Best Social Listening Tools for Marketing Agencies in 2026
Author :
Luke Bae
Jan 26, 2026
For marketing agencies, staying ahead of the curve isn't just an advantage; it's a necessity. As the digital landscape evolves, so must the tools we use to understand it. Social listening has become the bedrock of data-driven strategy, essential for pitching new clients, navigating crises, and proving ROI. But with a flood of tools on the market, which one is right for your agency?
This guide breaks down the top social listening tools for 2026, evaluated based on criteria crucial for agency success:
Agency-Specific Features: How well does the tool support collaboration, client management, and white-label reporting?
Pricing Model: Is the pricing transparent, scalable, and friendly to an agency's margin-based business model?
Data & AI Capabilities: Does the tool cover the modern web (including video) and use AI to deliver insights, not just data?
Here are the best social listening tools to help your agency thrive.
1. Syncly Social
Syncly Social positions itself as the essential tool for the modern, video-first era. It's designed to capture the conversations happening inside TikToks, Reels, and Shorts, solving the biggest blind spot of traditional tools.
Best for: Video Intelligence & Trend-Sensitive Agencies
Key Features: Its core strength is AI-powered analysis of video content, including spoken words, on-screen text, and visual context. It boasts a 90% faster setup time thanks to AI that automatically categorizes topics, eliminating the need for complex manual queries.
Pricing: Offers a transparent, flat-rate model starting at a highly competitive $199/month, with no per-user fees that punish growing teams.
For Agencies: It's a game-changer for agencies with clients in trend-driven industries like beauty, fashion, or CPG. The combination of affordable, scalable pricing and proprietary video analysis makes it a top contender for agencies looking to future-proof their insights capability.
2. Brandwatch
Brandwatch is the heavyweight champion of data depth. It provides access to a massive archive of historical data, making it a powerhouse for market research and strategic pitches.
Best for: Deep Consumer Intelligence & Strategic Consulting
Key Features: The Iris AI analyst automatically explains data spikes, and the Vizia platform creates beautiful, real-time data visualizations for client-facing dashboards.
Pricing: Custom and high-end ($$$$). It's a significant investment.
For Agencies: Ideal for large, strategy-focused agencies that need to back their pitches with deep, historical consumer data. However, the steep learning curve and high cost can be prohibitive for smaller shops.
3. Meltwater
Meltwater started in news monitoring and expanded to social, giving it a unique edge in combining traditional and social media. It's a strong choice for PR-heavy agencies.
Best for: Integrated PR & Media Monitoring
Key Features: Offers unlimited keyword searches (on some plans) and integrates with Klear for influencer marketing. Its media coverage is among the broadest available.
Pricing: Custom and high-end ($$$$). Known for strict, multi-year contracts.
For Agencies: A go-to for agencies managing clients in B2B or the public sector, where news and PR are paramount.
4. Sprout Social
Sprout Social is widely loved for its polished, intuitive user interface. It excels at streamlining social media management workflows for teams.
Best for: User Experience & Team Collaboration
Key Features: The Smart Inbox unifies messages from all channels, and its reporting features are both powerful and easy for clients to understand.
Pricing: High and priced per-user ($$$). Critically, the powerful social listening features are a separate, expensive add-on.
For Agencies: While excellent for content management and engagement, the per-user pricing model is a major drawback for growing agencies, as costs escalate quickly with each new team member.
5. Agorapulse
Agorapulse markets itself directly to agencies and is a popular, cost-effective alternative to Sprout Social. Its feature set is designed to solve common agency pain points.
Best for: Agency Workflow Efficiency & ROI
Key Features: The Shared Calendar allows clients to approve content via a simple link, eliminating endless email chains. Its Social ROI reporting helps agencies prove their value.
Pricing: Tiered and mid-range ($$), with flexible, affordable add-ons.
For Agencies: An excellent choice for growing agencies that need to balance operational efficiency with cost. It offers many of the workflow benefits of more expensive tools at a more reasonable price point.
6. Talkwalker
Now part of the Hootsuite family, Talkwalker is a pioneer in consumer intelligence, with a strong focus on AI-powered image and video analysis.
Best for: Global Coverage & Visual Intelligence
Key Features: Its Blue Silk™ AI recognizes brand logos within images and videos, making it great for measuring sponsorship ROI. Quick Search provides instant access to 13 months of historical data.
Pricing: Custom and high-end ($$$$).
For Agencies: A powerful tool for global agencies that need multi-language support and want to quantify the value of visual brand mentions.
7. Sprinklr
Sprinklr is less a tool and more a unified platform for the entire customer experience, integrating marketing, advertising, customer service, and listening.
Best for: Unified CXM for Large Enterprises
Key Features: Provides an all-encompassing view of the customer journey with strict governance and compliance features.
Pricing: Custom and at the very top of the market ($$$$$).
For Agencies: Only suitable for the largest global agencies working with enterprise clients who need a single, unified system of record. It is far too complex and expensive for most.
8. YouScan
YouScan focuses on the premise that consumers show brands more than they mention them. Its core strength is its powerful image recognition technology.
Best for: Visual-First Analytics
Key Features: Advanced visual analytics identify logos, settings, and even demographics in images, providing rich context about how products are used.
Pricing: Custom and mid-range ($$).
For Agencies: A great specialized tool for measuring visual ROI, analyzing lifestyle trends, and understanding brand perception through images.
9. Brand24
Brand24 is a highly effective and affordable tool focused on real-time brand monitoring and reputation management.
Best for: Real-Time Reputation Monitoring on a Budget
Key Features: Its standout feature is its instant alerts for new mentions, making it excellent for catching potential crises early.
Pricing: Tiered and low-cost ($).
For Agencies: A perfect entry-level tool for startup agencies or those needing a simple, reliable monitoring and alert system without a hefty price tag.
10. Mention
Mention offers robust monitoring that extends beyond social media to include forums, blogs, and the wider web.
Best for: Comprehensive Web Monitoring
Key Features: It allows for precise monitoring with Boolean queries and has well-developed features for sending automated reports to clients.
Pricing: Tiered and low-to-mid range ($-$$).
For Agencies: A solid, affordable option for agencies that need to monitor brand mentions across a wide range of web sources, not just social platforms.
11. Keyhole
Keyhole is a specialized tool optimized for tracking the performance of hashtag campaigns and identifying key influencers.
Best for: Hashtag & Influencer Campaign Tracking
Key Features: Provides real-time analytics on campaign reach, engagement, and top contributors, presented in visually appealing reports.
Pricing: Tiered and mid-range ($$).
For Agencies: The go-to tool for agencies that run a lot of influencer marketing campaigns or hashtag-driven events and need to report on their performance in real-time.
12. BuzzSumo
While not a traditional listening tool, BuzzSumo is an essential resource for content strategy. It analyzes what content performs best for any topic or competitor.
Best for: Content Marketing & Viral Analysis
Key Features: Identifies the most shared content across the web, finds key influencers in any niche, and provides powerful content research tools.
Pricing: Tiered and mid-to-high range ($$-$$$).
For Agencies: An indispensable tool for content-focused agencies to generate ideas, build effective content strategies, and identify outreach targets.
Choosing the Right Tool for Your Agency's Stage
Not every agency needs every tool. Your choice should depend on your size, business model, and strategic priorities. Here's a practical guide:
Startup & Small Agencies
Recommended Stack: Brand24 + Agorapulse
For agencies just starting out, the priority is keeping fixed costs low while still delivering basic monitoring and social management. Brand24 provides reliable, real-time brand monitoring at minimal cost, while Agorapulse handles content scheduling and team collaboration without the per-user pricing penalty. Focus on operational excellence and basic monitoring rather than deep analytics.
Growing & Boutique Agencies
Recommended Stack: Agorapulse + Syncly Social
As you grow and take on more clients, you need to differentiate. Agorapulse's shared calendar feature streamlines client approvals and saves your team hours each month. Add Syncly Social to your stack to unlock cutting-edge video intelligence—this is your competitive edge. Syncly's flat-rate pricing means your margins stay protected even as you scale. This combination positions you as a forward-thinking agency that understands modern social media.
Large & Full-Service Agencies
Recommended Stack: Brandwatch (or Meltwater) + Syncly Social
At this scale, you're competing for enterprise clients who demand deep market research and strategic insights. Brandwatch's historical data and Iris AI give you the ammunition to win pitches with data-backed recommendations. Complement this with Syncly Social to cover the video gap that even premium tools miss. If your clients are heavily focused on PR and traditional media, substitute Meltwater for Brandwatch. For the most demanding clients, consider adding Sprinklr for unified governance and compliance.
The Bottom Line
The social listening landscape has matured significantly. There's no single "best" tool—only the best tool for your agency's specific needs and stage. What matters most is choosing a tool that aligns with your business model, supports your team's growth, and helps you deliver the insights your clients demand.
In 2026, video intelligence is no longer optional. Whether you're a startup or a full-service powerhouse, make sure your social listening toolkit includes a tool that understands the modern, video-first web. That's where Syncly Social comes in.
For marketing agencies, staying ahead of the curve isn't just an advantage; it's a necessity. As the digital landscape evolves, so must the tools we use to understand it. Social listening has become the bedrock of data-driven strategy, essential for pitching new clients, navigating crises, and proving ROI. But with a flood of tools on the market, which one is right for your agency?
This guide breaks down the top social listening tools for 2026, evaluated based on criteria crucial for agency success:
Agency-Specific Features: How well does the tool support collaboration, client management, and white-label reporting?
Pricing Model: Is the pricing transparent, scalable, and friendly to an agency's margin-based business model?
Data & AI Capabilities: Does the tool cover the modern web (including video) and use AI to deliver insights, not just data?
Here are the best social listening tools to help your agency thrive.
1. Syncly Social
Syncly Social positions itself as the essential tool for the modern, video-first era. It's designed to capture the conversations happening inside TikToks, Reels, and Shorts, solving the biggest blind spot of traditional tools.
Best for: Video Intelligence & Trend-Sensitive Agencies
Key Features: Its core strength is AI-powered analysis of video content, including spoken words, on-screen text, and visual context. It boasts a 90% faster setup time thanks to AI that automatically categorizes topics, eliminating the need for complex manual queries.
Pricing: Offers a transparent, flat-rate model starting at a highly competitive $199/month, with no per-user fees that punish growing teams.
For Agencies: It's a game-changer for agencies with clients in trend-driven industries like beauty, fashion, or CPG. The combination of affordable, scalable pricing and proprietary video analysis makes it a top contender for agencies looking to future-proof their insights capability.
2. Brandwatch
Brandwatch is the heavyweight champion of data depth. It provides access to a massive archive of historical data, making it a powerhouse for market research and strategic pitches.
Best for: Deep Consumer Intelligence & Strategic Consulting
Key Features: The Iris AI analyst automatically explains data spikes, and the Vizia platform creates beautiful, real-time data visualizations for client-facing dashboards.
Pricing: Custom and high-end ($$$$). It's a significant investment.
For Agencies: Ideal for large, strategy-focused agencies that need to back their pitches with deep, historical consumer data. However, the steep learning curve and high cost can be prohibitive for smaller shops.
3. Meltwater
Meltwater started in news monitoring and expanded to social, giving it a unique edge in combining traditional and social media. It's a strong choice for PR-heavy agencies.
Best for: Integrated PR & Media Monitoring
Key Features: Offers unlimited keyword searches (on some plans) and integrates with Klear for influencer marketing. Its media coverage is among the broadest available.
Pricing: Custom and high-end ($$$$). Known for strict, multi-year contracts.
For Agencies: A go-to for agencies managing clients in B2B or the public sector, where news and PR are paramount.
4. Sprout Social
Sprout Social is widely loved for its polished, intuitive user interface. It excels at streamlining social media management workflows for teams.
Best for: User Experience & Team Collaboration
Key Features: The Smart Inbox unifies messages from all channels, and its reporting features are both powerful and easy for clients to understand.
Pricing: High and priced per-user ($$$). Critically, the powerful social listening features are a separate, expensive add-on.
For Agencies: While excellent for content management and engagement, the per-user pricing model is a major drawback for growing agencies, as costs escalate quickly with each new team member.
5. Agorapulse
Agorapulse markets itself directly to agencies and is a popular, cost-effective alternative to Sprout Social. Its feature set is designed to solve common agency pain points.
Best for: Agency Workflow Efficiency & ROI
Key Features: The Shared Calendar allows clients to approve content via a simple link, eliminating endless email chains. Its Social ROI reporting helps agencies prove their value.
Pricing: Tiered and mid-range ($$), with flexible, affordable add-ons.
For Agencies: An excellent choice for growing agencies that need to balance operational efficiency with cost. It offers many of the workflow benefits of more expensive tools at a more reasonable price point.
6. Talkwalker
Now part of the Hootsuite family, Talkwalker is a pioneer in consumer intelligence, with a strong focus on AI-powered image and video analysis.
Best for: Global Coverage & Visual Intelligence
Key Features: Its Blue Silk™ AI recognizes brand logos within images and videos, making it great for measuring sponsorship ROI. Quick Search provides instant access to 13 months of historical data.
Pricing: Custom and high-end ($$$$).
For Agencies: A powerful tool for global agencies that need multi-language support and want to quantify the value of visual brand mentions.
7. Sprinklr
Sprinklr is less a tool and more a unified platform for the entire customer experience, integrating marketing, advertising, customer service, and listening.
Best for: Unified CXM for Large Enterprises
Key Features: Provides an all-encompassing view of the customer journey with strict governance and compliance features.
Pricing: Custom and at the very top of the market ($$$$$).
For Agencies: Only suitable for the largest global agencies working with enterprise clients who need a single, unified system of record. It is far too complex and expensive for most.
8. YouScan
YouScan focuses on the premise that consumers show brands more than they mention them. Its core strength is its powerful image recognition technology.
Best for: Visual-First Analytics
Key Features: Advanced visual analytics identify logos, settings, and even demographics in images, providing rich context about how products are used.
Pricing: Custom and mid-range ($$).
For Agencies: A great specialized tool for measuring visual ROI, analyzing lifestyle trends, and understanding brand perception through images.
9. Brand24
Brand24 is a highly effective and affordable tool focused on real-time brand monitoring and reputation management.
Best for: Real-Time Reputation Monitoring on a Budget
Key Features: Its standout feature is its instant alerts for new mentions, making it excellent for catching potential crises early.
Pricing: Tiered and low-cost ($).
For Agencies: A perfect entry-level tool for startup agencies or those needing a simple, reliable monitoring and alert system without a hefty price tag.
10. Mention
Mention offers robust monitoring that extends beyond social media to include forums, blogs, and the wider web.
Best for: Comprehensive Web Monitoring
Key Features: It allows for precise monitoring with Boolean queries and has well-developed features for sending automated reports to clients.
Pricing: Tiered and low-to-mid range ($-$$).
For Agencies: A solid, affordable option for agencies that need to monitor brand mentions across a wide range of web sources, not just social platforms.
11. Keyhole
Keyhole is a specialized tool optimized for tracking the performance of hashtag campaigns and identifying key influencers.
Best for: Hashtag & Influencer Campaign Tracking
Key Features: Provides real-time analytics on campaign reach, engagement, and top contributors, presented in visually appealing reports.
Pricing: Tiered and mid-range ($$).
For Agencies: The go-to tool for agencies that run a lot of influencer marketing campaigns or hashtag-driven events and need to report on their performance in real-time.
12. BuzzSumo
While not a traditional listening tool, BuzzSumo is an essential resource for content strategy. It analyzes what content performs best for any topic or competitor.
Best for: Content Marketing & Viral Analysis
Key Features: Identifies the most shared content across the web, finds key influencers in any niche, and provides powerful content research tools.
Pricing: Tiered and mid-to-high range ($$-$$$).
For Agencies: An indispensable tool for content-focused agencies to generate ideas, build effective content strategies, and identify outreach targets.
Choosing the Right Tool for Your Agency's Stage
Not every agency needs every tool. Your choice should depend on your size, business model, and strategic priorities. Here's a practical guide:
Startup & Small Agencies
Recommended Stack: Brand24 + Agorapulse
For agencies just starting out, the priority is keeping fixed costs low while still delivering basic monitoring and social management. Brand24 provides reliable, real-time brand monitoring at minimal cost, while Agorapulse handles content scheduling and team collaboration without the per-user pricing penalty. Focus on operational excellence and basic monitoring rather than deep analytics.
Growing & Boutique Agencies
Recommended Stack: Agorapulse + Syncly Social
As you grow and take on more clients, you need to differentiate. Agorapulse's shared calendar feature streamlines client approvals and saves your team hours each month. Add Syncly Social to your stack to unlock cutting-edge video intelligence—this is your competitive edge. Syncly's flat-rate pricing means your margins stay protected even as you scale. This combination positions you as a forward-thinking agency that understands modern social media.
Large & Full-Service Agencies
Recommended Stack: Brandwatch (or Meltwater) + Syncly Social
At this scale, you're competing for enterprise clients who demand deep market research and strategic insights. Brandwatch's historical data and Iris AI give you the ammunition to win pitches with data-backed recommendations. Complement this with Syncly Social to cover the video gap that even premium tools miss. If your clients are heavily focused on PR and traditional media, substitute Meltwater for Brandwatch. For the most demanding clients, consider adding Sprinklr for unified governance and compliance.
The Bottom Line
The social listening landscape has matured significantly. There's no single "best" tool—only the best tool for your agency's specific needs and stage. What matters most is choosing a tool that aligns with your business model, supports your team's growth, and helps you deliver the insights your clients demand.
In 2026, video intelligence is no longer optional. Whether you're a startup or a full-service powerhouse, make sure your social listening toolkit includes a tool that understands the modern, video-first web. That's where Syncly Social comes in.
For marketing agencies, staying ahead of the curve isn't just an advantage; it's a necessity. As the digital landscape evolves, so must the tools we use to understand it. Social listening has become the bedrock of data-driven strategy, essential for pitching new clients, navigating crises, and proving ROI. But with a flood of tools on the market, which one is right for your agency?
This guide breaks down the top social listening tools for 2026, evaluated based on criteria crucial for agency success:
Agency-Specific Features: How well does the tool support collaboration, client management, and white-label reporting?
Pricing Model: Is the pricing transparent, scalable, and friendly to an agency's margin-based business model?
Data & AI Capabilities: Does the tool cover the modern web (including video) and use AI to deliver insights, not just data?
Here are the best social listening tools to help your agency thrive.
1. Syncly Social
Syncly Social positions itself as the essential tool for the modern, video-first era. It's designed to capture the conversations happening inside TikToks, Reels, and Shorts, solving the biggest blind spot of traditional tools.
Best for: Video Intelligence & Trend-Sensitive Agencies
Key Features: Its core strength is AI-powered analysis of video content, including spoken words, on-screen text, and visual context. It boasts a 90% faster setup time thanks to AI that automatically categorizes topics, eliminating the need for complex manual queries.
Pricing: Offers a transparent, flat-rate model starting at a highly competitive $199/month, with no per-user fees that punish growing teams.
For Agencies: It's a game-changer for agencies with clients in trend-driven industries like beauty, fashion, or CPG. The combination of affordable, scalable pricing and proprietary video analysis makes it a top contender for agencies looking to future-proof their insights capability.
2. Brandwatch
Brandwatch is the heavyweight champion of data depth. It provides access to a massive archive of historical data, making it a powerhouse for market research and strategic pitches.
Best for: Deep Consumer Intelligence & Strategic Consulting
Key Features: The Iris AI analyst automatically explains data spikes, and the Vizia platform creates beautiful, real-time data visualizations for client-facing dashboards.
Pricing: Custom and high-end ($$$$). It's a significant investment.
For Agencies: Ideal for large, strategy-focused agencies that need to back their pitches with deep, historical consumer data. However, the steep learning curve and high cost can be prohibitive for smaller shops.
3. Meltwater
Meltwater started in news monitoring and expanded to social, giving it a unique edge in combining traditional and social media. It's a strong choice for PR-heavy agencies.
Best for: Integrated PR & Media Monitoring
Key Features: Offers unlimited keyword searches (on some plans) and integrates with Klear for influencer marketing. Its media coverage is among the broadest available.
Pricing: Custom and high-end ($$$$). Known for strict, multi-year contracts.
For Agencies: A go-to for agencies managing clients in B2B or the public sector, where news and PR are paramount.
4. Sprout Social
Sprout Social is widely loved for its polished, intuitive user interface. It excels at streamlining social media management workflows for teams.
Best for: User Experience & Team Collaboration
Key Features: The Smart Inbox unifies messages from all channels, and its reporting features are both powerful and easy for clients to understand.
Pricing: High and priced per-user ($$$). Critically, the powerful social listening features are a separate, expensive add-on.
For Agencies: While excellent for content management and engagement, the per-user pricing model is a major drawback for growing agencies, as costs escalate quickly with each new team member.
5. Agorapulse
Agorapulse markets itself directly to agencies and is a popular, cost-effective alternative to Sprout Social. Its feature set is designed to solve common agency pain points.
Best for: Agency Workflow Efficiency & ROI
Key Features: The Shared Calendar allows clients to approve content via a simple link, eliminating endless email chains. Its Social ROI reporting helps agencies prove their value.
Pricing: Tiered and mid-range ($$), with flexible, affordable add-ons.
For Agencies: An excellent choice for growing agencies that need to balance operational efficiency with cost. It offers many of the workflow benefits of more expensive tools at a more reasonable price point.
6. Talkwalker
Now part of the Hootsuite family, Talkwalker is a pioneer in consumer intelligence, with a strong focus on AI-powered image and video analysis.
Best for: Global Coverage & Visual Intelligence
Key Features: Its Blue Silk™ AI recognizes brand logos within images and videos, making it great for measuring sponsorship ROI. Quick Search provides instant access to 13 months of historical data.
Pricing: Custom and high-end ($$$$).
For Agencies: A powerful tool for global agencies that need multi-language support and want to quantify the value of visual brand mentions.
7. Sprinklr
Sprinklr is less a tool and more a unified platform for the entire customer experience, integrating marketing, advertising, customer service, and listening.
Best for: Unified CXM for Large Enterprises
Key Features: Provides an all-encompassing view of the customer journey with strict governance and compliance features.
Pricing: Custom and at the very top of the market ($$$$$).
For Agencies: Only suitable for the largest global agencies working with enterprise clients who need a single, unified system of record. It is far too complex and expensive for most.
8. YouScan
YouScan focuses on the premise that consumers show brands more than they mention them. Its core strength is its powerful image recognition technology.
Best for: Visual-First Analytics
Key Features: Advanced visual analytics identify logos, settings, and even demographics in images, providing rich context about how products are used.
Pricing: Custom and mid-range ($$).
For Agencies: A great specialized tool for measuring visual ROI, analyzing lifestyle trends, and understanding brand perception through images.
9. Brand24
Brand24 is a highly effective and affordable tool focused on real-time brand monitoring and reputation management.
Best for: Real-Time Reputation Monitoring on a Budget
Key Features: Its standout feature is its instant alerts for new mentions, making it excellent for catching potential crises early.
Pricing: Tiered and low-cost ($).
For Agencies: A perfect entry-level tool for startup agencies or those needing a simple, reliable monitoring and alert system without a hefty price tag.
10. Mention
Mention offers robust monitoring that extends beyond social media to include forums, blogs, and the wider web.
Best for: Comprehensive Web Monitoring
Key Features: It allows for precise monitoring with Boolean queries and has well-developed features for sending automated reports to clients.
Pricing: Tiered and low-to-mid range ($-$$).
For Agencies: A solid, affordable option for agencies that need to monitor brand mentions across a wide range of web sources, not just social platforms.
11. Keyhole
Keyhole is a specialized tool optimized for tracking the performance of hashtag campaigns and identifying key influencers.
Best for: Hashtag & Influencer Campaign Tracking
Key Features: Provides real-time analytics on campaign reach, engagement, and top contributors, presented in visually appealing reports.
Pricing: Tiered and mid-range ($$).
For Agencies: The go-to tool for agencies that run a lot of influencer marketing campaigns or hashtag-driven events and need to report on their performance in real-time.
12. BuzzSumo
While not a traditional listening tool, BuzzSumo is an essential resource for content strategy. It analyzes what content performs best for any topic or competitor.
Best for: Content Marketing & Viral Analysis
Key Features: Identifies the most shared content across the web, finds key influencers in any niche, and provides powerful content research tools.
Pricing: Tiered and mid-to-high range ($$-$$$).
For Agencies: An indispensable tool for content-focused agencies to generate ideas, build effective content strategies, and identify outreach targets.
Choosing the Right Tool for Your Agency's Stage
Not every agency needs every tool. Your choice should depend on your size, business model, and strategic priorities. Here's a practical guide:
Startup & Small Agencies
Recommended Stack: Brand24 + Agorapulse
For agencies just starting out, the priority is keeping fixed costs low while still delivering basic monitoring and social management. Brand24 provides reliable, real-time brand monitoring at minimal cost, while Agorapulse handles content scheduling and team collaboration without the per-user pricing penalty. Focus on operational excellence and basic monitoring rather than deep analytics.
Growing & Boutique Agencies
Recommended Stack: Agorapulse + Syncly Social
As you grow and take on more clients, you need to differentiate. Agorapulse's shared calendar feature streamlines client approvals and saves your team hours each month. Add Syncly Social to your stack to unlock cutting-edge video intelligence—this is your competitive edge. Syncly's flat-rate pricing means your margins stay protected even as you scale. This combination positions you as a forward-thinking agency that understands modern social media.
Large & Full-Service Agencies
Recommended Stack: Brandwatch (or Meltwater) + Syncly Social
At this scale, you're competing for enterprise clients who demand deep market research and strategic insights. Brandwatch's historical data and Iris AI give you the ammunition to win pitches with data-backed recommendations. Complement this with Syncly Social to cover the video gap that even premium tools miss. If your clients are heavily focused on PR and traditional media, substitute Meltwater for Brandwatch. For the most demanding clients, consider adding Sprinklr for unified governance and compliance.
The Bottom Line
The social listening landscape has matured significantly. There's no single "best" tool—only the best tool for your agency's specific needs and stage. What matters most is choosing a tool that aligns with your business model, supports your team's growth, and helps you deliver the insights your clients demand.
In 2026, video intelligence is no longer optional. Whether you're a startup or a full-service powerhouse, make sure your social listening toolkit includes a tool that understands the modern, video-first web. That's where Syncly Social comes in.
Build a brand customers love with Syncly
Build a brand customers love with Syncly