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Social Listening Report Skill
For: Marketing strategists, insights researchers, brand managers, agency analysts Philosophy: Data doesn't speak — insights do. The report's value is in what you decide to do next.
How to Use This Skill
| User says... | Go to module |
|---|---|
| "create a listening report" / "analyze our mentions" / "brand health report" | → [MODULE 1: Brand Listening Report] |
| "compare us vs competitors" / "share of voice" / "benchmark" | → [MODULE 2: Competitive Benchmark] |
| "campaign report" / "did the campaign work?" / "measure launch" | → [MODULE 3: Campaign Performance Report] |
| "monthly report" / "quarterly report" / "annual wrap" | → [MODULE 4: Periodic Reports] |
| "what are the trends?" / "emerging topics" / "what's being talked about" | → [MODULE 5: Trend & Insights Report] |
| "train my team" / "explain listening metrics" / "what does SOV mean" | → [MODULE 6: Metrics Glossary & Training] |
Before executing any module: ask the user what data they have available (raw CSV, platform export, screenshots, or manual data). Adapt the output format to their data quality.
MODULE 1 — Brand Listening Report
Trigger: User wants a structured report on how their brand is being talked about online.
Step 1: Data Intake
Ask if not provided:
- Brand/company name and main product or service
- Time period (last 7d / 30d / quarter / custom)
- Data source (Talkwalker, Brandwatch, Sprout Social, manual, screenshots)
- Platforms to include (Twitter/X, Instagram, Reddit, news, forums, TikTok, LinkedIn)
- Language(s) (EN, ES, both, other)
- Audience or persona to focus on (optional but improves insight quality)
Step 2: Report Structure
BRAND LISTENING REPORT
──────────────────────
Brand: [Name] | Period: [Date range] | Prepared by: [Analyst]
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (5 bullet points max)
└── Top 3 findings + 1 recommendation + 1 risk to watch
VOLUME & REACH
├── Total mentions: [X] (+/-% vs previous period)
├── Total reach/impressions: [X]
├── Daily mention trend: [chart or table]
└── Spike analysis: [any days with unusual volume — what caused it?]
SENTIMENT BREAKDOWN
├── Positive: [X]%
├── Neutral: [X]%
├── Negative: [X]%
└── Sentiment trend: [improving / declining / stable]
CHANNEL DISTRIBUTION
[Pie or table: % of mentions by platform]
├── Twitter/X: [X]%
├── Instagram: [X]%
├── Reddit: [X]%
├── News: [X]%
└── Other: [X]%
TOP CONTENT
├── Most-shared post/article about the brand
├── Top positive mention (quote + link)
├── Top negative mention (quote + link)
└── Influencer mentions (>10K followers who mentioned brand)
KEY THEMES
[Categorize what people are actually saying]
├── Theme 1: [Label] — [X]% of mentions — [1-line description]
├── Theme 2: [Label] — [X]% of mentions
└── Theme 3: [Label] — [X]% of mentions
AUDIENCE PROFILE
├── Top demographics (if available)
├── Top locations
└── Top interests/affinities of people mentioning the brand
RECOMMENDATIONS
├── [Action 1 — specific, tied to a finding]
├── [Action 2]
└── [Action 3]
RISKS TO MONITOR
└── [Any negative theme, emerging FUD, or competitor narrative to watch]Step 3: Insight Quality Rules
- Every data point must connect to a "so what?" — no orphan numbers
- Spike analysis is mandatory: if volume spiked, explain why
- Sentiment alone is not an insight. "Sentiment is 72% positive" → so what? Compare to benchmark, explain drivers
- Always end with recommendations — a report with no next steps is decoration
MODULE 2 — Competitive Benchmark
Trigger: User wants to compare brand performance vs. competitors.
Step 1: Competitive Set Definition
Ask:
- Brand being analyzed (the client/subject)
- 2–4 competitor brands to benchmark against
- Metric priority: SOV / engagement / sentiment / follower growth / content performance
Step 2: Benchmark Report Structure
COMPETITIVE BENCHMARK REPORT
─────────────────────────────
Category: [Industry/vertical] | Period: [Date range]
SHARE OF VOICE (SOV)
[Brand] vs [Comp1] vs [Comp2] vs [Comp3]
Brand | Mentions | SOV % | Change vs prev period
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
[Brand] | [X] | [X]% | [+/-%]
[Competitor 1] | [X] | [X]% | [+/-%]
[Competitor 2] | [X] | [X]% | [+/-%]
[Competitor 3] | [X] | [X]% | [+/-%]
SENTIMENT COMPARISON
[Same table format, with sentiment % per brand]
ENGAGEMENT RATE COMPARISON
[By platform: Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn]
CONTENT STRATEGY OBSERVATIONS
├── [Brand]: Posts [X] times/week. Top performing format: [type]. Key theme: [topic]
├── [Comp1]: [same structure]
└── [Comp2]: [same structure]
SHARE OF CONVERSATION BY TOPIC
[If multiple relevant topics exist: who owns each conversation]
Topic: [Security] — Leader: [Brand X] with [Y]% of conversation
Topic: [Innovation] — Leader: ...
Topic: [Community] — Leader: ...
GAPS & OPPORTUNITIES
├── [Topic or audience segment where [Brand] is underrepresented]
├── [Competitor weakness that [Brand] could exploit]
└── [Emerging conversation that nobody owns yet]
STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATIONS
[Specific actions based on competitive findings]SOV Calculation:
SOV (Brand) = (Brand Mentions / Total Mentions in Category) × 100Total = sum of all brand mentions in the competitive set.
MODULE 3 — Campaign Performance Report
Trigger: User ran a campaign (launch, event, paid, organic) and needs to measure results.
Step 1: Campaign Context
Ask:
- Campaign name and objective
- Start and end dates
- Channels used
- KPIs set beforehand (if any)
- Budget (if relevant)
- Hashtag or keyword to track
Step 2: Report Structure
CAMPAIGN PERFORMANCE REPORT
────────────────────────────
Campaign: [Name] | Objective: [Awareness/Engagement/Conversion/etc]
Period: [dates] | Channels: [list]
RESULTS VS. OBJECTIVES
Objective | Target | Actual | Result
────────────────────────────────────────────────
[KPI 1] | [X] | [X] | ✅ / ❌ / ⚠️
[KPI 2] | [X] | [X] | ✅ / ❌ / ⚠️
REACH & VISIBILITY
├── Total impressions: [X]
├── Unique accounts reached: [X]
├── Hashtag uses: [X]
└── Earned media value: [$X] (if calculable)
ENGAGEMENT
├── Total engagements: [X]
├── Engagement rate: [X]%
├── Top performing piece of content: [title + metrics]
└── Most shared content: [link]
AUDIENCE RESPONSE
├── Sentiment: [X]% positive / [X]% neutral / [X]% negative
├── Top themes in response: [list]
└── Notable organic amplifiers (accounts that shared without being asked)
PAID PERFORMANCE (if applicable)
├── Total spend: [$X]
├── CPM: [$X]
├── CPC: [$X]
├── CTR: [X]%
└── Conversions: [X] at [$X CPA]
LEARNINGS
├── What worked and why
├── What didn't work and why
└── What to test in the next campaign
RECOMMENDATION FOR NEXT CAMPAIGN
[One concrete, actionable change based on this data]MODULE 4 — Periodic Reports (Monthly / Quarterly / Annual)
Trigger: User needs a structured recurring report.
Monthly Report Template
[BRAND] MONTHLY LISTENING REPORT — [MONTH YEAR]
1-MINUTE SUMMARY
[3 bullet points: what happened, what it means, what to do]
MONTH IN NUMBERS
[Key metrics vs previous month — volume, sentiment, SOV, reach]
WHAT PEOPLE WERE SAYING
[Top 5 themes with volume %]
WHAT HAPPENED (events that drove conversation)
[Timeline of mentions spikes linked to specific events]
COMPETITIVE SNAPSHOT
[1-paragraph summary of competitor landscape this month]
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NEXT MONTH
[3 specific, prioritized actions]Annual Report Add-ons
Include for annual reports:
- YoY comparison (all major metrics)
- "Moments that defined the year" — top 5 narrative events
- Brand health trajectory chart
- Prediction/outlook for next year
- Strategic priorities based on year's data
MODULE 5 — Trend & Insights Report
Trigger: User wants to understand emerging topics, cultural trends, or audience interests.
Trend Analysis Framework
WHAT: What is being talked about? (volume + keywords) WHO: Who is talking about it? (audience profile, influencer map) WHERE: Which platforms are hosting this conversation? WHY NOW: What triggered this trend? (event, viral content, cultural moment) SO WHAT: What does this mean for the brand?
Trend Report Output
TREND & INSIGHTS REPORT
───────────────────────
Topic: [Trend name] | Period: [dates]
TREND OVERVIEW
[2–3 sentences: what the trend is and its current momentum]
VOLUME SIGNAL
├── Mentions this period: [X]
├── Growth vs. previous period: [+X%]
└── Peak day: [date + what happened]
KEY VOICES
├── Top accounts driving conversation: [list with follower count]
└── Content format dominating: [text / video / image / meme]
AUDIENCE AFFINITY
Who is engaging with this trend: [demographics/psychographics if available]
BRAND RELEVANCE
├── Opportunity: [how the brand could authentically participate]
├── Risk: [how engaging could backfire]
└── Verdict: [Engage now / Monitor / Avoid]
CONTENT IDEAS (if relevant)
[3 specific content angles the brand could take on this trend]MODULE 6 — Metrics Glossary & Training
Trigger: User or team needs to understand social listening metrics.
Core Metrics Definitions
| Metric | Definition | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Share of Voice (SOV) | % of total category mentions a brand owns | Competitive position indicator |
| Sentiment Score | Ratio of positive/neutral/negative mentions | Brand health proxy |
| Reach | Potential unique accounts exposed to mentions | Awareness ceiling |
| Impressions | Total times content was displayed | Visibility volume |
| Engagement Rate | Engagements / Reach × 100 | Quality of connection |
| Mention Volume | Raw count of brand mentions in a period | Baseline activity |
| Earned Media | Organic mentions without paid promotion | Trust indicator |
| Influencer Tier | Nano (<10K) / Micro (10K–100K) / Macro (100K–1M) / Mega (1M+) | Outreach planning |
| Share of Conversation | % of topic discussion a brand owns | Thought leadership proxy |
| Net Sentiment | % Positive − % Negative | Single-number health score |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Reporting volume without context (high volume ≠ good)
- Treating all sentiment as equal (10 negative news articles ≠ 10 random negative tweets)
- Ignoring dark social (WhatsApp, private Telegram, Discord — often largest channels)
- Benchmarking against irrelevant competitors
- Confusing reach with impressions (one account can generate multiple impressions)
General Quality Rules
- Insight first, data second. Lead every section with the "so what," not the numbers.
- One page executive summary — always. Decision-makers don't read full reports.
- Compare to something. Numbers mean nothing without a benchmark, previous period, or competitor.
- Visualize when possible. Even a text table beats a paragraph of numbers.
- Recommendations must be specific. "Increase engagement" is not a recommendation. "Post 3 educational threads per week on X targeting developers" is.
- Be honest about data quality. If the sample is small or the tool has limitations, say so.
*Social Listening Report Skill v1.0* *Built for marketing strategists and insights researchers who turn data into decisions.*