
Best for
Small to medium-sized businesses looking for affordable social listening.
6. Talkwalker
Talkwalker is an enterprise-level social listening and analytics platform. It uses AI-powered technology to provide in-depth insights from various online sources, including images and videos.
Key features
- Real-Time Social Listening: Track conversations and mentions across social media, blogs, forums, and news platforms in real time.
- Sentiment Analysis: Understand audience sentiment with advanced AI-powered sentiment detection in multiple languages.
- Visual Recognition: Identify brand logos and visual content across images and videos online.
Pricing
- Custom pricing based on needed features.
- There is no free plan, but it offers a free demo.
Best for
Large enterprises that require comprehensive social listening and analytics.
7. Awario
Awario is a social listening tool focusing on real-time monitoring and precise search capabilities. It helps businesses track brand mentions, identify influencers, and analyze competitors on various online platforms.
Key Features
- Real-time monitoring across various platforms: Track brand mentions, hashtags, and keywords instantly across social media, news sites, blogs, and forums.
- Boolean search for precise results: Use advanced search filters and operators to refine and target your monitoring efforts.
- Influencer discovery: Identify key influencers relevant to your brand or industry and assess their impact and engagement levels.
Customizable dashboards: Create tailored views to track performance metrics and streamline data analysis.
Pricing
- Starts at $49/month.
- Offers a 14-day free trial.
Best For
Small to medium-sized businesses seeking affordable yet powerful social listening.
8. Keyhole
Keyhole is a social listening tool that simplifies business management. It tracks hashtags, keywords, and accounts across social media platforms. This tool is handy for businesses focusing on influencer marketing and campaign performance tracking.
Key features
- Real-time hashtag and keyword tracking: Monitor the performance and reach of specific hashtags and keywords as they happen.
- Influencer identification and management: Discover, evaluate, and collaborate with influencers to amplify your campaigns.
- Competitor analysis: Gain insights into competitors’ strategies and performance to stay competitive.
- Custom alerts for keywords and trends: Get notified instantly about relevant trends or mentions for proactive engagement.
Pricing
- Starts at $189/month.
- Offers a free trial.
Best for
Businesses focusing on influencer marketing and campaign tracking
Benefits of Using A Social Listening Tool
Social listening tools offer several benefits, and here are a few of them to consider:
Social Listening Tool vs. Social Monitoring
While the two sound the same, they have distinct and different features and benefits. Here you go with the details:
How to Use SocialBu for Social Listening in Your Marketing
SocialBu is a powerful social media management tool that can amp up your marketing strategy through effective social listening. By tracking your social media posts and performance metrics, SocialBu allows you to monitor;
- Audience engagement
- Brand sentiment
- Performance of content, keywords, and hashtags
- Competitor activity
This helps you gain valuable insights into what resonates with your audience and identify emerging trends.
SocialBu provides data to help you refine your content strategy, improve customer interactions, and ensure that your marketing efforts remain relevant and impactful. Its streamlined approach makes it an essential tool for any business looking to enhance its social media presence.
Final Words
Leveraging social listening tools can help you gain valuable insights, improve customer satisfaction, and stay ahead of the competition.
With the right social listening tool, you can turn data into actionable strategies that drive actual results. Remember to choose a tool that aligns with your business needs, budget, and goals.
Sign up for SocialBu today and discover how our affordable and user-friendly platform can help you track brand mentions and manage your social media presence in one place.
FAQs
1. What Is The Social Listening Tool?
A social listening tool is software or a platform that monitors and analyzes online conversations about a brand, product, or industry on various social media platforms, blogs, and news sites.
2. Which Social Listening Tool Is The Best?
The best social listening tool depends on business needs and goals. Popular options include SocialBu, Brandwatch, and Talkwalker, offering unique features and pricing plans.
3. Is There a Free Social Listening Tool?
Some social listening tools, such as Mention, Awario, and Keyhole, offer free plans or trials with limited features and data. SocialBu also offers a free plan with basic social listening capabilities.
4. Is SocialBu a Social Listening Tool?
SocialBu is a social media management tool with basic social listening features. It allows users to track brand mentions, analyze sentiment, and manage their social media presence in one place.
