13 Top Social Media Tracking Tools: Features Breakdown (2022)
Social media tracking tools are a great way of staying updated about everything that concerns your brand, products, and competitors. If you have been struggling with choosing the right one, this article is here to help you find out more about the 13 top tools and understand which one suits best your needs.
You will find all the necessary information about tracking tools and their functionality, why, and how to use them. So, let’s get to work.
Disclaimer: The information below is accurate as of today 28/7/2022.
Table of Contents:
- What’s Social Media Tracking?
- 4 Reasons Why Brands Should Use a Social Media Tracking Tool
- 3 Simple Steps To Effective Social Media Tracking
- Tool #1: Mentionlytics
- Tool #2: Social Mention
- Tool #3: Hootsuite
- Tool #4: Buffer
- Tool #5: AgoraPulse
- Tool #6: Keyhole
- Tool #7: Sprout Social
- Tool #8: TalkWalker
- Tool #9: Zoho Social
- Tool #10: Falcon.io
- Tool #11: BuzzSumo
- Tool #12: Brandwatch
- Tool #13: Awario
What’s Social Media Tracking?
Social media tracking or social media analysis consists of determining and analyzing online conversations about a person, or a business. Brands manage this information collected from social media networks to better understand the sentiment and their customers’ way of thinking; a necessary process for any company, allowing them to improve their public and social media marketing efforts.
4 Reasons Why Brands Should Use a Social Media Tracking Tool
Using social media tracking tools is necessary for maintaining your brand’s online presence as you can make insightful decisions. People constantly talk about you and your brand, so being ahead of online conversations will benefit you.
Reason #1: Understand your audience
Social listening is the key to learning more about your customer, understanding their needs and preferences, and what they expect to see from your brand. Monitoring online conversations about you and your services is a great crisis management tool that helps you detect and resolve any potential problems and misunderstandings while keeping your audience satisfied and engaged.
Positive comments work as online recommendations. Users often tend to search online about a brand, its products, or services, so exposure to reviews and positive comments about your business will help you approach a potential audience. Of course, keeping your existing audience pleased is equally important. You need their feedback to improve your marketing strategy, provide appealing content tailored to their needs and therefore stand out from your competitors. Audience insights are the key to successfully managing your brand and its online presence.
Reason #2: Prevent crises
As mentioned above, crisis management is a must for businesses. Social listening allows you to track your audience’s sentiment in real-time and stay on top of every change, negativity, and disappointment related to your brand’s name and how it’s perceived online. So, using tracking tools allows you to check both positive and negative changes, as users usually share useful information about what they like, what they’re satisfied with, and the opposite. On that note, being aware of every sentiment change could help you avoid crises before they even happen and build a better strategy across all channels. Of course, that includes any PR disaster that may appear.
The sentiment is powerful when it comes to managing audience feedback and using it in a way that benefits you. Solving problems can be a piece of cake if you make sentiment analysis a priority. Social listening and tracking tools allow you to “make things right before they go wrong.”
Reason #3: Find influencers
Identifying opportunities for collaborations is another reason why you should be using a social media tracking tool. Analyzing online conversations helps you discover thought leaders and influencers in your industry and connect with them, as they can have a huge impact on how people feel. Supporting others can work for your benefit as in return they will support you back, it’s a two-way street. When you work with others you are exposed to their audience and gain visibility to a new potential followers base. Instead of trying to chime into a community out of a sudden, you will join an existing one by collaborating with people who already have an influential place in the main discussions of the group.
Social listening helps you find the right way to be part of an online community organically, in a way that is not perceived as salesy.
Reason #4: Improve your performance
Tracking tools help you point out what works and what doesn’t in your marketing strategy. Identifying any mistakes is a great way of figuring out what needs to be changed, different routes, and actions you can try and in general, stay up to date and not sink into old methods and techniques.
Targeting problematic points is the way to benchmark your performance, deliver better results, and evolve as a business. Your brand’s perception depends on brand management, on showing that you care about your brand voice, and of course that you are willing to try your best to stand out from your competition. Social media tracking tools assist in analyzing online performance with the right analytics and metrics derived from social data; performance and brand growth go hand in hand.
3 Simple Steps To Effective Social Media Tracking
1. Data Gathering
Finding and analyzing huge amounts of data on social media is a crucial step for an effective marketing strategy. Social media tracking requires the right information. Based on data derived from the social listening process, for example, keywords, such as your brand’s or your competitors’ names, serve as a reference point for finding social data. Of course, this process requires a lot of effort and time.
2. Data Analysis
Then follows data analysis. Large amounts of data may seem difficult to interpret at first
and that is why data needs to be assessed and transformed into useful information and statistics. Audience insights, brand monitoring, reputation management, and consumer segmentation are some examples of information that businesses receive when analyzing data.
3. Sentiment Analysis
Although sentiment analysis is not considered an integral part of social media tracking, it is still executed by the majority of social media professionals. The analysis is carried out over Natural Language Processing (NLP), which is the computerized practice of the human language, and generates results concerning the mindset, emotional state, and intended emotional communication of a person who engages in conversation about a specific brand. So, the use of social media tracking tools makes the process easier.
It’s time to discover the 13 top social media tracking tools.
1. Mentionlytics
Mentionlytics is one of the best social media monitoring tools allowing brands to track mentions, keywords, hashtags related to your brand, products, or services, competitors, and everything else that concerns you. The great thing about Mentionlytics is that it works both for the entire web as well as social media channels.
The tool allows you to track mentions, hashtags, and keywords in 24 languages, helping organizations to gather useful data and audience insights, alongside sentiment analysis. Agencies and individual marketers can discover influencers for collaborations, marketing leads, and general brand growth opportunities to empower their presence in the market and influencer marketing strategy. Protecting your brand’s image and reputation has never been easier.
With Mentionlytics you can monitor online conversations in real-time, track users’ review sites, answer your customers’ requests, and strengthen your crisis management response. But, the Social Intelligence Advisor is the feature that makes the tool stand out, which helps you collect social data and actionable insights. The AI characteristic gets you the most personalized suggestions and insights tailored to your needs, making sure your brand management game stays on top of your competition.
Keep in mind that the tool comes with a mobile app, so you can track and monitor your mentions on the go and stay updated at all times.
Mentionlytics features
- Social intelligence advisor (unique feature)
- Review Monitoring
- Share of Voice
- Customizable report builder
- Top mentioner’s report
- Boolean mentions search
- Social reach
- Full web monitoring
- Competitor monitoring
- Full analytics dashboard with graphs and detailed analysis
- Marketing leads or topics monitoring
- Publisher
- Labeling and assignment of mentions
- Mobile application
- Hootsuite Integration
- Slack Integration
Mentionlytics pricing
- Basic Plan ($49/ month)
- Essential Plan ($99/ month)
- Advanced Plan ($199/ month)
- Pro Plan ($299/ month)
- Agency Plan (starting at $450/ month)
- Enterprise Plan (starting at $950/month)
2. Social Mention
SocialMention is a social media search and analysis platform which combines content based on users’ preferences from all around the globe into one information flow. It’s a free tool that helps you with tracking and measuring what is being said in real-time about your brand, product, and everything else on social media accounts. Social Mention works for 100+ social networks.
The app offers search and analysis, daily alerts on social networks, and API. More specifically, Social Mention’s API allows developers to connect with the app’s website programmatically. The API offers a single flow of search data combined from numerous social media platforms. It’s built in a way that makes it feasible for anyone to approach and accommodate social data into other apps. Apart from social data, the tool provides access to trends; selecting trend data from several sources to offer actionable insights into everything mentioned on the web.
Social Mention features
- Social media monitoring
- Sentiment analysis
- Competitor analysis
- Brand management
Social Mention pricing
It’s a free social media tool.
3. Hootsuite
Hootsuite is another social media listening tool that falls under the social media management platform category. The tool helps brands in building a stronger online presence; that means stronger connections with their audience and approaching business leaders by incorporating social consistency.
The tool allows you to schedule your social media posts, for example on Facebook, Instagram, and many more, and at the same time monitor both organic and paid content, track what is being said online, and get customer insights to help with strategic decision-making. Don’t forget that you can find the best recommended days and times to post, for better audience engagement and website traffic.
Filtering results based on keywords or locations is another feature of Hootsuite which has an immediate impact on monitoring online conversations accordingly. The app is available in many languages to check what is happening around the globe in terms of content and social media marketing.
Hootsuite features
- Automated publishing
- Content management
- Social media channel management
- Social media scheduling
- Brand monitoring
- Customer engagement
- Team collaboration
- Reporting and analytics
Hootsuite pricing
- Professional Plan (€39/month)
- Team Plan (€109/month)
- Business Plan (€669/month)
- Enterprise Plan (custom solutions)
Tool #4: Buffer
Buffer is a social media toolkit helping brands build their audience base organically. The app offers marketing tools for both individuals and marketing teams.
With Buffer, you can plan, collaborate, and post content, analyze social media performance analytics, create reports, check out comments on social media, such as tweets, engage with your audience, and create real quick customizable landing pages. Finding the most important conversations, joining them immediately, and pleasing your audience by responding directly from a single dashboard through a team-shared inbox.
Buffer features
- Social Management
- Social Analytics
- Social Publishing
- Campaign Optimization
- Social Engagement
- Campaign Planning
- Content & Collaboration
Buffer pricing
- Essentials plan (starting at $5.00/per month)
- Team plan (starting at $10.00/per month)
- Agency plan (starting at $100.00/ per month)
Tool #5: AgoraPulse
AgoraPulse is a social media management tool that works on managing social media messages and at the same time helps with planning, posting, discovering influencers, monitoring social channels more specifically Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn, and creating reports.
The app comes with an inbox tool that is designed to help brands save time, manage requests as soon as possible, create and publish social media posts, and take advantage of tools for building a stronger team and way to collaborate. Easy-to-use software that makes sure nothing will be missing from your results.
AgoraPulse features
- Automated Publishing
- Brand Tracking
- Campaign Analytics
- Campaign Management
- Collaboration Tools
- Competitive Analysis
- Contact Management
- Content Management
- Conversion Tracking
- Customer Engagement
- Customer Segmentation
- Employee Advocacy
- Engagement Tracking
- Gamification
- Influencer Tracking
AgoraPulse pricing
- Pro plan (€79/month)
- Premium plan (€199/month)
- Enterprise plan (upon request)
Tool #6: Keyhole
Keyhole is a social scheduling tool that helps companies to track, assess, and evolve their social media impressions. The tool’s social listening, the capability to discover influencers, and analytics services assist brands to enhance their social media game, impacting both coworkers and clients. In addition, Keyhole’s dashboard is easy to use, creating and distributing reports immediately.
Keyhole’s influencers metrics help brands analyze those users who support and spread the word about hashtags. So, filtering influencers based on geo-location and equivalent keywords, and approaching them helps increase engagement and influencer ROI. It’s also possible to categorize influencers according to their exposure and engagement rankings.
A hashtag analytics tool provides brands with an understanding of online conversations and a better understanding of customers’ interests.
Keyhole features
- Reports & Dashboards
- Social Analytics
- Monitoring & Listening
- Data Management & Analysis
Keyhole pricing
- Basic Plan ($49/month)
- Plus Plan ($99/month)
- Professional Plan ($199/month)
- Enterprise Plan (custom pricing)
Tool #7: Sprout Social
Sprout Social is a social media management tool aiming to enhance its customers’ social media strategies by improving client relations, streamlining workflows, collaborating anytime, and transforming social data into actionable insights.
The tool is user-friendly and great for social media publishing, social listening, reviews, analytics tools, and more, accompanied by a high ROI and user adoption thanks to social media measuring. Users can find influencers and leads, understand and connect with their audience in real-time, discover trends, and create stronger social media campaigns.
With Sprout Social companies can approach wider audiences by planning, organizing, and scheduling content, using the app also allows you to make strategic decisions based on data analytics.
Sprout Social features
- Audience Targeting
- Automated Publishing
- Brand Tracking
- Calendar Management
- Campaign Analytics
- Campaign Management
- Collaboration Tools
- Communication Management
- Competitive Analysis
- Competitor Monitoring
- Configurable Alerts
- Contact Management
- Content Management
- Conversion Tracking
- Customer Engagement
Sprout Social pricing
- Standard Plan ($89/month)
- Professional Plan ($149/month)
- Advanced Plan ($249/month)
Tool #8: TalkWalker
Talkwalker is a Consumer Intelligence Acceleration software for companies to improve a brand’s impact and revenue.
The tool’s AI-powered software soaks up numerous customer indications to create a complete picture for the consumer; pointing out changes, and adjusting to them so that brands can have valuable time to evaluate strategies and form strategic decisions for their business. On that note, Talkwalker grants access to actionable consumer intelligence and real-time online media. With this tool, you can check out mentions of your brand, monitor events, and discover potential trends.
Talkwalker features
- Reports & Dashboards
- Social Analytics
- Platform Monitoring
- Monitoring & Listening
- Data Management & Analysis
Talkwalker pricing
- Basic Plan ($9,600/year)
- Corporate (upon request)
- Enterprise (upon request)
Tool #9: Zoho Social
Zoho Social is a social media management tool that assists with evolving and enhancing social media appearance. Scheduling posts, monitoring, creating customizable reports, and analyzing social media performance are some of the main features of Zoho Social.
With Zoho Social, you can preview your scheduled posts, reschedule, and manage your content, all from one screen. On that note, you can design listening columns to check reviews, mentions, and keywords to find trends, and take part in online conversations related to your market industry. Collaborate with your team on all socials, for example, you can discuss with teammates about reports, and engagement, and work in collaboration on drafts either by chatting, audio, or video calls. The tool helps brands uncover their followers’ origin, the content they prefer, and what is being said about them. Analyzing brand performance is a crucial feature.
Zoho Social feature
- Reports & Dashboards
- Social Analytics
- Content & Collaboration
- Monitoring & Listening
- Data Management & Analysis
Zoho Social pricing
- Standard plan (€10/month billed annually)
- Professional plan (€30/month billed annually)
- Premium plan (€40/month billed annually)
Tool #10: Falcon.io
Falcon.io is a social media monitoring platform, for driving engagement, posting, and analyzing analytics and data based on SEO strategies, enabling companies to hand over more personalized brand experiences.
The tool allows brands to track and manage online comments from users and communities. Analyzing positive and negative comments allows organizations to take action, check and compare their place in the market. Creating content and managing social media channels while empowering campaigns based on actionable data is a vital part of the app’s features. Brands can track their performance, find insights and have them gathered in one place.
Falcon.io Features
- Social Management
- Reports and Dashboards
- Social Analytics
- Monitoring and Listening
- Data Management and Analysis
Flacon.io Pricing
- Essentials Plan ($108 per seat/per month)
- Full Suite Plan (upon request)
Tool #11: BuzzSumo
BuzzSumo is a content marketing tool, specializing in searching for content and performance insights based on data from Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Reddit. The tool is great for content analysis, discovering influencers and trends, as well as setting social media notifications.
BuzzSumo aims to make it easier and simpler for businesses to uncover industry trends, understand their customers, and monitor their brand’s presence by gathering articles and social engagements and incorporating them into the search app. Meaning they get insights to create competitive and appealing content.
Data-driven research helps brands create top content that generates high engagement and impressions. With the software, you can also monitor your competitors’ actions, your brand’s mentions, and industry updates. Alerts make sure you don’t miss out on any important events and get lost through the social media avalanche.
BuzzSumo features
- Reports & Dashboards
- Social Analytics
- Results
- Monitoring & Listening
- Data Management & Analysis
BuzzSumo pricing
- Pro Plan ($99/month)
- Plus Plan ($179/month)
- Large Plan ($299/month)
- Enterprise Plan (upon request)
Tool #12: Brandwatch
Brandwatch is a social media monitoring platform that gives brands data access to many sources. Providing access to data apart from the typical demographics, analyzing sentiment and social media analytics are some of the main features of this tool.
Brandwatch Consumer Research gathers social media data to share information with brands and track sentiment and analyze their online presence. The app’s report analysis contains blogs, news websites, forums, and social media. Individuals can search for data using the search box, which includes text and images. Some of the major Brandwatch features are sentiment analysis, charting, categorization, and many more.
The tool is also useful for market research, analyzing trends, and preserving and monitoring a brand’s online presence and performance.
Brandwatch features
- Reports & Dashboards
- Social Analytics
- Platform Reporting
- Monitoring & Listening
- Data Management & Analysis
Brandwatch pricing
Brandwatch has not published pricing details.
Tool #13: Awario
Awario is a social media and web monitoring tool, with which you can track mentions, monitor your competitors’ actions, and discover influencers and growth opportunities while engaging with online audiences.
Source: Awario
With Awario you can use your brand’s name as a keyword, uncover online discussions, and join them in real-time. Promoting your products, services, or content on social networks, and the web is a way of approaching a potential audience and generating the WOM (word of mouth) strategy. Information is everywhere and it is necessary to sort it out to understand your audience better and improve your marketing campaigns.
Tracking and monitoring mentions, sentiment, and reach, and creating customizable reports are some of main Awario’s features. Tracking mentions, answering requests, analyzing positive and negative feedback, and at the same time discovering a potential audience and similar brands are some of the app’s benefits; turning prospects into leads.
Awario features
- Social Measurement
- Influencer Identification
- Brand monitoring
- Sentiment Analysis
- Social Reporting
- Social listening
- Social selling
Awario pricing
- Starter Plan ($39/month)
- Pro Plan ($119/month)
- Enterprise Plan ($399/month)
Originally posted on Mentionlytics: https://www.mentionlytics.com/blog/social-media-tracking-tools