How do agencies track clients and their competitors on TikTok, Instagram and Threads?
Agencies track clients and their competitors on social media by giving each client its own project, adding the client’s brand, products and main rivals as topics, and checking once a week which posts about them are taking off on TikTok, Instagram and Threads. The few posts that grew fastest go to the client call, each with a suggested reaction — before the client hears about them somewhere else.
Why do agencies watch competitors on social media?
Because every client eventually asks two questions: “what is our competitor doing?” and “what are people saying about us?”. An agency that answers with real posts — a rival’s campaign that is gaining traction, a complaint that is still small, a video comparing the two products — walks into the call ahead of the client instead of behind it.
There is a commercial reason too. A weekly competitor brief is a deliverable clients notice, and it opens upsell conversations: a counter-campaign, a reply video, a new content series.
What is social media trend tracking for agencies?
Trend tracking shows the posts in a niche that are growing fastest right now, not everything ever said. For an agency that means one view per client: the posts about the client, its products and its rivals, with the ones gaining speed at the top.
The difference from a plain search is time. Search shows what is already big. Trend tracking shows what is getting bigger, while there is still time to answer, borrow the format or warn the client. The broader method is in how to spot a trend on Threads, Instagram and TikTok before it peaks.
How do social media trend tracking tools work?
Most tools follow the same three steps:
- Topics. The agency names what to watch: the client’s brand, its products, two or three rivals, the category.
- Signals. The tool looks at the posts about those topics and how fast their likes, comments and reposts grow. A post that collects engagement faster than usual is a signal; a post that is merely old and big is not.
- Refresh. The list updates on a schedule — from every few hours to once a day, depending on the tool and the plan. The faster the refresh, the earlier a rising post shows up.
The output worth paying for is short: a handful of posts per client per week that deserve a reaction.
Can I track social trends without connecting my accounts?
Yes. Trend tracking needs topics, not logins: nobody connects an account — not the agency, not the client, and certainly not the competitor. That is exactly what watching competitors needs: there is no way to log into a rival’s account, and no need to. Adding the rival’s name as a topic is enough.
It also means a new client can be set up the day the contract is signed, without waiting for access to its social accounts.
Which networks should an agency watch?
TikTok, Instagram and Threads, together. A comparison video can start on TikTok, turn into a carousel on Instagram and into a heated thread on Threads within a week. Watching one network means seeing a third of what is said about the client.
Can I track brands across multiple languages?
Yes, and for clients selling in more than one market it is a must: the same product can be praised in Spanish and criticised in German in the same week. Track the client’s topics in every language it sells in, not only in English — see trends by language.
What does a weekly competitor review look like?
A routine that fits into an hour a week for a roster of clients:
- Monday — open each client’s project. Look at the posts about the client and its rivals that grew the most since last week.
- Sort every post into three piles. Ignore — off-topic. Note — worth watching. Act — needs a reaction this week.
- Bring three posts to the call. One about the client, one about a rival, one question buyers keep asking — each with a suggested answer.
- Send the report. The same posts as a PDF, so the client can forward it internally — see white-label reports.
- Adjust the topics. A new rival or a new product line? Add it, so it shows up next week.
The same routine works before a contract is signed: open the pitch with what is rising about the prospect and its rivals (agency pitches).
What does this look like with a real client?
An illustrative example. An agency handles a regional coffee chain. The project holds the chain’s name, its signature drinks and two rival chains. On Tuesday a rival’s new seasonal drink starts to climb, while talk about the client’s menu stays flat. On Thursday the agency brings the three fastest-growing posts to the weekly call with a counter idea — a limited drink of the client’s own — instead of hearing about the rival’s launch from the client a week later.
What should an agency look for in a trend tracking tool?
- One project per client, so brands and rivals never mix between clients.
- Rising posts first, not a full archive to dig through.
- TikTok, Instagram and Threads in one view.
- A report to send, ideally under the agency’s own brand.
The full side-by-side comparison is in the best tools to track competitors on social media. Plans, prices and the first ten minutes of setup are in tracking competitors in RISIO.ME.
Where to start?
Pick one client, add its brand and two rivals as topics, and run the weekly review for a month. By the second call the client will be asking for the report.
The agency setup in detail: watch clients and competitors. Watching one rival only: watch a competitor. In-house team instead of an agency: watch your brand and competitors.