TikTok Social Listening: Complete Guide [2025]

Are you overwhelmed with keeping track of your clients’ TikTok chatter?

You’re not alone—and that’s exactly why you need TikTok social listening. 

TikTok is filled with millions of videos, making it challenging to keep up with what audiences say about your clients’ brands and the trends that are popping off. 

So, how do you cut through the noise?

How do you ensure you don’t miss key insights and opportunities for clients among the sea of TikTok voices, mentions, comments, and messages?

The answer: TikTok social listening.

Listening lets you track brand mentions, competitors, and the latest trends to shape and inform your TikTok strategy. 

This comprehensive guide covers the nuts and bolts of TikTok social listening, including how it works and the best tools for getting started. 

Let’s dive right in.

What you will learn

• What is TikTok social listening?
• Why is TikTok social listening important?
• How to perform TikTok social listening 
• TikTok social listening tips to get actionable insights
• What TikTok social listening is NOT
• FAQs on TikTok social listening
• Leverage TikTok social listening to turn chaos into clarity

What is TikTok social listening?

TikTok social listening is about tracking and analyzing mentions, conversations, and trends on the platform. 

Generally, TikTok listening aims to help you better understand your client’s brand perception, audiences, and industry trends. 

However, listening is more than tracking views and likes—it’s about paying attention to what people actually say in your clients’ video comments, hashtags, and captions.

Must read: Help! Why My TikTok Videos Are Not Getting Views

Social listening on TikTok can be a powerful way to unveil real-time insights, identify emerging trends, and even prevent potentially catastrophic PR issues before they snowball. 

Tuning in to the TikTok chatter can reveal insights that help you make more informed content decisions for your clients’ social media marketing campaigns. 

It can also help you foster interactions that drive authentic engagement and keep your clients ahead of their competitors. 

Think of listening as your TikTok intel hub that can give you the insider scoop on what your clients’ audiences care about, guiding your content strategies. 

Why is TikTok social listening important?

Social listening on TikTok is crucial because it helps you do the following. 

Catch subtle brand mentions

Not every TikTok user tags your client’s brand when talking about them (and the platform’s search isn’t always helpful with this). 

With social listening, you can uncover those mentions you didn’t even know existed in the TikTok carousel comments, short videos, or post captions where your client’s username appears organically.

Must read: TikTok Carousels: What Is It and How to Create One

TikTok social listening = Superpowers for detecting brand awareness.

Spot trends before they blow up

TikTok trends move really fast, like blink, and you’ll miss them. 

One minute, you have a random audio clip, and before you know it, thousands, if not millions, of videos already use it in their TikTok videos.

Social listening provides insights to help you spot these rising audio, hashtags, or content before they go mainstream. 

This way, you can help your clients’ videos and brands ride the popularity wave early, boosting their chances of going viral.

Understand what audiences care about

One of the best ways to learn what your audiences think (and uncover recurring themes) is to examine your clients’ TikTok comments section. 

Social listening can help you decode what your clients’ followers love or don’t like. 

You can leverage the insights to tailor content that resonates with viewers rather than just creating content that fills your clients’ TikTok feeds. 

Stay ahead of potential PR drama

TikTok users are often quick to call out brands.

The issue can snowball in a few hours if you don’t stay on top of the potential storm. 

That is why actively listening is essential.

You can catch issues early by tracking audience sentiment and spotting unusual negative chatter spikes about your clients’ brands. 

Must read: 10 Social Media Sentiment Analysis Strategies for 2025

This lets you and your clients respond accordingly while keeping their brand reputations intact.

Get real time insights to fuel your content calendar

Social listening insights can be a goldmine of TikTok and other social media content ideas. 

For instance, you can draw inspiration from what TikTok users are talking about right now—whether a viral comment thread, a new challenge, or a community concern. 

With this, you’ll have a treasure trove of ideas to turn into relevant, timely, and engaging content that speaks to your audiences’ needs, interests, and pain points. 

How to perform TikTok social listening 

A reliable social listening platform is the best way to conduct social listening on TikTok. 

One such tool is Vista Social. 

The modern solution is an all-in-one social media management platform that offers essential features, from post scheduling to social listening and sentiment analysis. 

The platform’s social media listening tool allows you to monitor conversations around your brand, competitors, or industry across supported platforms. 

It helps you extract insights, identify trends, and engage with your audience more effectively.

While direct TikTok social listening is limited due to API restrictions, you can still monitor TikTok-related mentions and keywords on other public channels such as news, blogs, forums, and across social media platforms where TikTok content is discussed. 

Follow the steps below to leverage Vista Social for TikTok social listening. 

Step 1: Go to the Listening page

From your Vista Social Dashboard, navigate to the left-hand menu and select Listening.

Click the + Add listener option at the top to set up a new Listener.

Step 2: Set up your Listener

Choose your Listener type:

• Internal: Listens to your clients’ connected social profiles
• External: Monitors broader web content, news sites, and other supported social networks

Next, name your listener and add a short description.

Under Pick your sources, select the social media channel where TikTok content may be discussed, such as Instagram or Facebook (you can choose multiple sources).

Step 3: Add your keywords and filters

In the “Craft your query” section, input keywords and phrases relevant to TikTok, such as:

• “TikTok trends”
• “TikTok influencer marketing”
• “TikTok + [your client’s brand name]”
• Hashtags such as #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt

Use AND/OR logic to group keywords and exclude irrelevant terms using the “Excluded Keywords” option.

You can refine your results using filters, such as:

• Sentiment (positive, negative, mixed, neutral)
• Language
• Location
• Other demographic filters 

To help fine-tune your keywords, you can also preview sample results from the past 30 days (Available only for certain channels such as X/Twitter).

Step 4: Monitor and manage Listener results

After saving, your listener will start pulling in relevant social conversations and content.

On the Listeners Overview page, you can see the following:

• Total results
• Engagement levels
• Sentiment breakdown

Click Results to view detailed conversations and mentions.

Step 5: Engage with the pulled comments

You can click through to the comments on TikTok that your Listener pulled and respond to them from Vista Social via the Social Inbox. 

Note: The Social Inbox includes Vista Social’s AI Assistant, which you can use to generate timely, relevant, and engaging responses instantly. 

You can also use it to refine your responses with one click. 

The AI Assistant also works in Vista Social’s social media publishing feature (Publisher) to help you generate post captions, descriptions, and taglines. 

Step 6: Export your reports

Use the Export button to download listener performance reports for internal reporting or sharing with your team and clients.

You can also schedule and generate sentiment analysis reports from your Listener’s data. 

Must read: How to Perform Social Media Sentiment Analysis this 2025

You can set the report’s date range to the specific reporting period you want to see. 

Additional tips to make the most of Vista Social for TikTok social listening:

• Combine listening with your TikTok publishing strategy to track the impact of your clients’ campaigns and react in real time
• Regularly update your Listener’s keyword list to reflect trending topics or hashtags relevant to your clients’ industries.
• If you run influencer campaigns, consider monitoring mentions of influencers or branded hashtags outside TikTok to get more comprehensive insights

Explore more of Vista Social’s robust social media management features, such as:

• Post approval workflows
• Content calendar
• Link in bio tool with customizable landing pages (Vista Page)
• Social media including TikTok analytics and reports
• Engagement and community management tools
• Employee advocacy
• Review management
• Content scheduling, including bulk publishing and post queueing 
• Custom social media report templates
• Task management and team collaboration tools
• Business tools integrations (Slack, Zapier, and more)

TikTok social listening tips to get actionable insights

Nail your social listening on TikTok to uncover crucial insights with the tried and true tips below. 

Don’t just listen but watch

When it comes to TikTok, traditional social listening via keywords and mentions tracking is only half the story.

TikTok is a visual-first social media platform, so tone, music, facial expressions, on-screen text, and editing styles can all mean something.

However, you may miss their real sentiment or meaning if you only look at captions or transcripts.

What you can do:

• Watch full videos, especially ones that mention your clients’ brands or products
• Pay attention to the vibe. Are people excited, sarcastic, annoyed, or confused?
• Look at what’s in the background—your client’s product sitting on a shelf or in a “favorites” list is just as valuable as a direct shoutout

Let’s say your client owns a skincare brand. 

A TikTok creator may not tag your client’s account, but they casually say in a Get Ready With Me (GRWM) video, “This serum is the only thing that fixes my dry skin.”

With social listening, you can capture this unsolicited and authentic social proof, which you can easily weave into your content and social media strategy. 

Use TikTok’s native search strategically

TikTok’s search bar isn’t just for curiosity browsing—it can also be a mini social listening tool.

The platform’s algorithm prioritizes recency and relevance.

So, use TikTok for social listening to find fresh, trending social media content about your client’s brand, product, or industry in seconds.

Below are what you can look for via TikTok’s search feature.

• Your client’s brand name or product, including common misspellings and nicknames
• Competitor brands to help you compare sentiment and content styles
• Phrases such as “I wish [brand] would,” “TikTok made me buy…” or “Best [product category] on TikTok”

When using TikTok for social listening, opt for the “Top” and “Most Recent” filters to surface the newest or most viral content. 

Using social listening insights from TikTok can help you uncover trends in how people discover or talk about your clients’ brands.

Track hashtags but go beyond the obvious

Yes, your clients’ branded hashtags are important, but relying solely on these is like trying to read a novel by skimming one paragraph.

The real deal happens when you dive into community and trend-based hashtags—the ones your clients’ audiences already use organically.

Below are a few tips to expand your hashtag scope.

• Branded hashtags. These are your clients’ staples, such as #Vistasocialapp, #socialmediamanagementapp)
• Niche communities. Tap into hashtags such as #MomTok (for parenting brands), #CleanTok (for cleaning products), or #FoodTok (for anything food-related)
• Trending or emotional tags. Look for hashtags such as #ThingsTikTokMadeMeBuy or #TikTokTaughtMe for honest customer or user reactions and reviews

Use Vista Social’s hashtag tools to track hashtag performance, find rising hashtags, and see how your content stacks up in those conversations. 

It’s a great way to find what’s gaining traction before your competitors do.

Track comments and duets with your videos

Your clients’ TikTok content is only the beginning. 

What happens after you post comments, stitches, and duets is where the unfiltered feedback lives.

These interactions can be a direct window into whether your clients’ content lands (or not). 

Consider tracking the following. 

• Comments. Are people asking the same questions? That’s a clue you need more clarity in your content or that there’s a content idea waiting for you to capitalize on it
• Duets and stitches. These are mini-responses to your content. If people stitch your client’s TikTok tutorial to say, “this didn’t work for me,” that’s valuable feedback. Are TikTok users duetting with a rave review? That’s even better

Consider creating a weekly checklist to review your clients’ top five most engaged posts, common comment themes, and new duets or stitches mentioning their brands.

It takes 15 minutes, and your gathered insights could inspire your client’s next campaign or prevent a customer service headache.

Track and learn from competitors

There’s no shame in a little digital eavesdropping. 

After all, competitor analysis is cornerstone of strategic social listening.

Tracking what your clients’ competitors do and how their audiences respond helps you uncover gaps in the market and trends they’re missing.

Conduct competitor tracking right with the quick tips below. 

• Follow the TikTok accounts of your clients’ competitors. You can use a private, secondary, or different account so you don’t mess with your client’s algorithm
• Monitor the competitors’ most successful videos, including their TikTok content styles, length, and hook.
• Read the comments. Are people confused, dissatisfied, or asking for features your clients already offer?

Look for opportunities where your clients can say, “Hey, we do that better.” 

Then, create TikTok content that gently highlights your clients’ competitive advantages without being shady or aggressive.

What TikTok social listening is NOT

To help you make the most of listening, let’s clear up a few common misconceptions about what TikTok social listening is not. 

It’s not just reading comments on your videos

While engaging with your clients’ audiences is great, social listening goes beyond their TikTok comments section. 

Listening involves tracking brand mentions, keywords, conversations and hashtags anywhere on TikTok—even on videos you didn’t post or know existed. 

It’s like having ears everywhere (in a non-creepy way).

It’s not the same as social monitoring

Social media monitoring and listening get mixed up a lot. 

Must read: Social Media Monitoring vs. Social Media Listening

Social monitoring is more about watching notifications and counting likes, mentions, or tags. 

On the other hand, social listening is about analyzing that data to understand how people feel, what they talk about, and what it all means for your client’s brand strategy. 

TL;DR: Monitoring tells you what’s happening—listening tells you why it matters.

It’s not only about spying on competitors 

Keeping tabs on the competition is a solid move when conducting social listening.

However, TikTok social listening is way more than competitor recon. 

It’s about tapping into the mindset of your clients’ audiences, exploring trends, and following industry chatter. 

Social listening also involves figuring out where your clients’ brands can authentically join the conversation—or start one.

It’s not a one-and-done task

TikTok trends don’t wait for anyone. 

One day, it’s “Get ready with me,” and the next, it’s “Core memory.” 

If you only check in once a month, you’re missing the good stuff. 

Social listening works best when consistent, ideally baked into your weekly social media management workflow. 

Doing so lets you catch the sentiment, interests, and pain points of your target audience on TikTok, as well as other crucial insights, in real time and react while they’re still hot.

It’s not a magical solution

Social listening won’t suddenly make your clients’ videos go viral (sorry! ☹️).

However, it can help you create content more in tune with your clients’ audiences’ needs, boost engagement, and amplify their TikTok presence.

Social listening enables you to avoid publishing “meh” TikTok posts that flop, whether dance challenges or video quotes.  

Must read: 201+ Top, Popular TikTok Quotes to Get Views And Followers

Essentially, listening can give you the intel to make smart, creative content and audience engagement decisions, not shots in the dark.

It’s not just for crisis control

Social listening is a great early warning system when your client’s brand perception and engagement go sideways. 

However, it’s also incredibly useful for spotting praise, understanding customer needs, and jumping into conversations that can boost your clients’ brand reputations and foster organic growth.

Must read: TikTok Organic Growth: The Ultimate How-To Guide [2024]

Don’t wait until there’s a fire—use TikTok social listening to spark positive momentum too.

It’s not something only big brands can do

You don’t need a massive team or budget to ensure effective social listening on TikTok. 

Various social media listening platforms (including free or affordable options) can help small teams efficiently gather TikTok insights. 

Must read: Top 10 Social Media Listening Platforms in 2025

With the right social listening strategy on TikTok, including the right setup and tools, even a single person can do powerful listening. 

It’s not all about hashtags

Hashtags are just one piece of the puzzle. 

TikTok social listening also detects keywords in captions, trending audio, user comments, visual content, and even slang. 

People don’t always use hashtags, so if you track only that, you’re missing a huge chunk of your TikTok audience’s conversations.

It’s not limited to your niche

Your client’s brand doesn’t exist in a vacuum. 

Broader cultural moments, unexpected trends, or viral memes can impact how your clients’ audiences view them. 

Must read: How to Go Viral on TikTok: Actionable & Easy-to-Follow Tips

TikTok social listening helps you stay in the loop, so you can ensure your clients join relevant conversations or avoid stepping into ones that don’t align with their company values.

It’s not a guessing game

Gone are the days of throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. 

With social listening, you work with real-time audience insights and data from TikTok. 

You’ll know what your TikTok audiences talk about, how they feel, and where your clients’ brands can add value—no more content roulette.

FAQs on TikTok social listening

How does TikTok’s algorithm influence social listening?

TikTok’s algorithm prioritizes content based on user engagement, relevance, and watch time. 

Must read: TikTok Algorithm 2024 Explained: How It Works + Tips to Go Viral

Understanding these factors is the lifeblood when it comes to social listening, since they determine which content gains visibility and how trends emerge. 

Analyzing algorithm-driven content can help you identify which videos resonate with your target audience.​

What are the challenges of conducting social listening on TikTok?

One challenge is that TikTok does not offer a public API for social listening, making it difficult for third-party tools to access data. 

As a result, some tools may use unofficial methods to gather information, which may not always be reliable. 

Combining reputable tools with manual searches for comprehensive monitoring is essential.

Are there any free tools available for TikTok social listening?

While comprehensive TikTok listening tools often come with a cost, some platforms offer free versions with limited capabilities. 

Additionally, manually using TikTok’s search and “Discover” features can be a free method of monitoring certain keywords and trends relevant to your client’s social listening campaign and content strategy.

Leverage TikTok social listening to turn chaos into clarity

TikTok can feel like digital chaos with its never-ending content stream, unfiltered opinions, and fast-moving trends. 

However, the right social listening strategy can help you cut through the noise and uncover the insights that matter. 

From tracking brand sentiment to spotting content opportunities, listening gives you the clarity to make smarter and faster marketing decisions that lead to TikTok’s success. 

Ready to simplify the chaos and put those insights to work? 

Start social listening and social media management like a boss with Vista Social.

Start your Vista Social account and turn TikTok buzz into real business results.