Brand Sentiment: 5 ways to listen using industry-leading tools

What is brand sentiment?

Brand sentiment is how people feel about your brand when they talk about it. It’s not just what they’re saying, but the emotional tone behind it. Positive, neutral or negative.

Tracking brand sentiment helps you:

• Spot risks or issues early
• Understand your reputation in market
• Identify loyal advocates and vocal critics
• Fine-tune your messaging and positioning

Put simply, it’s a way to listen to your brand’s heartbeat.

Tools to measure brand sentiment

You don’t have to rely on guesswork. Here are some of the best tools and platforms to help you measure brand sentiment accurately and in real time:

1. Social listening platforms

Platforms like Brandwatch, Sprout Social, Hootsuite Insights and Meltwater allow you to monitor mentions of your brand across social media, forums and blogs. Most include sentiment analysis tools that use natural language processing to detect tone and emotion..

A major newcomer to this space is Reddit Insights — Reddit’s own AI-powered platform that lets marketers analyse its 22+ billion posts and comments to understand what people really think. It unlocks competitive intelligence, product feedback and cultural trends directly from Reddit conversations. Instead of trawling subreddits manually, you can ask brand-specific questions and get summarised, sentiment-aware answers.

Reddit has also introduced Conversation Summary Add-ons that allow brands to embed real user comments and AI-generated summaries directly into ads. It’s a bold step toward blending authentic sentiment with advertising.

Why it matters: Social media is often where people speak freely and emotionally. It’s a goldmine of real-time sentiment — and Reddit is one of the richest, most candid sources of all.

2. Google Alerts and reviews

Set up Google Alerts for your brand, competitors or keywords to stay informed when you’re mentioned online. Also, monitor Google reviews and platforms like Trustpilot, ProductReview.com.au and Yelp.

Why it matters: Reviews provide unfiltered, experience-based feedback that reflects how your brand is performing on the ground.

3. Customer surveys with sentiment scoring

Tools like Typeform, Qualtrics or SurveyMonkey allow you to capture Net Promoter Scores (NPS), satisfaction ratings and open-text feedback. Some platforms include AI-driven sentiment scoring to help you make sense of freeform responses.

Why it matters: Surveys let you go deeper and invite people to tell you not just what they think, but how they feel.

4. Media monitoring services

Platforms like Mention, Meltwater or Isentia can track your brand’s presence across news outlets, blogs and forums. They can also provide sentiment breakdowns and share of voice reports.

Why it matters: It gives you visibility over your broader public perception, especially in earned media and PR.

5. Website analytics and behavioural data

Tools like Hotjar, Google Analytics and Crazy Egg can show you how people behave on your website. While not traditional sentiment tools, they give valuable insight into what’s engaging or frustrating visitors.

Why it matters: Actions often reflect attitudes. Drop-offs or long dwell times may signal how people feel about your content.

Why it matters for brand health and belonging

Brand sentiment is more than a marketing metric. It’s a reflection of trust, reputation and emotional connection. When you understand how people feel about your brand, you’re better equipped to lead it with clarity and confidence.

At Belong Creative, we believe brands thrive when people feel emotionally connected. And you can’t create belonging without first listening to what your brand is saying back to you, through the voices of your customers, audiences and community.