Your audience and customers may interact actively with your brand, products, or services. But you may not be listening to what they say. The lack of attention may result in low engagement and conversion.

Social listening is integral to your business because it lets you tune into audience conversation across platforms. However, many undervalue its potential. But what’s social listening in marketing, and why is it essential to your small business?

This guide will address those queries, outline practical tips for maximizing social media listening, and provide the top social media listing tools.

What is Social Listening in Marketing?

Social listening, or social media listening, is a marketing strategy that lets you listen to your audience/customers’ online discussions about your business or related topics to gain valuable insights.

Attention to your followers’ conversations can help you predict market shifts and adjust your marketing strategy accordingly.

It gives you information about your audience’s needs and where they hang out the most. Moreover, note that social listening differs from social media monitoring. They may appear similar but vary in their functions.Please click the following link for a more detailed definition of social listening and the difference between social media monitoring.

Why Listen? The Value of Social Listening for Growth?

Many marketers and brands underestimate the value of listening to your audience on social media. Social listening can help you find leads, stay ahead of industry trends and competition, and drive business growth.

To run a thriving business, you must listen to your audience and know what they say about your product/service, or brand. You need to grasp how they feel about your offerings.

This social media strategy helps you understand their needs and preferences, which can help you create compelling content that speaks to your customers.

This undertaking makes social media listening a vital component of your online marketing strategy.

Social Listening Examples to Inspire Your Marketing Campaigns

The following examples highlight how companies and businesses use social listening to drive campaign success. They use this social media marketing strategy to boost consumer satisfaction and build a loyal customer base around their brand.

1. Australian Lamb

Intelligent marketers and brands use trending topics to drive results by engaging with the themes.

To do so, they use social listening to determine trends their target audiences and prospects are discussing across social platforms. This approach enables you to create marketing content that engages and connects with your readers.

A noteworthy example of such a brand is Australian Lamb, a platform that provides its readers with valuable recipes and cooking tips for making nutritious and tasty food.

The company saw an opportunity in social media discussions where users mentioned the “Generation gap” multiple times. 

They identified the discussion and joined in with a fun ad campaign that contains the generation gap and generational stereotypes. 

The content connects with viewers so much that it has gathered over 3.2 million views and 5,000 likes, increasing brand awareness and leads.

These outcomes indicate that gaining an edge over the competition involves listening to your audience to understand what connects with them. It helps you create content that fills their needs.

2. Google

Social listening’s sentiment analysis tools enables you to monitor and measure how your followers and target audiences feel about your business.

It helps brands understand customer opinions and thoughts about your products or services. Further, you can use this tool to find influencers and brand ambassadors for collaboration, and identify opportunities to improve customer service and user satisfaction..

Search engine giant, Google, is an inspiring example of top brands using social listening’s sentiment analysis to optimize its products and services.

Google study user remarks across social media to determine users’ problems such as spam content in SERPs. 

This finding moved the company to make a significant core update, introducing the’Google Search Spam Policy’ that took effect in May 2024.

Source

The core update and new spam policy allows Google bots to boost users’ search quality by displaying less spam content in search results.

3. Cava

The food brand is another excellent example of top brands driving business growth with social media listening.

Cava established a new location in West Loop, Chicago, generating much buzz with consumers applauding the food quality.

Source: X (Twitter)

Given the thrill, a first-time, satisfied customer tweeted that he was addicted to their food and requested the company to create a new store in his location.

Source: X (Twitter)

The company replied to the customer’s request, showing they actively listen. It demonstrates Cava’s dedication to attention to customers’ emotions and needs.

It also reveals how the brand snoops on social media conversations and uses consumers’ local choices to spark interest and increase user engagement.

Click the following link for more examples of social media listening from top businesses and organizations to stir your social listening campaign.

Social Listening Tips and Best Practices 

There are various techniques that you can use to implement social listening. Here are five practical social listening tips and best practices to use today.

1. Use the best social media listening tools

The best social listening tool offers keyword-tracking capabilities to help you create tracking systems to determine user sentiments and interaction trends.

While the focus is on social media sites, the best paid or free social listening tools can also activate email alerts for specified keywords and brand mentions. 

These software applications simplify workflow between multiple social media platforms, boost productivity, and attentively signal for mentions.

How to set up social listening using Keyhole

Here’s how:

• Set up a data collection process (monitoring streams) for your business name, competitor brand names, relevant industry keywords, and more.

Using a tool like Keyhole will help you start listening to your audience’s interactions. For example, you can use Keyhole’s social listening feature for TikTok to follow conversation trends on the platform.

The tool allows you to evaluate audience engagement through search terms and phrases to understand user sentiment about your product, service, or business.

2. Select critical phrases, search terms, and topics to track

Setting up social media listening campaigns may seem overwhelming. But it’s relatively simple to watch particular relevant topics and keywords and keep updating your preferences for vital outcomes.

This practice involves engaging with your followers practically and monitoring their conversations to gather valuable data and create impactful social media posts.

How to track these variables

Create a tracking system with a robust social listening tool to monitor industry topics, keywords, and mentions.

Once set up, track the following elements:

• Direct brand mentions: Business/company name, including name variations, quotes, common misspellings, etc. Also, monitor your offer, competitors’ product or service tags and their competitor mentions. Further, watch out for mentions of your name, employees, or competitors.
• Industry/niche keywords and phrases: Track keywords and phrases related to your niche and industry, such as common terminology and jargon. Monitor competitors’ names, products, and services to understand what people say about your competitors. Besides, look for discussions about common issues in your industry and mentions of potential flaws of competitors’ products or services.
• Customer feedback and sentiments: Pinpoint phrases like “love,” “hate,” “recommend,” or “suggest” to understand user sentiments. Also, watch out for complaints or praises about your products/services, and look into business directories and listing platforms to find reviews and customer feedback about your brand.
• Hashtags and keywords: Track relevant hashtags and keywords in social media posts and marketing campaigns. Also, look for specific slogans or taglines related to ongoing promotions around your niche.
• Emerging trends and topics: Use social listening tools to find relevant hashtags, phrases, and topics that suddenly gain traction. Besides, look into emerging competitors or new market entrants and use the data to fine-tune your marketing strategy for better results.

3. Analyze competitors’ marketing strategies

Analyzing competitors’ marketing strategies is an acceptable way to find robust marketing nuggets for your social listening campaigns.

They provide valuable knowledge of what works and what doesn’t. You will also find gaps that you can fill to drive significant results.

In other words, you will understand your competition’s strengths and weaknesses and use the details to optimize your campaigns. Social listening reveals the insights you need, giving you a competitive edge.

How to analyze competitors’ marketing strategies

Here’s a step-by-step method:

• Be attentive to social media conversations involving your competition using listening tools. Join in the discussions and sift through to glean invaluable information.
• Use social listening for competitor monitoring with the strategic intent to understand their customer engagement tactics better. This approach gives insights into their timing method and response duration for improving sales interaction channels.
• Use the best social listening tool to evaluate audience sentiment and compare how customers perceive your brand to competitors.

You will be able to make informed decisions based on the data collected. This article shows you how to use social listening to analyze your competitors.

4. Spot user pain points and gaps in products/services

While these tools can do the tasks mentioned above, you can also use social media listening to study conversations across social media sites to find the following:

• Audience reach
• Demographics
• Audience behavior and sentiments
• Popular marketing trends

The best listening tool will help you understand each audience segment and spot gaps in your product/services or industry. It will also assist you in discovering your audience’s struggles by listening to their discussions.

The information will help you rectify the issues and improve user satisfaction.

How to spot customers’ problems with social listening

• Track and study dialogues related to your niche and industry to find frequent issues your audience complains about.

For example, an audience member expressed confusion about disconnecting future activities in the screenshot below of an Instagram post.

Source

• Once you identify repeat queries, list the questions and carefully study them.
• Next, provide a helpful answer to address the queries

This technique lets you create content that drives engagement and boosts your marketing campaigns.

5. Use social listening to drive leads

Can you generate leads with social media listening? Yes, you can! By paying attention, you will encounter relevant accounts and profiles and invite them to participate in meaningful discussions.

Once you engage them in conversations, you can offer your skills and demonstrate your expertise by providing valuable tips to applicable topics or questions.

Then, you can offer your product or service where it’s fitting as the solution to their problems.

This hack helps you:

• Boost brand awareness
• Increase audience interaction
• Establish your business as a valuable resource for practical information
• Drive quality leads to your small business

How to generate leads using social listening

Here’s a step-by-step process:

1. Find and engage with appropriate social media posts with lots of comments.
2. Scan the comments to find questions participants are asking (such as “How to do XYZ)
3. Display your skills by providing helpful information through comments that answer those questions.
4. Present your offer as the solution.

How Does Social Listening Works?

Social listening eavesdrops or snoops into relevant social media conversations around your industry or company to understand the audience’s group and their choices.

This practice requires using social listening automation tools to:

• Track social media discussions to glean helpful information.
• Study audience interactions and brand mentions and segment them based on customers’ views
• Examine clients’ feedback to understand your brand image and customer perception.
• Watch sentiment trends in due course to identify shifts in customers’ attitudes.
• Evaluate competitors’ social media presence and audience reactions to gain strategic insights for better positioning.

The purpose is to track applicable social media conversations on various channels to determine followers’ sentiments about your product/service.

This technique allows you to respond effectively by creating marketing campaigns that positively impact their emotions.

5 Top Social Listening Platforms

You must listen to your audience and clients’ conversations to acquire valuable data to tailor your marketing campaigns effectively.

Here are some of the top social listening platforms in the industry:

1. Keyhole

The Keyhole social listening and reporting tool offers robust listening features for identifying existing and emerging trends. Keyhole listening tool also helps you find marketing opportunities to gain an edge over the competition.

Furthermore, the software allows you to monitor competitor mentions and audience discussions to understand your audience and their preferences better.

You can use Keyhole to increase audience sentiment about your business or products. This tactic helps you to understand what customers and your followers want, such as what topics or content types resonate with them.

Moreover, you can use the social listening platform to monitor and identify relevant influencers for your social media marketing campaigns.

2. Brandwatch

Brandwatch helps you understand and engage with your audience and customers across social media platforms. 

The platform enables you to maximize information that gives you an edge by gathering tons of data from relevant social media posts, user comments, and interactions.

You can search applicable keywords, segment and analyze them, and execute based on informed insights. The software also examines historical discussions from 2010 and provides real-time data with over 500 new conversations added daily.

This measure lets you discover trends and how they evolve, providing invaluable insights into your industry, popular topics, and audience priorities.

3. Exolyt

Exolyt listening tool allows you to research various TikTok content and topics to obtain insight into the posts and their target audience.

It helps you understand trends, consumer preferences, and their struggles. You can search for related hashtags and topics to gain more knowledge about your niche.

Exolyt also gives you comprehensive data on your TikTok audience sentiment and how they feel about your product, service, or brand.

You can use Exolyt to monitor distinct TikTok accounts, hashtags, and videos and gauge performance against your competitors. This step gives insights into who mentioned you or your business in their posts. You will also find valuable data about audience demographics, influencers, and relevant creators.

You will collect helpful real-time information to amplify your brand strategy and create marketing content that resonates and drives traction.

4. Later

Later software offers a solid social media listening feature that lets you find actionable information about what your audience and customers want.

You can use Later’s listening tool to find influencers on Instagram and TikTok for collaboration and execute social media campaigns that deliver results.

The tool provides information about the best-performing posts and brand mentions. Like its alternatives above, Later allows you to monitor brand mentions, understand audience sentiment, and jump on trends.

The sentiment analysis feature helps you evaluate your brand reputation on Instagram and TikTok and adapt your social media strategy for better outcomes.

5. Ipsos Synthesio

Ipsos Synthesio is a robust social listening (Social Intelligence Suite) tool that provides crucial insights that enable you to make informed business decisions.

Synthesio allows you to scan and analyze users’ social media data across platforms. You can quickly research your industry and track evolving trends, social mentions, audience behavior, and competitors’ strategies.

Reacting to these events immediately helps you identify growth opportunities. You will understand your audience’s sentiments, needs, and preferences well. Given the data you gathered, you can create impactful content that resonates.

If you’re working for clients, you can give your clients actionable information that shapes their business decisions. 

Furthermore, the tool lets you monitor various social media metrics, such as posts:

• Likes
• Views
• Shares
• Reposts
• Favorites
• Bookmarks
• Audience remarks

What to Look for When Choosing The Best Social Listening Tool

When assessing the top social listening tools for your needs, you must consider many core features and capabilities. Evaluating the vital factors will guarantee you pick a reliable platform that aligns with your business needs.

Here’s what you should look for:

• Compatibility & integrated insights: Your social listening tool must cover all the top social media platforms, allow you to monitor audience discussions as they happen, and provide actionable data in real-time.
• Robust filtering & segmentation: The social listening tool must be able to monitor designated keywords and phrases, including hashtags of your business and competition. It should also be capable of segmenting and filtering data to enable you to understand various audience categories.
• Practical sentiment analysis: A top listening tool should offer a reliable, trustworthy sentiment analysis feature that can quickly recognize and categorize positive, negative, or neutral mentions. It should understand how people talk to get the right feeling behind audience discussions.
• Track & identify trends: A robust social media listening tool should help you track and identify existing and emerging trends in your industry. These trends include hot topics and conversations, viral posts, and trending hashtags.  
• Solid competitor insights: The software must be able to contrast your business performance against competitors in engagement, mentions, and sentiment. It needs to be able to gauge your brand share of voice (online conversations) compared to the competition to determine your market presence.
• Custom dashboards & reporting: Does the listening software offer a customizable dashboard that displays essential metrics in an easy-to-understand format? It must provide an intuitive dashboard that lets you export reports in various formats, such as CSV or PDF.
• Influencer & content analysis: Your social listening tool should help you identify top influencers who talk about your product or service, business, and relevant topics. It must also be able to monitor content performance and find what types of content work and what’s not.

Wrap Up

The competition to get noticed on social media is intense. You should determine what your target audience, followers, and customers need to gain traction. Find out what they say about your brand offerings.

The most reliable way to do this is to activate social listening tools on multiple social media platforms to track applicable online discussions.

The right tool will monitor and listen to:

• Relevant conversations about your business and competition
• Content performance
• Brand mentions
• User sentiment

This social media marketing strategy helps you find top influencers for collaboration and other pinpoint growth opportunities. The information would help you make critical adjustments and improve your marketing strategy.

Author

Mos Clement is a B2B content writer and marketer. Since 2018, he’s worked with top SaaS and digital marketing brands, helping them rank in Google with SEO content and ghostwriting services. He’s worked with brands like Semrush, SocialPilot, Serpstat, NealSchaffer, and others. You can find him reading top industry blogs when he’s not writing!

The post Social Listening: Your Customers Are Talking. Are You Listening? appeared first on Keyhole.

What Is Social Listening?

Social listening involves browsing through social networks and seeing what people are saying about your brand, products, and services. Some customers use social media to lay out how your company can improve and what products they would like to see.

Social media posts with high engagement numbers indicate that plenty of your customers agree with what the social media post says. Businesses will also monitor how people respond to social media content about their products and services.

How to Optimize Your Social Listening Strategy

A better social listening strategy allows you to serve your customers more effectively, thus increasing conversion rates in the process. These five tactics can give you a competitive edge and make your company a top resource for customers.

1. Determine Which Keywords You Will Monitor

The first step for any social listening strategy is to consider which keywords you will monitor. Even if you already have some keywords, it’s good to assess additional options for your social listening strategy.

You may include your company’s name, product names, and other keywords that are related to your company. Influencers should include their names as the list of keywords they will monitor.

As you craft your list of keywords and phrases, it’s important to establish the goals of your social listening strategy. These are some of the objectives you can consider for your social listening efforts:

• Strengthening your brand’s reputation
• Being able to capitalize on profitable trends quickly
• Enhancing your customer support team

As you continue to refine your social listening strategy, you may discover that some keywords are no longer relevant. Social media managers may also have to adjust their social listening keywords to include new products.

2. Engage with Customers

People regularly use social media to talk about products and services that they have used. Some people talk about how a product helped them, while others complain about how the product or service did not meet their expectations.

A good social listening strategy allows businesses to find posts from these customers and respond to them quickly. Interacting with customers can provide a better experience and increase retention, regardless of their experience with the product.

A customer who enjoyed your product and talks about it on social media will like it a lot if you engage with their social media post. They will feel as if your company has acknowledged them as a customer. Furthermore, you’ll show up on their social media feed for an additional time. The more frequently your business shows up on a customer’s social media feed, the more inclined they may feel to become a returning customer.

Quick engagement also has its benefits when customers aren’t saying good things about your product or service. Someone on the social media team can respond to the customer and try to make the situation right. Offering immediate customer service, giving a refund, doing some troubleshooting, or presenting a discount code on their next purchase can lighten the mood.

Some customers will appreciate the gesture even if they didn’t have a good experience. Interacting with customers on social media turns good experiences into great ones. It can also turn bad experiences into not-as-bad customer experiences.

3. Analyze the Competition

Business owners and marketers can get plenty of good insights by paying attention to their customers and reading their social media posts. However, that’s not the only source of information that can lead to better business decisions.

Analyzing your competition will also bolster your social listening strategy. While listening to your customers allows you to focus on what your company can do better, analyzing the competition reveals their weaknesses. If a competitor regularly receives complaints about bad customer service, your company can invest more in customer support. Then, word may get out and you will win over some customers from your competitor.

Digital marketers can also see what competitors are doing right. While you don’t always want to copy the competition, you can incorporate some of their best ideas.

The Miracle on 34th Street highlights this concept. In the movie, Macy’s sales reps are trained to recommend Gimbels products if the product the customer wants isn’t in a Macy’s store. This business decision works well for Macy’s, and Gimbels decides to copy them after seeing the results. The company then trains Gimbels sales reps to recommend an appropriate Macy’s product if the product the customer wants isn’t in a Gimbels store.

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel, and with social media, it’s easier to see which wheels work the best. Agile businesses can quickly incorporate what’s working well for other companies into their strategy.

4. Know Which Social Networks to Prioritize

Businesses can establish themselves on numerous social networks, but some of those platforms are more valuable than others. The most important platforms for your company are the ones that have many of your regular customers.

For instance, LinkedIn is a top choice for many business professionals, and creating a good LinkedIn profile can result in plenty of new customers. However, you won’t see as many t-shirt companies shifting their focus toward LinkedIn. You don’t have to post on every social network, and you don’t need a social listening strategy for each platform.

Prioritize the platforms where you already invest the most time and resources. It’s better to focus most of your time on a platform where you post daily than a platform where you only post once per month. It’s okay to add and remove social networks from your social listening strategy based on changes in customer behavior and where your ideal customers spend their time online.

5. Review Your Metrics

It’s only possible to improve in something if you track it. Social listening offers many data points that can strengthen your business. You can see how often people mention your brand, plus the overall sentiment. Doing competitor analyses will also give you valuable insights.

However, metrics are only valuable if you act upon them. Making meaningful changes in your business based on what the majority of your customers say should lead to more sales. You can’t please everyone, but if many customers offer the same suggestion or have the same complaint, it’s probably something that you should address.

Social media management tools like Keyhole make it easy to review metrics and stay on top of your social listening strategy. You can book a free demo to see how Keyhole can enhance your social media strategy.

Author bio

Marc Guberti is a digital marketing freelance writer and Certified Personal Finance Counselor. He offers content marketing services for small businesses.

The post 5 Ways to Improve Your Social Listening Strategy appeared first on Keyhole.

For Keyhole users, this does not impact how we track and measure your performance. However, changes to TikTok usage will show up in your analytics: fewer mentions in Social Listening and lower engagement metrics in Profile Analytics as U.S.-based activity decreases on the platform.

Let’s break down what these changes mean and how you can navigate them effectively.

What’s happening with TikTok?

Here’s what we know for sure:

• TikTok will be removed from U.S. app stores. This is the first major step in the ban. New users won’t be able to download the app, and existing users won’t receive updates.
• TikTok updates will stop, making the app less reliable over time. Without bug fixes or new features, the app will likely work for now but will gradually degrade, leading to slower performance and potential glitches. As a result, fewer U.S.-based users will remain active, which will mean fewer posts and interactions on the platform.
• TikTok continues to operate in other regions. While U.S. access to TikTok is restricted, the platform remains active in other countries. If you have an international audience, you can still publish TikTok content and track performance in these markets using Keyhole.

Here’s what we don’t know yet:

• How quickly TikTok will stop working for existing users. The app may degrade gradually or become entirely unusable. It’s unclear how long existing users will retain access to its features.
• How long users will have access to their stored TikTok data. It’s uncertain if TikTok will fully disable access to stored data or how much time users will have to export their information.
• Whether VPNs will allow U.S.-based users to access TikTok. It’s unclear if VPNs or similar methods will provide a reliable way for U.S. users to continue using TikTok after restrictions are enforced.

What does this mean for Keyhole users?

Here’s what you are likely to see:

• In Social Listening, fewer mentions for tracked keywords will appear. This reflects the decline in U.S.-based TikTok activity and posts.
• In Profile Analytics, Keyhole will still track and report metrics. However, you’ll likely see declines in views, engagements, and comments as U.S. TikTok usage decreases over time.
• Your past data is secure. Everything you’ve already collected in Keyhole remains accessible. However, we recommend downloading your critical reports now, since we don’t yet know how TikTok changes might affect future access.
• Keyhole’s functionality is not impacted by the TikTok ban. If U.S.-based users view, comment, or engage with your TikTok posts, those interactions will still be captured accurately.Pull back the curtain on Canva’s social presence and you’ll find something fascinating. They’ve turned their feeds into daily proof of what their platform promises – that anyone can create something worth sharing.

What should you do now?

• Export your TikTok analytics. Download your TikTok analytics and performance reports. As Tiktok’s app’s functionality may degrade over time without updates, securing your historical data is essential. 
• Download every TikTok your brand has created. Your TikToks can be repurposed for other short-form platforms like Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts.
• Explore other platforms. This is a good time to expand your presence on other platforms. Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts aren’t just backup plans – they’re growing platforms where your audience might already be. 
• Focus on international. If you have a global audience, focus on regions where TikTok will continue operating normally. While U.S. operations may be affected, TikTok remains fully functional in other markets. Our analytics tools can help you track performance across these regions.

Common Questions

When exactly would changes start? 

The first change is TikTok’s removal from U.S. app stores. Existing users will still have access to the TikTok app initially, but without updates, the app will gradually become less stable, leading to performance issues over time.

Will I lose access to my historical TikTok data? 

No – everything you’ve already collected stays in your Keyhole account. We recommend downloading any critical reports for future reference.

Can I still track TikTok international performance? 

Yes. Keyhole will continue to track TikTok performance in all regions.

Looking Ahead

The TikTok restrictions bring uncertainty, but they also create a chance to refocus and strengthen your social media strategy. Backing up your data, transitioning your content, and exploring other platforms like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts will help you adapt and maintain momentum. 

Our support team is here to help with exporting your TikTok analytics, navigating these changes, and exploring new platforms. Click the chat icon to connect with us—we’re here to support you every step of the way.

The post TikTok U.S. Access: What It Means for Your Analytics appeared first on Keyhole.

Source: Pexels

Hashtags are the road signs of social media – they help users find relevant content, connect with topics they care about, and join trending conversations. 

For brands and content creators, they are a powerful tool for improving reach, boosting engagement, and gaining insights into audience interests and behaviors. But simply using relevant hashtags alone isn’t enough: you also have to track them to gauge your performance and understand the impact of your campaigns.

In this post, we’ll dive into the best free hashtag trackers available in 2025, with options that will give you real-time data, sentiment analysis, and audience insights – all without breaking the bank. While Keyhole will always be the leading platform for hashtag tracking, we’ll also explore a range of other tools to help you find the right fit.

Ready to find the tools that can help you track, analyze, and amplify your social media impact? Read on.

What Makes a Hashtag Tracker Essential for Social Media Strategy?

Key Features to Look For

Before diving into specific tools, it’s useful to know what separates a great hashtag tracker from an average one. The ideal tool should offer:

• Real-Time Tracking: In a fast-paced social environment, seeing results as they happen is essential. Real-time tracking lets you react quickly to viral trends or sudden audience feedback.
• Analytics: Basic engagement metrics like reach, impressions, and engagement rate are crucial to understanding how your hashtag is performing. Advanced tools go further, of course, offering analysis by demographics, location, and even competitors.
• Sentiment Analysis: This feature is incredibly useful because it breaks down whether your hashtag is generating positive, negative, or neutral reactions. It’s ideal for brand reputation monitoring.
• User Insights: Knowing who’s engaging with your hashtag is also important as this helps you identify potential brand ambassadors and influencers who can amplify your reach.

What’s important to understand here is that tracking hashtags goes beyond measuring individual campaigns. Namely, it allows you to understand the bigger picture: this includes which content themes resonate most, where your audience’s interests lie, and how effectively your brand voice aligns with these interests.

It also reveals your competition’s hashtag performance, providing valuable benchmarks. Some tools also provide a visual representation of hashtag insights. Miro’s diagramming templates, for example, offer an intuitive way to map out patterns in your data.

Top Hashtag Tracking Tools for 2025

1. Keyhole.co

Keyhole is one of the most comprehensive social media analytics platforms, providing precise hashtag tracking among a wealth of other metrics. There’s a reason so many brands across a wide variety of industries use it: it allows you to track hashtags, monitor brand mentions, and benchmark competitors, among other things.

Keyhole’s hashtag tracking also offers real-time data, engagement analytics, and of course, competitor comparisons. You can see detailed engagement metrics for each hashtag, including reach, impressions, and sentiment. Plus, it’s easy to spot top influencers (as well as micro influencers) and key users.

How to Use a Keyhole? To get the most from Keyhole, focus on tracking your primary brand hashtags alongside key competitors. Then, use the engagement analytics to identify high-performing hashtags, and pay attention to the sentiment analysis to fine-tune your messaging.

Why does Keyhole stand out? For its simplicity and depth. It’s particularly valuable for small businesses and content creators who need powerful analytics without a steep learning curve.

2. Hashtagify

Hashtagify is another popular tool for discovering trending hashtags and gaining insights into their popularity over time. It’s especially useful for exploring new hashtag ideas and understanding their relevance in real-time.

Its free features cover hashtag popularity, correlations, and identifying top influencers. It’s ideal if you want to track the broader social impact of hashtags and find related hashtags that might enhance your reach.

When to use Hashtagify? It’s ideal when you need to brainstorm hashtag ideas. Whether you’re planning a new campaign or looking to refresh your social strategy, this tool can help ensure your hashtags are relevant and effective.

3. RiteTag

Focused on hashtag relevance, RiteTag offers real-time insights into hashtag performance and suggestions for optimizing them. It’s especially useful for social media posts where you want to maximize reach instantly.

RiteTag’s free version offers hashtag suggestions with color-coded indicators for reach, engagement, and competition. You can also integrate it with your favorite social media platforms, making it easy to apply optimized hashtags on the fly.

This tool is ideal for real-time posting. Whether on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, you get immediate feedback on whether a hashtag is hot or overused, which can help you tailor your content for maximum impact.

4. Brand24

Brand24 is more than a hashtag tracker: this is a full-fledged social media monitoring tool with sentiment analysis. For brands focused on managing their reputation, it’s a great solution.

Brand24’s free hashtag tracking provides basic analytics and sentiment analysis, helping you gauge audience emotions around a specific topic. This makes it particularly useful for tracking brand mentions and gauging public sentiment.

Why is it one of the most useful tools for boosting social media presence? Simply put, because it allows you to track mentions and sentiment trends. So, for example, if you’re launching a campaign or addressing a sensitive issue, Brand24’s sentiment analysis can help you stay on top of audience reactions.

5. Social Searcher

Social Searcher is a social media monitoring tool that covers both hashtag and keyword tracking. It’s perfect for brands that want to monitor social mentions around specific topics or hashtags.

The free plan includes hashtag tracking, covering social mentions and user activity. It’s a handy way to keep track of conversations surrounding your brand and industry.

How to use it? Great for tracking the buzz around your hashtag, Social Searcher can help you better understand how people discuss your brand or industry.

6. TweetDeck (X Pro)

If Twitter (now X) is central to your social strategy, TweetDeck or X Pro or is a highly useful tool for tracking hashtag activity on the platform. It’s free, straightforward, and allows you to monitor multiple Twitter streams in real-time.

With real-time stream updates and custom hashtag monitoring, TweetDeck is ideal for Twitter-focused campaigns. It’s perfect for brands that use Twitter as a primary engagement platform.

We can recommend it or Twitter-specific strategies, but not if you need more than this. However, if you’re tracking a trending hashtag or monitoring brand mentions, this tool can help you stay engaged and responsive.

Choosing the Right Hashtag Tracker for Your Needs

When it comes to selecting the right tool, consider what’s most important to your brand. Are you focused on one specific platform, or are you aiming for cross-platform insights? Each tool here has unique strengths:

• Keyhole: Ideal for brands needing in-depth analytics across platforms.
• Hashtagify: Best for trend discovery.
• RiteTag: Offers real-time optimization for individual posts.
• Brand24: Excellent for sentiment analysis.
• Social Searcher: Provides versatile social conversation tracking.
• TweetDeck: Excels in Twitter-specific monitoring.

If you’re operating across several social platforms, think about how real-time tracking, historical data, and sentiment analysis fit into your strategy. For the most effective collaboration in implementing these insights, we recommend checking out JoinBlink’s guide to top intranet software providers, as it covers some of the best modern intranet solutions currently on the market.

How to Leverage Hashtag Insights for a Stronger Brand Presence

Using Data to Shape Brand Voice

Your hashtag tracking results reveal how different audiences respond to your brand. Use this data to adjust your messaging, tone, and content themes. So, for example, if your hashtags spark more engagement around certain topics, you can tailor your brand voice accordingly.

Evaluating Hashtag Trends Across Platforms

Cross-platform analysis also helps you adapt your strategy to different social networks. Track platform-specific trends to ensure your content stays relevant on each site. For instance, a hashtag may perform well on Instagram but fall flat on Twitter, so you can adjust your strategy accordingly for each channel.

Hashtags and Visual Elements: Complementing Strategy with QR Codes and Data Matrix

Including QR codes or data matrix codes in social posts is highly recommended as this adds another useful layer to your hashtag campaigns. How so? It’s rather simple, really: QR codes can direct users to your website, exclusive content, or even contests.

Data matrix codes can be integrated with hashtags to track campaign performance across diverse mediums. For instance, you could link a data matrix code to a behind-the-scenes campaign hashtag for exclusive content, encouraging more users to engage with and share your hashtag online.

What about brands with a physical presence? You can use QR codes as part of your social strategy to bridge the gap between offline and online engagement. For example, you can add a QR code to your event banners, product packaging, or print ads, leading users to a curated social feed showcasing posts with your branded hashtag.

Instagram’s Hashtag Update: No More Following Hashtags

On December 13, Instagram removed the option to follow hashtags. This was done in an attempt to counter hashtag spammers, or individuals who use irrelevant (but trending) tags to their posts in an attempt to get more reach. So now, there’s no option to follow specific hashtags to see related posts in your feed. But – and this is an important but – your posts can still appear on the Explore page, Reels, and in search results if you use relevant hashtags effectively and incorporate your keywords into your captions.

What does this mean for brands and content creators? That your hashtag strategy (for Instagram only) should now focus more on discoverability and less on gaining long-term visibility through followers. Because, remember, while users can no longer follow hashtags, they can still discover your content when searching specific hashtags.

In essence, you should prioritize using hashtags that are directly related to your niche and content, and combine a mix of popular, niche, and branded hashtags to increase your chances of being discovered.

Conclusion

Tracking hashtags can transform your social media strategy from guesswork into a data-driven powerhouse. With tools like Keyhole, Hashtagify, and Brand24, you have access to insights that show which hashtags drive engagement, how trends shift, and what your audience values. Each of the tools we’ve covered has unique benefits, and experimenting with a few will help you find the one that aligns with your brand goals.

Ready to amplify your reach? Start exploring Keyhole.co’s free hashtag tracking features to see how it can refine your social strategy in 2025.

Author Bio

Syed Balkhi is the founder of WPBeginner, the largest free WordPress resource site. With over 10 years of experience, he’s the leading WordPress expert in the industry. You can learn more about Syed and his portfolio of companies by following him on his social media networks.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the best free hashtag tracker for small businesses in 2025?

Keyhole is our top choice, of course, especially for small businesses, as it has an intuitive interface and comprehensive analytics. The free version offers real-time hashtag tracking, engagement metrics, and insights into competitor performance, making it ideal for those looking to enhance their social media strategies without a hefty investment. Another great option is Social Searcher: it’s a versatile tool for monitoring hashtags and tracking social media conversations. The free version allows you to analyze hashtag mentions across multiple platforms and gauge sentiment around your brand or campaign.

2. Can free hashtag trackers provide accurate data for campaign analysis?

Yes, many free tools deliver valuable insights, though they might have limitations compared to paid versions. Platforms like Hashtagify and Social Searcher offer reliable data on hashtag performance, popularity, and user activity, helping you assess the effectiveness of your campaigns. However, if you need in-depth or long-term data analysis, a paid upgrade might be worth considering.

3. Are free hashtag trackers suitable for multi-platform campaigns?

Most free hashtag trackers support data collection across multiple platforms, but their effectiveness varies. For example, tools like Keyhole and Brand24 are great for multi-platform tracking, providing a clear picture of hashtag performance on channels like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. But for campaigns focused on one platform, like Twitter or X, TweetDeck can be an efficient, no-cost option.

4. How can I use hashtag trackers to improve my social media strategy?

Hashtag trackers allow you to monitor trends, identify popular hashtags, and analyze engagement metrics. If you take a little time to study this data, you can tailor your content to align with audience interests, improve post visibility, and join trending conversations effectively. They also help uncover influential users engaging with your hashtags, opening opportunities for partnerships or influencer collaborations.

The post Top Free Hashtag Trackers to Boost Your Social Media Strategy in 2025 appeared first on Keyhole.

Let’s explore actionable ways to integrate social media with email marketing in 2025, ensuring your campaigns resonate with modern audiences.

The Importance of Integration in 2025

Social media and email marketing are often seen as separate entities. However, combining the real-time engagement of social media with the personalized, direct approach of email marketing creates a synergy that’s hard to beat.

As algorithms on social platforms evolve, organic reach is becoming increasingly difficult. This is where email marketing steps in as a reliable medium to directly connect with your audience. When used together, these tools help businesses:

• Boost brand visibility across platforms.
• Drive higher click-through rates.
• Deliver more personalized customer experiences.

Step 1: Encourage Social Sharing in Emails

The easiest way to start integrating social media with email marketing is by encouraging subscribers to share your content on their social channels. Add social sharing buttons for platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter at the bottom of your emails.

In 2025, using compelling CTAs like “Share this with your network” or “Spread the word” can make all the difference. To make the sharing process easier:

• Include pre-written messages with hashtags and mentions.
• Offer incentives, such as discounts, for subscribers who share your content.
• Use eye-catching icons and placement that draw attention.

Step 2: Embed Social Content into Emails

People are more likely to engage with your emails if they feature familiar, dynamic content. Embedding social media posts directly into your email campaigns creates a seamless experience.

For instance, include your latest Instagram carousel, a tweet about your upcoming product launch, or even a TikTok that highlights your brand’s personality. In 2025, this approach feels natural and aligns with the way audiences consume content today.

Pro tip: Use email marketing tools like Mailchimp or Constant Contact that support embedding social media posts for a streamlined process.

Step 3: Run Cross-Platform Contests

Who doesn’t love a good contest? Hosting cross-platform contests is a fantastic way to bring together your social media and email audiences.

Here’s an example: Promote a giveaway on your social media channels that requires participants to subscribe to your email list. Simultaneously, send an email encouraging your existing subscribers to enter by sharing the contest on their social profiles.

By 2025, gamification and contests will remain powerful tools for generating buzz, building community, and increasing your subscriber base. To explore more about the benefits and strategies of these interactive approaches, check out this detailed guide on social media contests.

Step 4: Use Social Media to Grow Your Email List

Social media is an incredible tool for attracting potential subscribers. Utilize your platforms to promote lead magnets, like eBooks, webinars, or exclusive discounts, to encourage followers to sign up for your email list.

Strategies to try in 2025 include:

• Instagram Stories with CTAs: Use swipe-up links or link stickers to lead users to your email sign-up page.
• Twitter Threads: Share snippets of valuable information and invite readers to subscribe to your newsletter for more in-depth insights.
• LinkedIn Posts: Position your email list as a source of exclusive, professional content.

Step 5: Leverage User-Generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) bridges the gap between social media and email marketing. By sharing UGC in your emails, such as reviews, testimonials, or photos from customers, you’re fostering trust and authenticity.

Encourage your audience to post about your brand on social media using a specific hashtag, then feature that content in your next email campaign. This not only increases social engagement but also boosts your email’s open rates by making your messages feel more personal and community-driven.

Step 6: Synchronize Campaigns Across Platforms

In 2025, audiences expect a seamless experience across all touchpoints. To achieve this, ensure your campaigns are synchronized across both social media and email marketing.

For example, if you’re launching a new product, create teaser posts on social media, then follow up with an email detailing the product’s features and benefits. Consistent messaging builds anticipation and keeps your audience engaged.

Step 7: Use Analytics to Refine Your Strategy

Integration isn’t just about execution; it’s also about optimization. Use data from both social media and email campaigns to refine your approach.

Social media platforms provide insights into what content resonates with your audience, while email marketing tools offer metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. By combining these data sets, you can craft content that performs better across all channels.

Step 8: Include Social Media Retargeting in Your Email Strategy

Retargeting is a must-have strategy in 2025. Use your email list to create custom audiences on social media platforms.

Platforms like Facebook and Instagram allow you to upload your email list and target ads specifically to those users. This approach reinforces your message, ensuring it reaches your audience through multiple touchpoints.

For example, if someone opened your email but didn’t click the CTA, a retargeting ad can remind them to take action.

Step 9: Measure and Iterate

Finally, measuring the success of your integrated campaigns is essential to refine your strategy. Use tools like Zapier to connect your email marketing software with your social media platforms for streamlined data analysis.

Keep track of KPIs such as:

• Engagement rates on embedded social content.
• Growth in email subscribers from social media.
• ROI from cross-platform campaigns.

By consistently iterating and adapting based on performance, you’ll ensure your integration strategy stays relevant in the fast-paced digital landscape of 2025.

Conclusion

In 2025, integrating social media with email marketing is more crucial than ever for brands looking to stand out. By encouraging social sharing, embedding dynamic content, running cross-platform contests, and leveraging data, you can create a cohesive strategy that amplifies your reach and impact.

The future is all about synergy. When social media and email marketing work hand-in-hand, the results are not just additive—they’re transformative. Start implementing these strategies today to build campaigns that are truly built for the modern age.

The post How to Integrate Social Media with Email Marketing in 2025 appeared first on Keyhole.

Sounds nice, right?

Well, a user-generated content (UGC) creator might be your thing.

It can be a creative side gig. Or a 6-figure business. And you don’t even need to have thousands of followers.

Read on to learn everything you need to become a UGC creator.

What is UGC?

User-generated content is content created for a brand by consumers. It comes in various formats—images, videos, text, reviews, testimonials, and podcasts. Consumers share UGC on social media, blogs, review websites, and more.

Here’s an example of a UGC video created by a social media user who shot his mountain bike ride on his GoPro. The company shared this UGC content with its audience of over 20 million and even tagged the creator.

What is a UGC creator?

A UGC creator is a person who’s paid to create user-generated content. They create content (images, videos, reviews, and more) to promote brands in an authentic and relatable way.

While most UGC creators promote physical products, they can also recommend apps or services.

You might be thinking: “Wait, isn’t that what influencers do?”

Well, not exactly.

UGC creator vs. influencer: What’s the difference?

The main difference between a UGC creator and an influencer is that UGC creators are paid for the creativity and quality of their content, while influencers are hired for their loyal and engaged audiences.

Sure, Kim Kardashian might create decent content, but the brands paying her to promote their products are doing it because she has an engaged audience of over 350 million on Instagram alone. She’s an influencer, not a UGC creator.

Why do brands hire UGC creators?

User-generated content is taking off. In less than 10 years, it’s expected to make up 78% of online content.

There are two main reasons why.

1. It’s cost-effective

User-generated content is much more affordable than creating branded content or partnering with influencers.

A brand photoshoot can cost several thousand dollars, with expenses for renting a venue, hiring professional photographers, models, make-up artists, and more. Similarly, working with an influencer can easily cost over $1,000.

UGC videos typically start at $100. This allows brands to create more content while keeping costs low.

Many UGC creators take less than a week to create content. So, a brand can work with multiple UGC creators and produce content much faster than working on it in-house.

2. It’s authentic, and it sells

UGC creators are regular people—their content feels authentic, like a recommendation from a friend. That’s what makes it such a powerful tool for convincing consumers and driving sales.

Let’s compare that to today’s views on influencers.

The influencer era started in the late 2000s when consumers grew increasingly aware of celebrity endorsements’ lack of credibility. These days, consumers know that being an influencer is a well-paid job. Naturally, they started to doubt whether influencers provided unbiased opinions.

Plus, influencers with glamorous lifestyles often don’t feel relatable.

Examples of UGC creators and content

Let’s go through some examples of UGC. These will give you an idea of what UGC creators do.

Here are videos promoting a Wi-Fi login product, a stock newsletter, a soda drink taste, and a mobile games app.

As you can see, many types of businesses can incorporate UGC into their content strategy.

And also—there’s no one profile of who can be a UGC creator. Here’s what Katie Barber, a social brand manager with more than 10 years of experience, says about hiring UGC creators:

“Brands look for people who represent their customer base well. Oftentimes, I will work with someone with lower-quality videos and a smaller following because they represent an issue close to our customer’s hearts, such as menopause.”

How to become a UGC creator in 3 simple steps

UGC includes different types of content, but in this guide, we’ll focus on short-form UGC videos.

Why?

If you’re on social media, you’ve probably noticed that short-form videos are everywhere. Brands love them and will continue to invest in them because they bring the highest return on investment compared to other content formats. That also means creating video content gives you the biggest earning potential.

So, let’s dive into the simple guide to becoming a UGC creator.

Step 1: Learn to create UGC videos

First off, you need to learn how to create videos that sell.

Think those perfectly edited, flawless, and curated videos you see all over Instagram rake in the dough? Think again. Aesthetic and perfect content doesn’t always sell as well as authentic and raw content from creators.

Here’s how to create it.

Prepare a script

Creating a short yet impactful video is hard—but it doesn’t have to be.

A few elements you can include in your videos:

• Hook: Users need about three seconds to decide whether to watch a short-form video. A strong hook will keep them engaged until the end. Browse short-form videos across different social media sites and make notes of the hooks that grab your attention. Also, don’t forget to add visual hooks for all the users browsing videos without sound on.
• Pain points: Who’d buy the product or service you’re promoting? And why—what pain points are they trying to solve? Understanding and speaking about these allows you to connect with the viewer.
• Solution: How does the product or service solve the pain points? How is it better than other options on the market? If you have direct experience, share it. Telling a story works wonders in building trust and selling.
• Call to action: This is where you encourage the viewer to take action. It could be “Check the link in the comments,” “Start today,” or “Buy 1 get 1 free this Cyber weekend.”

If you’re stuck on creating the script, you can get some creative inspiration from the top TikTok ads.

AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude are great tools for helping you write a draft of your script, create different versions of it, or assess which ideas are most engaging.

Check out the example below to see what prompt to use and what answers to expect from ChatGPT.

Shoot UGC videos

After you’ve planned the content, it’s time to create it. If possible, film in 1080HD at 60FPS to get quality footage that allows flexibility during editing.

Make sure you’ve got good lighting. Natural light works just fine, but if the lighting in your home isn’t great, you can get an affordable ring light.

To keep the video interesting, include different shots:

• On-camera voiceover: Talking in front of the camera makes the video feel personable and engaging.
• B-roll footage: Supplemental visuals that overlay or replace your shots in front of the camera visually support the narration. They can be shots of the product in action, close-ups of features, or lifestyle scenes.

Edit your videos

Start with some basics of video editing and learn more as you go. You don’t need much because you’re hired to create relatable content, not TV-style ads. Just learn a few things to help you tell a story and sell more effectively.

You can use free apps (Canva, VLLO) or built-in video editors in social media apps like TikTok and Instagram.

At this point, you might want to add some background music. Make sure it’s royalty-free to avoid any copyright issues. You can use in-app music to jump on popular trends, but there are some limitations—the client may not be able to re-use the video across other platforms. To keep things simple, browse royalty-free music from free sources such as Pixabay Music, and Mixkit.

Step 2: Craft a portfolio

Once you’ve learned (and practiced) creating UGC videos, it’s time to put together a portfolio. The goal is to intrigue and gain the trust of potential clients.

But first, let me get one common misconception out of the way:

You don’t need to buy anything to create your portfolio.

Instead, make photos and videos about products or services you already use. This will help you create genuine content because you’re speaking from your experience as a real customer.

Next, let’s see what you need to include in your UGC portfolio:

• Sample photos and videos
• Contact details
• Customer reviews or testimonials
• Rates and packages
• Links to social media profiles

The first two are must-haves. The rest are nice-to-haves that can help strengthen your portfolio.

Now, let’s explore where and how you can create your portfolio to make the best impression on potential clients.

You have plenty of free options, like a free Canva template or designing a simple one-page site in Google Sites or Carrd.

If you’d like multiple pages, a custom domain, or cool interactive options such as embedding your Instagram feed on your site, you’ll need to look into some paid website builders. Popular options include WordPress, Squarespace, and Wix.

Step 3: Work with brands

So your portfolio is ready? Great! Let’s show it to potential clients and start working on paid UGC. There are a few ways you can get clients. Let’s explore your options below.

Reach out to brands

Connecting directly with a brand might be scary and time-consuming. But it’s the most profitable way to work with UGC clients because you’re not paying third parties.

Here’s how to go about it.

If a UGC creator is promoting a brand, it probably means the brand has a budget for user-generated content. Find these brands by searching for “#ugccreator” on Instagram or TikTok.

Use the content that comes up to find different UGC creators’ profiles.

Once you land on a UGC creator’s page, browse their posts and start making a list of potential brands to reach out to.

Repeat the same steps for different UGC creators’ profiles, and you’ll have a list of dozens of brands you might want to work with. If you keep seeing the same brands over and over, prioritize contacting them since this is a sign they’re actively collaborating with UGC creators.

While you can send DMs to every brand, it’s more professional to email them. To find the right contact person, visit each brand’s LinkedIn profile.

Go to the “People” section, and search for relevant keywords such as “social media” and “influencer.” This will show you the people who handle the brand’s social media accounts or influencer marketing partnerships.

Choose one person who seems to be the best fit.

Next, use a LinkedIn scraper—like the Findy Chrome extension—to find their business email.

And send them a personalized pitch like this one:

It took me less than 5 minutes to create this email with a little help from ChatGPT. I asked it to throw in a nice pop culture reference and keep the tone semi-casual. You can adjust the copy depending on the brand you’re contacting and the audience they market to.

Bonus hyper-personalization tip: Paste some copy from the brand’s website into your AI content writer and ask it to mimic the brand voice in your email.

Sending emails at a scale and managing replies can quickly get messy. Creating different folders and using tools like Clean Email to organize your inbox and delete irrelevant emails can help you stay on top of your communications.

Join UGC, freelancer, and influencer platforms

You can join UGC platforms and connect with brands that are already looking for UGC creators. Freelancer or influencer marketplaces also have a variety of UGC opportunities.

This approach is less profitable than working directly with brands because most platforms take a percentage of your earnings. On the flip side, landing clients is much easier and faster, so it’s a great option for UGC creators who are just starting out. You’ll have an opportunity to get paid while building your portfolio and have a consistent flow of gigs.

Here are some of the most popular platforms:

You can join several platforms at once to get access to more offers and more work.

Let’s look at two of the most popular platforms for beginner creators to give you an idea of how UGC platforms work:

Billo.app

Brands cover the costs of the products and shipping, and creators upload their videos up to five days after receiving the product. Billo pays $35 for testimonials, $70 for social media ads, and $90 for unboxing videos, although these can vary depending on video length. You’ll receive your pay every two weeks through PayPal.

Join Brands

Creators need to buy the products they’re reviewing and get reimbursement for them after the job is done. But pay attention to the reimbursement fees for different gigs—some brands may not cover tax or shipping costs. Creators receive 80% of what the client pays. Usually, the money will be available for withdrawal seven days after submitting your content.

Build an online presence

Staying active on social media gives you an opportunity to “get discovered” by brands (rather than you contacting them).

This approach takes the most time and doesn’t always bring results. But having an online presence helps you build your personal brand and demonstrates you’re actively creating content.

Pro tip: Don’t just repurpose your personal profiles. Create new accounts for your UGC creator business. Add your email to your bio to make it easy for brands to contact you.

Also, connect your social media accounts to your portfolio so brands can easily move from one place to the other.

Let’s say you have an Instagram account for your UGC business. Include a link to your portfolio in your bio like @niomismart below.

And embed your Instagram wall on your portfolio site.

When sharing content on your UGC social media accounts, avoid these two common mistakes:

1. Posting personal content. You want your account to be focused on delivering one message—that you can create content that sells. Adding in personal updates will take away from that message.

When you’re not working on paid UGC, you can create sample content for brands you’d like to collaborate with. Add a watermark with your social media handle to bring leads to your profile even if it gets reshared.

You’ll also find some UGC creator job openings on social media channels. On X, you can type “UGC creator needed” (or other relevant keywords) in the search bar and scroll through agencies and brands looking to hire.

Similarly, you can look for UGC jobs on LinkedIn for different locations and apply for these offers.

How much do UGC creators make?

Being a UGC creator can be lucrative if you do it right. While some UGC creators do it as a side gig and make decent money, a full-time UGC creator can bring in more than $10,000 per month.

But how much you make depends on different factors, like:

• Your experience
• The quality of your content
• If you’re making UGC full-time or as a side gig
• Whether or not you’re working with brands directly
• The type and length of content you create
• If the brand will post the content on their feed or run ads on it
• Whether you’re expected to share the content on your social accounts

While beginners might make $50-$90 for a 15-second video, many UGC creators charge a few hundred dollars for the same.

Here are some ideas on how to build a steady income flow:

• Offer package deals (3-5 videos, video-photo combos)
• Diversify client sources (email, UGC platforms, marketplaces)
• Secure monthly retainers with repeat clients
• Provide referral bonuses

Is UGC the right career for you?

You know what it takes to become a UGC creator and how much you can make.

Now let me tell you a quick way to decide if this is the right career for you.

Pick a product in your house and try to create a short promotional video for it. Plan the script, shoot your content, and edit it.

Did you enjoy that process?

If you didn’t, chances are UGC is not for you. As a UGC creator, you’ll need to make such videos every day (maybe several times a day).

If you did, keep going. A few more videos, and you’ll have a portfolio of content to get your first paid assignments.

Author bio

Evelina Milenova is the SEO and Growth Manager at Opinion Stage. She has worked on social listening and crisis management projects for companies such as Ferrero Group, Nissan, and Merck. Evelina shares her insights on SEO and content marketing on her LinkedIn page.

The post What is a UGC Creator (and How to Become One) appeared first on Keyhole.

Instagram stands at the top among the leading social media platforms out there that can help you drive traffic and engage the intended audience.

The popularity of the platform has been increasing over the years, making it a preferred choice for all generations.

While the platform offers a variety of capabilities to help you create a buzz around your brand, the story feature outshines them all. It enables you to leverage visual content and connect with your target audience.

Instagram stories can get you the desired level of traction through the platform if the content you share is relevant and offers value.

Adding music to your stories makes them stand out and gets you more eyeballs. However, doing so may not be as easy, especially for beginners.

We have created a detailed guide to walk you through the process and help you learn how to add music to your Instagram story.

What makes Instagram popular?

Instagram is a rapidly growing social media app. With more than 2 billion users, it’s a preferred choice for social media marketers, influencers, and content creators around the globe, enabling them to connect with their respective audiences.

There are a number of reasons why Instagram has become a popular choice among social media platforms today.

 

For starters, Instagram has a beginner-friendly interface. Hence, you don’t have to spend days learning what you can or can’t do using the platform.

It’s home to influencers and content creators around the world, serving as a reliable channel that offers countless collaboration opportunities.

Instagram provides you with creative tools to create personalized content in the app. You don’t need to leverage multiple tools to create engaging content for your audience.

Due to the huge user base, you can expand your reach exponentially and convey your message to the masses with ease.

Instagram doesn’t charge you anything unless you decide to go for paid advertising. You can sign up for free and interact with an audience segment that aligns with your goals.

Most importantly, the platform enables you to leverage visual content, which is one of the most effective ways to ensure high engagement.

It takes us only 13 milliseconds to process information presented to us in the form of an image. It’s the reason why people prefer consuming visual content compared to text.

All these things and more make Instagram popular among audience segments representing diverse demographics and psychographic characteristics.

 

How does the Instagram algorithm work for stories?

Every social media platform has its algorithm, and Instagram is no exception. These algorithms define how social media platforms operate and display the content published.

Back in the day, Instagram displayed the latest content published by users at the top. Over time, the algorithm evolved, and it’s not how things work anymore.

Now, there are a number of factors that decide the fate of the visual content you publish on Instagram and the traction you generate through it.

The platform now considers the authority of the publisher, the relevance of information, content quality, posting time, users’ activity, interaction history, and user experience into consideration.

The algorithm not only dictates the performance of the content you see in the news feeds, but it also influences the performance of stories you publish.

It’s the reason why you come across stories shared by certain content creators, influencers, and brands more frequently compared to others. 

 

How can you generate traction through Instagram stories?

In most cases, the first thing that catches users’ attention when they access Instagram is stories published by accounts they follow.

It provides you with an opportunity to connect with your target audience on a deeper level and ensure high engagement.

You can leverage stories to post announcements about your brand, share the latest updates about your solutions, publish polls, run giveaways, display testimonials, share discount codes, and more.

Not only do you get to engage the users who follow you, but you also draw more potential followers.

The more interactive your stories are, the higher your chances of generating traction through them and conveying your message to the right people.You should tailor the content you share to the interests of the intended audience. Plus, you can amplify the user experience by adding music to them.

 

How to add music to Instagram stories

Adding music to Instagram stories may be tricky when you are getting started. There are a number of ways you can add your preferred tunes to the content you share and level up the engagement. 

1. Add music using Music Sticker

Let’s talk about the most commonly used method for adding music to Instagram stories first. You can use the music sticker to add your different soundtracks or tunes to your stories on Instagram.

Here are the steps to follow:

Step 1: Upload content

Open Instagram, click the ‘+’ button from the story menu, and upload your preferred visual content that you want to post as a story.

Step 2: Click the music icon

After uploading your content, the next step is to click the ‘music icon’ appearing at the top to add your favorite tunes or soundtracks.

 

 

Step 3: Select the music

The third step is to select the music you want to add to your Instagram story. You can choose from the options the platform recommends or browse other soundtracks that may pique your interest.

 

Step 4: Add a sticker

After selecting your preferred music file, choose a sticker to make your story more appealing. You can choose the audio-only option if you don’t want any text to appear in the story or choose to display the lyrics of the soundtrack.

 

You can also add an album cover or explore other options. The goal here is to improve engagement. So, go with an option that you think will work best for you.

Click ‘Done’ and publish your story.

2. Add music using Keyhole

Consistency is important when your goal is to engage your audience through Instagram. You compete with hundreds of players in your industry who all strive to gain a competitive advantage.

So, it’s best that you consistently share quality content through the social media platform.

3. Add music using Apple Music

If you aren’t happy with the music options that the platform recommends, Instagram allows you to add your music to your stories. It’s likely a go-to approach for music artists or content creators.

 

Source

To add a soundtrack from your device, you can use Apple Music and select your favorite tune for the story. Just follow the steps below to do so.

Step 1: Open Apple Music

To add your favorite tune to your Instagram story, you need to access the Apple Music app from your phone.

Step 2: Choose the file

The next step is to explore the music files and select the one you want to add to your Instagram story.

Step 3: Add music to the Instagram story

After selecting the music file, click the ‘share’ icon and pick ‘Instagram’ from the options available to you.

You’re all set. The music you added is now accessible to your audience through your Instagram story.

4. Add music using Spotify

Another useful tool for adding your music files to Instagram stories is Spotify. All you need to do is follow the below-mentioned steps.

 

Source

Step 1: Access Spotify

To add the soundtrack you like to your Instagram story using Spotify, you should access the app using your phone.

Step 2: Pick a soundtrack

The next step is to pick a soundtrack you want to share with your audience or add to your Instagram story.

Step 3: Add music to the story

After selecting the file, click ‘share’ and then proceed with the ‘Instagram stories’ option in the app. The next step is to pick your favorite soundtrack.

That’s all. The app will add the music you selected to your story.

You can further customize your story as per your liking through Instagram and share it with your followers.

5. Add music using Shazam

Shazam gives you the option to add catchy tunes or soundtracks you discovered through the app to your Instagram story.

All you need to do is follow the given process.

Step 1: Access Shazam on your phone

To initiate the process of adding music to your story, the first thing you need to do is open Shazam through your phone.

Step 2: Select a song

Source

The next step is to either discover the song or choose the previously discovered soundtrack from the library.

Step 3: Add a tune to the Instagram story

The final step is to add the soundtrack to your Instagram story and customize it with stickers, GIFs, or text in the app.

 

Why add music to Instagram stories

Adding music to stories is one of the many handy features that Instagram offers. It enables you to offer an enhanced experience and grab the attention of the intended audience.

Adding music to your content makes it more relatable. Music is associated with different memories and experiences of people. Hence, listening to it while accessing your content may have a deeper impact.

Additionally, adding music to the videos in your story enhances the user experience. For example, if you’re an event marketer or social media manager planning a New Year’s Eve party, plan to add relevant music to your stories instead of raw audio.

This can make your brand’s post feel polished and professional, avoiding the distractions of background noise or shouting. You may be able to bond with your audience and convince them to pay heed to what you have to say. You get to improve your brand’s credibility and establish lasting relationships in the long run.

 

Final words

In this guide, we discussed different processes through which you can add music to your Instagram stories.

We recommended simple steps for you to follow so you can amplify the experience you offer and generate more traction through the content you share.

Sharing stories on Instagram serves as an excellent strategy to engage your target audience. However, you compete with hundreds of players out there.

So, your goal is to make your stories as interactive as possible. Adding music to them is a handy tactic that may help you drive optimal results.

 

Author Bio

Syed Balkhi is the founder of WPBeginner, the largest free WordPress resource site. With over 10 years of experience, he’s the leading WordPress expert in the industry. You can learn more about Syed and his portfolio of companies by following him on his social media networks.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is adding music to an Instagram story a must?

No! You don’t need to add music to your Instagram story before publishing it. However, adding it may serve as the best course of action.

2. Can Instagram unpublish my stories with music?

Yes! Instagram can remove your stories with music if they don’t contain visual elements due to copyright issues. For example, you may encounter this problem when you add to a story with a blank screen.

3. Will adding music to the Instagram story affect the quality of content?

No! Adding music to your Instagram story will not affect the quality of your content, be it image, video, or any other type of visual content.

The post How to Add Music to Instagram Stories appeared first on Keyhole.

Ahrefs holds 30% of the SEO market, while Semrush accounts for 10%. But their competition extends far beyond market share—it’s alive and well on social media.

Both brands have cultivated fiercely loyal communities. Their followers aren’t shy about sharing why their tool of choice outshines the other. But what makes these platforms so effective at engaging their audiences? And how do their strategies differ? This blog breaks it all down.

Analysis of Semrush’s & Ahrefs’ social media accounts

Semrush’s story started back in 2008, thanks to two SEO geeks with big dreams: Oleg Shchegolev and Dmitry Melnikov. They had a vision—to create a tool that would help marketers make sense of the chaotic online world. Little did they know, their passion project would grow into one of the most popular digital marketing platforms out there.

Back then, Semrush was a simple (but effective) SEO toolkit that helped users track keywords and website rankings. Over time, Oleg, Dmitry, and their team kept pushing the limits, adding new features along the way. They didn’t stop at SEO—they introduced tools for content marketing, social media, PPC, competitive analysis, and more. Suddenly, Semrush wasn’t just a tool; it had become the Swiss Army knife of digital marketing.

Fast forward to today, and Semrush is used by 10 million users worldwide, with 2 million signups each year. It’s even gone public—how cool is that?

Here’s a quick snapshot of their following on social media:

• Instagram: 158K
• Facebook: 245K
• Twitter: 284.4K
• LinkedIn: 495K
• TikTok: 50.9K
• YouTube: 194K

Semrush’s Instagram account has 158K followers and serves as a hub of creativity, insights, and marketing inspiration. It’s a place where digital marketers, SEO enthusiasts, and content creators gather for tips, tricks, and even a little fun.

The account strikes a perfect balance between education and entertainment. You’ll find actionable marketing advice, SEO hacks, social media strategies, and highlights of their latest tools and features.

But it’s not all serious business—they also sprinkle in humor, relatable memes, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of the Semrush team to keep things lively and engaging.

Semrush’s Facebook page has 207K likes and 245K followers, surpassing their Instagram numbers. The real standout here is their educational content—quick tips, tutorials, and infographics that break down SEO, social media, and PPC concepts in a way that anyone can understand.

They’re also big on webinars and live videos, which feel like free mini-classes where industry experts share actionable trends and strategies. From keyword insights to marketing hacks, their Facebook content is packed with value for anyone looking to improve their skills.

Semrush’s official TikTok page has 51K followers and 746.1K likes. That’s nearly 14 times more likes than followers—a clear indicator of their reach and engagement on the platform.

On TikTok, they mix quick tips and marketing hacks with trendy music. Whether it’s breaking down SEO concepts in just 30 seconds or demonstrating how to use their tools, Semrush keep their content short, snappy, and entertaining. Their content is designed for anyone—from beginners to seasoned pros—so you’ll always find something useful, no matter your skill level.

What’s even more impressive is how they lean into TikTok trends, blending educational content with popular challenges or memes. It’s marketing knowledge packaged in bite-sized, shareable clips—a perfect balance of playful and professional.

With 495K followers on LinkedIn, Semrush’s page focuses on thought leadership, with posts that dive into industry trends, reports, and actionable strategies for marketers. What sets their LinkedIn presence apart is its personal touch.

Posts highlighting the Semrush team, behind-the-scenes moments, and company milestones make the brand feel more approachable and authentic.

Semrush’s official YouTube channel has 194K subscribers and 717 videos that focus on tutorials and walkthroughs. Covering topics like SEO, social media, PPC, and content marketing, it’s designed to help users get the most out of their tools.

Semrush also shines with its tool walkthroughs, which show users how to make the most of the platform. The videos are clear, visually engaging, and delivered in a friendly tone that makes learning both easy and enjoyable.

Ahrefs claims that 44% of Fortune 500 companies use their platform. It was founded in 2010 by Dmytro Gyrasimenko, who had a passion for making the web more transparent and accessible.

The company initially focused on building one of the best backlink databases in the industry. Dmytro’s idea was simple yet game-changing: to help marketers and SEO professionals understand the web’s link structure and use it to grow their online presence.

At first, Ahrefs was all about backlinks, quickly gaining a reputation for its massive and constantly updated link index. But they didn’t stop there. Over the years, the platform has evolved into a comprehensive SEO suite. Today, Ahrefs offers tools for keyword research, site audits, content exploration, rank tracking, and more—all designed to make SEO easier and more effective.

Here’s a quick snapshot of their following on social media:

• Instagram: 33.4K
• Facebook: 106K
• Twitter: 158.4K
• LinkedIn: 186K
• TikTok: 45
• YouTube: 590K

Ahrefs’ Instagram account has 33.4K followers, and all you’ll find is people. The team that makes the dream work fills in each square on Instagram. It’s not your typical “product promotion” feed—instead, it’s a celebration of the people behind Ahrefs.

Their posts are filled with team snapshots, fun outings, and in-person meetings, showcasing the vibrant and collaborative culture they’ve built. Whether it’s photos from company retreats, office celebrations, or casual team gatherings, the feed radiates positivity and a sense of family.

Ahrefs’ Facebook page has 95K likes and 106K followers. Unlike Semrush, Ahrefs places a big emphasis on getting Ahrefs-certified. Their branded hashtag is prominently displayed on the cover page, and their traditional call-to-action is replaced with educational and contextual CTAs.

They combine SEO education with guided tutorials, showcasing the power of their tools while offering valuable insights for marketers.

A major highlight of their Facebook content is the focus on the Ahrefs team, with behind-the-scenes posts and milestone celebrations giving followers a glimpse into their company culture. They also keep things lighthearted with relatable SEO memes and fun content, making the page both informative and entertaining.

Ahrefs just got started with their TikTok page and has just 45 followers with 57 likes. They take a similar approach here, sharing quick SEO tips and tool highlights with a touch of humor and creativity, making learning feel effortless.

Ahrefs has 186K followers on LinkedIn. The content here follows a similar vibe, with a strong focus on meetup highlights, product usage, and plenty of SEO-related updates.

It’s not just about business—Ahrefs offers a behind-the-scenes look at their team and milestones, making you feel like part of the journey. Whether you’re there to learn or to see the human side of the brand, their LinkedIn page strikes the perfect balance between education and personality.

Ahrefs’ best bet is on YouTube. Their channel has 590K subscribers and 305 videos. Their playlists are well-organized, almost like mini-courses in themselves. They also maintain additional channels dedicated to product updates and region-specific content, allowing them to cater to diverse audiences effectively.

Read More: Calm vs. Headspace On Social: Who’s Bringing Mindfulness To Your Timeline?

How different are Ahrefs’ & Semrush’s social media strategies

1. Community focus vs. product-centric

Semrush focuses on building relationships and fostering community. Their social media is filled with personal moments, memes, GIFs, and templates—showing they’re more than just a tool. It’s like they’re inviting followers to become part of the Semrush family.

Ahrefs, on the other hand, takes a more product-focused approach. Their content leans heavily on SEO expertise, showcasing in-depth features of their tools and offering practical advice. While Semrush gets personal, Ahrefs stays tool-centric, delivering clear and actionable insights.

2. Tone of voice

Semrush keeps it casual and friendly. Their tone is like chatting with a colleague over coffee—light, approachable, and filled with fun. Whether it’s a meme, a quick tip, or an office photo, Semrush feels like a brand that cares about making learning fun. 

Ahrefs, however, leans into a more serious tone. They want to be seen as the go-to SEO experts, so their content is professional and value-driven, cutting out unnecessary fluff.

3. Contrast in graphics

Semrush’s feeds feature a mix of infographics, team photos, and other visual content designed to make educational posts approachable and engaging. Their use of bright colors and clear layouts helps communicate complex ideas in an accessible way.

Ahrefs keeps their visuals clean and to the point. They prefer simple, data-driven graphics and tool tutorials, showcasing the power of their tools without unnecessary embellishments. Where Semrush focuses on engaging, eye-catching posts, Ahrefs sticks to functional, no-nonsense visuals.

4. Prioritizing platform usage

Semrush’s use of TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn is all about storytelling. They share behind-the-scenes glimpses of life at Semrush, highlight team milestones, and provide educational tips.

Ahrefs uses YouTube more strategically. Their content focuses on quick, impactful SEO tips and tool demos that show exactly how their product works. On Instagram, they emphasize their team and culture, positioning themselves as experts while maintaining a relatable and human approach.

5. Discrepancy in content frequency

Semrush is on social media all the time. Whether it’s a quick tip on TikTok, an Instagram Story, or a LinkedIn post, they keep their audience constantly engaged with fresh content. It’s like they’re always there, keeping you in the loop.

Ahrefs, on the other hand, posts less frequently but with purpose. They prioritize quality over quantity, delivering well-thought-out content that dives deeper into SEO strategies.

While Semrush might post multiple times a day, Ahrefs tends to post only when they have something valuable to share. Both approaches keep their audiences engaged, just in different ways.

Semrush vs. Ahrefs: Social media strategies at a glance

Here’s a platform-by-platform breakdown of their social media growth:

1. Instagram

From August to November 2024, Semrush achieved 38.7K engagements, far outpacing Ahrefs, which only managed 828. The engagement rates tell a similar story, with Semrush leading at 24.3% compared to Ahrefs’ 2.5%.

This difference is largely due to activity levels. Ahrefs posted just 9 times over three months, while Semrush shared 111 posts in the same period.

While Semrush has a balanced mix of reels, carousels, and images, Ahrefs relied solely on carousels and reels for Instagram marketing.

Interestingly, Ahrefs’ most frequent and engaging post types are the same, whereas for Semrush, it’s different. Despite posting more reels, Semrush’s most engaging post type on Instagram is carousels.

2. Facebook

A striking observation here is that with just 35 posts, Ahrefs earned 11K engagements, while Semrush, with 122 posts, gained 4K engagements. This gave Ahrefs a higher engagement rate of 11.5% compared to Semrush’s 2%.

For Ahrefs, photos are both the most frequent and most engaging content type. Semrush, on the other hand, continues to experiment with a variety of formats, including photos, links, reels, and text posts. Interestingly, text posts, while making up only 6% of their total content, bring in the highest engagement for Semrush on Facebook.

3. Twitter

Semrush is highly active on Twitter, with 1.6K posts in the last three months. This frequent posting brought in 26.9K total engagements, resulting in an engagement rate of 9.5%.

Ahrefs, on the other hand, has taken a quieter approach, posting just 57 tweets during the same period. Despite the lower activity, they managed 1.3K total engagements, with an engagement rate of 0.8%.

4. YouTube

For YouTube, Semrush has posted 16 videos since August, while Ahrefs has shared 4. However, Ahrefs leads in engagement, with a total of 15,712 and an engagement rate of 2.7%. In contrast, Semrush’s engagement is much lower, with a total of 725 and an engagement rate of 0.4%.

Analyze your presence on social media

Semrush and Ahrefs take very different approaches to social media, but both deliver results in their own way. Semrush is the fun, approachable brand that posts memes, behind-the-scenes content, and keeps the vibe lively.

On the other hand, Ahrefs is more like the smart, straight-to-the-point mentor, always ready with a practical tip or insight.

Both bring immense value—just in different ways. Ready to unlock your brand’s potential? Book a demo with Keyhole now and let’s upgrade your social media strategy.

The post Semrush vs. Ahrefs: Who’s dominating social media? appeared first on Keyhole.

Enter Bluesky: a decentralized social media network that is rapidly gaining traction from niche communities and tech-savvy users. Initiated by former Twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey, Bluesky was developed to provide users with more control over their data and the content they engage with on social apps.

Designed with a similar interface to X (formerly known as Twitter), Bluesky offers many of the same features and functions, with the caveat that genuine, transparent interactions and connections are much easier and feasible. 

With the platform now boasting approximately 24 million users, Bluesky represents more than just another social media platform. It represents a fundamental shift in the social media market dominated by Meta, X, and Google, offering a glimpse into the future of digital marketing and communication between brands and followers. 

For marketers looking to stay one step ahead, understanding all that Bluesky has to offer and how to utilize it can give them a distinct competitive edge. Let’s look at the features and benefits of Bluesky and how it can help you foster more genuine interactions with your audience. 

What is Bluesky?

At its core, Bluesky is a decentralized social network built on the AT Protocol (Authenticated Transfer Protocol). This essentially means that people can see how it works and suggest improvements to its interface, functions, and integrations.

The main crux of traditional social platforms sees a single company controlling everything, which has been a bugbear for many social media users over the years, especially pertaining to the proliferation of misinformation and the abundance of data being held and shared. Bluesky’s decentralized nature means that users and communities have more control over their personal information, who they talk to and what they see online.

The Bluesky platform is experiencing a boom at the moment, where many X users are migrating over to the platform, particularly following X’s recent ‘block’ feature change and subsequent controversy. Bluesky is very much like Twitter – you can click a Post symbol to write and share a 300-character message and include photos, videos, links, gifs and emojis, with users able to reply, repost and like your post, and direct message other members. The Bluesky platform accommodates popular image formats like JPG and PNG but image size limits are in place to ensure optimal UX, so be mindful before uploading high-quality film-like images taken on digital cameras, as these file sizes are invariably larger. 

Users are gifted with three feeds upon joining – Following, Discover, and Popular With Friends, but you can modify your feeds to see specific types of content. Many communities have already begun to flourish organically on the Bluesky platform, where they would struggle to find organic, natural engagement on more mainstream platforms. It’s especially good for people who want to escape toxicity on other platforms.

Bluesky, in essence, gives users the chance to customize and control their entire social media experience. 

What makes Bluesky stand out?

What sets the Bluesky social media platform apart is its commitment to transparency, independence, and user empowerment. The AT Protocol enables users to maintain ownership of their data while participating in a larger social ecosystem. For marketers and brands, this means cultivating relationships with audiences who are conscious about privacy and digital rights, and who want to cut through the proverbial noise often found on social media giants.

1. Bluesky is decentralized

Bluesky’s decentralized nature offers unique advantages for marketers. Rather than being subject to sudden platform changes or algorithm shifts, brands can maintain more stable relationships with their audiences. This infrastructure also allows for greater innovation in how content is distributed and consumed.

2. Users can create custom domains

Perhaps one of the most compelling Bluesky features for brands is the ability to use custom domains for their handles, providing a personalized touch and borrowing authority from established domain names. Bluesky has built-in features that allow users to purchase and manage domains directly through the platform. It caters to diverse audiences, through music videos, movie trailers, and interviews. If you want to replicate their success, it is crucial to understand your target audience and create content that resonates with them, focusing on great title ideas.

3. Content moderation

Unlike traditional platforms where algorithm changes can dramatically impact reach, Bluesky emphasizes user autonomy, allowing you to influence your own feeds and how content is moderated. Marketers can better understand how their content reaches audiences and make data-driven decisions accordingly.

4. Data portability

The platform’s commitment to data portability means brands can maintain ownership of their content and audience relationships, reducing platform dependency and enabling more strategic long-term planning.

5. Free environment

The platform offers a refreshing environment where users can share a diverse range of content without the need to feel overly promotional.

Differences between X/Twitter and Bluesky

While Bluesky’s interface might feel familiar to X users, several key differences affect how marketers should approach the platform:

• Content distribution: Bluesky’s nature means content can reach across different feeds, lists and communities more organically.

• Engagement patterns: Users tend to favor in-depth discussions over viral, clickbait content, requiring a different content strategy.

• Moderation approach: Community-driven moderation creates a more nuanced environment for brand safety.

• Technical features: Despite some current limitations on Bluesky, many of the same features and functions on the app make it easy for those very familiar with X/Twitter to adjust. 

Ways to use Bluesky for your brand

• Focus on creating value-driven content that encourages healthy and beneficial discussion. Research key interests that align with your brand and target them in your content, so you can reach niche communities and engage with users who are actively interested in your offering(s).
  
• Secure your brand’s identity early by setting up a custom domain. This not only establishes legitimacy but also helps with cross-platform brand recognition. Bluesky will need to confirm domain ownership, usually by adding a TXT record to your DNS settings.
  
• Position your brand as an industry authority by sharing insights, participating in relevant discussions, and contributing meaningful content to your niche. Become a thought leader in your space through informative posts, analysis, news commentaries, case studies, infographics and threaded posts for deep dives.
  
• Foster genuine connections within your industry’s community. Engage in discussions, share expertise, and build relationships with other thought leaders, rather than being overtly promotional. Consider launching campaigns encouraging user-generated content (UGC) where users share their experiences with your product or service.
  
• Leverage tools like Keyhole to track engagement, monitor brand mentions, and measure the impact of your Bluesky social media strategy alongside other platforms. Using Keyhole’s best-in-class social listening and analytics tools, you can decipher how well your content is performing and determine strategies for improvements on this growing marketing channel.

Getting started on Bluesky for your brand

Adapt strategy based on community response

Step 1: Create your account

• Secure your brand name early
• Set up proper verification through custom domains
• Optimize your profile
  

Step 2: Develop your content strategy

• Focus on quality over quantity
• Plan content that encourages meaningful engagement
• Integrate with your broader social media strategy
  

Step 3: Build your network

• Follow relevant accounts in your industry
• Engage in community discussions
• Share valuable insights
  

Step 4: Monitor and adjust

• Track engagement metrics
• Analyze content performance

Final words

Integrating Bluesky into your marketing strategy

Succeeding on Bluesky requires you to be thoughtful and willing to adapt without compromising your existing marketing efforts across other social platforms. While content should always be platform-appropriate, ensure that your message remains consistent and applicable across all of the ones you utilize. 

Modifying your content strategy to match Bluesky’s unique environment and restrictions will be key. Much like how long-format posts need to be adapted for X/Twitter, the same will need to be done for Bluesky. However, with more autonomy and control, you can focus more on creating discussions rather than simply broadcasting sales messages where users often feel trapped in a proverbial echo chamber.

The key lies in adapting your content and strategy based on what your Bluesky audience is responding to and what drives engagement on this platform. Implement robust social tracking features using Keyhole which can help you measure engagement rates, brand mentions, and sentiment.

Whatever your goal(s) with your Bluesky social media strategy, adopt a unique approach on this platform that complements and doesn’t detract from your existing one on platforms like X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or YouTube. 

The post What is Bluesky & How Can You Use It as a Marketer appeared first on Keyhole.