Competitor Benchmarking: How to Monitor Competition with Social Listening

Want to know how your competitors are doing on social media and how you stack up? That’s where social media competitor benchmarking comes in.

It helps you analyze their performance, uncover trends, and spot gaps in your own strategy. In short, you don’t just guess, you benchmark competitors with data.

This is more than just spying on others, as it’s about gaining context, setting smarter goals, and using competitive benchmarking to lead instead of follow.

So, why don’t I show you how to do competitor benchmarking, which tools to use, and how to put it all together to boost your brand’s performance?

What is social media competitor benchmarking?

Social media competitor benchmarking is the process of analyzing your competitors’ social media performance and comparing it to your own. It helps you understand what content strategies work in your industry, where you stand, and how you can improve.

‘Social media competitor benchmarking’ definition

This type of competitive benchmarking involves tracking metrics like engagement rates, follower growth, content formats, and post frequency to uncover trends and identify performance gaps. It’s not just about watching your competitors it’s about learning from them.

Social media competitor tracking tools like EmbedSocial make competitor analysis easier by allowing you to monitor competitors’ content, analyze brand sentiment, and create visual benchmarks, all in one place.

Why should you monitor competitors on social media?

Monitoring your competitors’ social media can unlock key advantages for your marketing strategy. After all, you are getting a glimpse of your competitors’ social media strategies:

• Understand your position in the market: see how your brand compares in online visibility, share of voice, and engagement;
• Spot content trends early: discover which formats or topics are driving interactions in your niche;
• Identify what works (and what doesn’t): learn from both the successes and missteps of your competitors;
• Reveal audience sentiment and preferences: do a sentiment analysis to understand how customers react to different messaging styles;
• Find opportunities to differentiate: spot gaps in your competitors’ strategies where your brand can stand out;
• Refine your strategy with real data: use actual performance insights to improve your content and outreach.

The right tool, like EmbedSocial, can make all of this easier by automating data collection and presenting it in clear, actionable reports.

How to do social media competitor benchmarking with EmbedSocial?

Let me walk you through a simple yet effective process for competitive benchmarking, while showing how a tool like EmbedSocial helps you go from insight to action faster. There’s no better and quicker way to spot emerging trends and boost your customer satisfaction.

After creating your EmbedSocial account, here’s what you can do:

1. Identify your top competitors

Start by selecting 3 to 5 brands you compete with directly or indirectly. Focus on businesses targeting similar audiences or producing content that is comparable.

With EmbedSocial, you can track mentions and UGC related to public brand profiles, helping you uncover which competitors are dominating your space.

For instance, here’s how Nike’s social media managers could do that. They can see all the latest public posts from their direct competitors in one handy window:

2. Choose relevant social platforms

Not all platforms matter equally. Pick the ones where both your brand and your competitors are active: Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, or TikTok.

EmbedSocial lets you pull in content and interactions from all popular social media platforms, so you don’t have to check each social network individually:

3. Define your benchmarking metrics

Decide what to measure, follower growth, engagement rate, hashtag use, content types, or share of voice. These KPIs will shape your analysis.

Whatever you decide, EmbedSocial offers you various key performance indicators for analysis, including authors, content types, sentiment analysis, and much more:

4. Monitor competitor content and engagement regularly

Keep track of how often they post, what content formats they use, and which posts spark the most interaction. Patterns will start to emerge quickly.

As you saw above, EmbedSocial’s social media monitoring tools help you surface trending content, discover frequently used hashtags, and monitor consumers in real time.

5. Compare performance against your own brand

Stack your performance metrics side by side to see how you measure up. That way, you reveal gaps, winning strategies, and underperforming areas.

Benchmarking inside EmbedSocial makes it easy to compare your engagement and reach with those of your competitors, visually and in exportable formats.

You can just run the Analytics service on all the competitors you choose and then compare all relevant charts to discover trends and areas to improve.

6. Adjust your social media strategy based on insights

Finally, turn your analysis into action. Adjust your posting frequency, start benchmarking social media accounts from other platforms, test new content types, adopt tactics you see working well for others, and do all of this on a regular basis.

EmbedSocial allows you to generate and share benchmarking reports across your team, helping you make smarter, faster decisions based on real data.

Best tools to monitor competitors’ social media

To track your competitors effectively, you’ll need a reliable tool that goes beyond surface-level stats. From social listening tools to engagement comparison platforms, the right choice will make your competitive benchmarking actionable.

That said, here are five of the best tools to monitor competitors’ social media, starting with one built for performance and simplicity.

EmbedSocial. Best for visual benchmarking and UGC-driven insights

EmbedSocial is an all-in-one UGC platform that also includes social media listening tools designed to help brands and agencies monitor, analyze, and benchmark their competitors’ social media presence. With social listening, keyword tracking, and visual reporting, it helps teams stay on top of what others in the industry are doing, and how they’re performing:

Here’s what makes EmbedSocial a top choice for social media competitor benchmarking:

• Track competitor content across platforms: view real-time posts from public accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and more;
• Monitor brand mentions and hashtags: an excellent brand monitoring tool to set up keyword triggers to track campaigns and user sentiment;
• Analyze engagement and sentiment side-by-side: compare reactions to your posts and theirs on a single dashboard;
• Generate competitor benchmarking reports: quickly export visual comparisons across multiple metrics, which provide valuable insights;
• Spot trends and content opportunities: discover which formats or topics are resonating with your competitors’ audiences;
• Share insights across teams: turn these industry reports and competitive data into action by exporting and sharing branded reports.

If your brand needs a streamlined way to benchmark competitors using visual insights, track mentions, and combine UGC analysis with social listening, EmbedSocial is your best fit, especially for agencies and multi-location businesses.

Sprout Social. Best for enterprise-level competitive reporting

Sprout Social offers robust tools for analyzing competitors at scale. It’s designed for businesses that need detailed reporting and collaboration features across multiple team members or departments. If you want to dive deep into metrics like share of voice and content effectiveness, this is a solid pick:

Here are Sprout Social’s key features for monitoring competitors on social media:

• Compare follower growth across brands: track gains and losses to benchmark performance over time;
• Measure share of voice: see how much attention your competitors are getting in industry conversations;
• Analyze post-level engagement: break down how each competitor post performs across likes, comments, and shares;
• Track trends via listening dashboards: monitor keywords and hashtags used by competing brands;
• Collaborate with team reporting tools: share competitor insights easily with internal teams;
• Automate competitor reports: get regular email summaries of how you and your competitors stack up.

Sprout Social is ideal for larger teams and enterprise brands that need deep analytics, structured reports, and the ability to monitor multiple competitors across multiple channels at scale.

Hootsuite. Best for managing and monitoring in one dashboard

Hootsuite combines scheduling with monitoring, making it a smart pick for marketers who want to manage content while keeping tabs on the competition. You can build streams for hashtags, competitor profiles, or keywords, all from a single dashboard:

These Hootsuite features are helpful for social media competitor benchmarking:

• Set up real-time monitoring streams: track competitor profiles, hashtags, or keywords easily;
• Compare engagement trends across accounts: analyze which brands are getting the most traction;
• Track competitor activity by platform: see what they’re posting and where;
• Spot high-performing competitor content: find top posts based on engagement;
• Measure sentiment via third-party integrations: extend Hootsuite’s power with listening add-ons;
• Centralize insights in one dashboard: no need to jump between platforms.

Hootsuite is a great solution for smaller teams or solo marketers who want an easy way to monitor competitors while managing their own publishing schedule.

Mention. Best for real-time social listening and alerts

Mention specializes in real-time monitoring, giving you instant updates whenever your competitors are mentioned online. It’s lightweight but powerful, perfect for marketers who want to catch social conversations as they happen and benchmark sentiment across channels:

Top features that support competitor benchmarking include:

• Set custom alerts for competitor names: get notified when they’re mentioned on social or the web;
• Track branded keywords and hashtags: see what terms are tied to your competitors’ campaigns;
• Analyze sentiment in real time: detect whether mentions are positive, neutral, or negative;
• Export competitor data for reporting: turn listening data into reports you can present;
• Compare mention volume over time: see how your buzz stacks up against theirs;
• Benchmark PR and social activity together: monitor news, blogs, and forums too.

If your main goal is to stay on top of brand mentions, hashtags, or sentiment as it happens, Mention is perfect for lean teams or solo pros who want fast alerts and actionable insights.

Meltwater. Best for global benchmarking and media intelligence

Meltwater is a premium platform offering advanced analytics across social media, news outlets, and digital content. It’s best suited for brands wanting a broader view of competitor activity that includes both earned media and social performance:

These features make Meltwater ideal for benchmarking competitors at a global level:

• Monitor competitor mentions across social and media: track where they’re featured and discussed;
• Analyze cross-channel brand sentiment: see how public perception evolves by region or topic;
• Identify key influencers for competitor brands: see who’s boosting their reach;
• Use AI to spot content trends: get automated insights into what’s driving engagement;
• Compare brand share of voice: measure how visible your competitors are in the conversation;
• Export global benchmarking reports: ideal for enterprise stakeholders and regional teams.

Meltwater is best for enterprises or PR-focused teams that need to track competitors across both social media and traditional media worldwide.

Real-life examples of social media competitive benchmarking

Seeing how other brands benchmark their competitors in the real world makes the process more practical and inspiring. Below are three examples of how businesses can use competitive benchmarking to stay ahead on social media:

1. A DTC skincare brand tracking influencer strategies

Imagine a fast-growing skincare startup tracking Instagram campaigns from 5 competing beauty brands to analyze influencer types, post frequency, and engagement.

By benchmarking the number of sponsored posts and monitoring hashtag usage, they can fine-tune their own UGC best practices to double their reach.

With tools like EmbedSocial, they can set up keyword and hashtag analytics to automate this process and generate visual reports for each competitor.

2. A restaurant chain analyzing Google reviews and sentiment

Now, imagine a multi-location restaurant franchise wanting to understand why one rival chain was gaining popularity on Google.

By benchmarking review volume, Google star ratings, and sentiment keywords, they can discover that faster response times and consistent image uploads are key drivers. That way, they can update their playbook accordingly.

Using EmbedSocial, they can pull all Google reviews for both brands, visualize sentiment trends, and auto-generate side-by-side online review reports.

3. A SaaS company benchmarking LinkedIn content performance

Finally, imagine a B2B SaaS brand benchmarking LinkedIn performance by tracking post engagement, frequency, and tone across four direct competitors.

Тhere, they notice competitors leaning heavily into founder-led posts and customer stories, so their team shifts to include more behind-the-scenes content.

With EmbedSocial’s feed comparison and scheduling tools, this analysis could’ve been streamlined and insights tracked over time.

Common mistakes to avoid when benchmarking competitors

Even with the right tools, benchmarking can go off track if you overlook these pitfalls.

• Focusing only on vanity metrics: don’t just track follower counts or likes without context;
• Ignoring qualitative insights: benchmarking isn’t just numbers; tone, design, and messaging matter too;
• Tracking too many competitors at once: keep your list focused so insights stay relevant and manageable;
• Failing to segment by platform: what works on LinkedIn may flop on TikTok, so treat each channel individually;
• Not acting on the insights: collecting data is only useful if you actually use it to guide your strategy;
• Using manual tracking methods: spreadsheets can get messy and outdated fast without automation tools like EmbedSocial.

Avoiding these mistakes will help you benchmark with purpose, save you lots of time, effort, and never, and actually improve your performance in the process.

Conclusion: Competitive benchmarking is the key to smarter social media decisions!

Keeping track of your competitors is about learning what works, avoiding what doesn’t, and using real data to shape a smarter strategy, not copying them!

When done right, social media competitor benchmarking gives you a competitive advantage, enables you to adapt faster, and grow stronger. To do that, you need tools like EmbedSocial.

Then, the competitive analysis becomes easier, more insightful, and actually enjoyable. Plus, you can monitor, compare, and act on the competitor insights you collect!

Ready to start benchmarking smarter? Try EmbedSocial today.

FAQs on social media competitor benchmarking

What is competition benchmarking?

Competition benchmarking, or competitive benchmarking, is the process of comparing your brand’s performance to that of key competitors. It helps identify strengths, weaknesses, and growth opportunities by tracking metrics like engagement, follower growth, and sentiment.

How to create a competitive benchmark?

Wondering “How to do competitive benchmarking”? First, select your top competitors and define relevant KPIs such as post frequency, engagement rate, and content type. Then, use social media competitor benchmarking tools to collect data and compare it against your own.

What is the best way to monitor competitors on social media?

The best way to monitor competitors’ social media is to use dedicated tools like EmbedSocial that track mentions, hashtags, engagement, and content trends across platforms. This allows you to stay ahead and adapt your strategy based on real-time insights.

What are the most important metrics to benchmark?

Key metrics include engagement rate, follower growth, post frequency, sentiment, share of voice, and content performance. These indicators offer a full picture when monitoring your competitors and doing internal benchmarking of your social media efforts.

How often should I conduct a competitive benchmarking analysis?

You should perform social media competitor benchmarking quarterly or monthly to catch trends early and respond to moves by your industry competitors and market shifts. More frequent tracking may be needed during campaigns or seasonal pushes for better agility.

What tool can I use to monitor competitor content and engagement?

Tools like EmbedSocial offer powerful social listening, competitor tracking, and reporting features. You can monitor competitors’ brand social media performance in one place, compare engagement, and generate benchmark reports in seconds.