If you’re here, you’re probably trying to find a tool that actually lets you search social media—not just scroll through trending hashtags or click around aimlessly. You want something that helps you pull real insights from the firehose of content pouring out of TikTok, X, Instagram, Reddit, and beyond. At Websays, we help brands, agencies, and researchers do exactly that. In this post, we’ll break down how to cut through the noise, what to look for in a social media search tool, and how Websays compares to other platforms on the market.
At Websays, we help brands, agencies, and researchers do exactly that. In this post, we’ll break down how to cut through the noise, what to look for in a social media search tool, and how Websays compares to other platforms on the market.
Native Search Tools Are Built for Browsing—Not for Strategy
Let’s get something out of the way: the built-in search bars on social media platforms are fine for casual use, but they fall short when you actually need to get something done.
You’ve probably run into this:
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Instagram limits you to hashtags and usernames.
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TikTok gives you viral sound and tag trends, but lacks post-level filtering.
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X (Twitter) has a surprisingly robust advanced search—but you’re still manually combing through results.
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Reddit and LinkedIn have some filtering but not nearly enough if you’re tracking sentiment or mentions across time.
If you’re monitoring a brand, running a campaign, or trying to find trends before they hit the mainstream, you’ll need something far more powerful.
Why We Built Websays for Serious Social Media Search
We created Websays because we were frustrated with tools that only scratched the surface. Our platform is designed for people who want to search across social media—and beyond—with precision, speed, and real business value.
With Websays, you can:
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Search across social networks, forums, blogs, and news outlets
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Track keywords, brand names, hashtags, or even emojis
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Segment by sentiment, language, geography, or channel
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Get alerted when volume spikes or sentiment drops
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Visualize the evolution of a conversation, not just isolated posts
And yes, there’s a free tier so you can test the waters before diving in.
Other Tools That Offer Social Media Search (and How They Compare)
We’ll give credit where it’s due—there are other tools out there worth knowing about. Here’s a quick rundown of the ones people compare us to most often:
🔍 Talkwalker
Enterprise-grade tool with strong visuals and AI-driven insights. Great for large brands and agencies with big budgets. Pricey, but powerful.
💬 Brand24
Solid value for smaller businesses. Real-time tracking and alerts, decent dashboards. Lacks some of the advanced segmentation and data export options Websays offers.
🔗 BuzzSumo
More focused on content performance than raw search. Best used for analyzing what articles and blog posts are getting shared, not day-to-day social chatter.
🧵 X (Twitter) Advanced Search
Still one of the best-kept secrets for free power users. You can filter by keywords, engagement, date range, and more. Manual, though—you’ll spend hours if you need to track more than a few terms.
How Our Users Actually Use Websays to Search Social Media
We’ve seen Websays used in dozens of ways, but here are the most common scenarios from our community:
🧠 Spotting Early Trends
Track emerging topics across TikTok, Reddit, and X to catch rising product ideas, viral formats, or cultural shifts before they hit the mainstream.
📉 Managing Brand Risk
Set up keyword monitors and get alerted when there’s a spike in negative sentiment around your brand or a competitor.
💬 Live Campaign Monitoring
Watch how audiences are reacting to a new launch or announcement in real time—filter by platform, sentiment, or influencer reach.
🤝 Finding Authentic Influencers
Instead of relying on outdated influencer databases, see who’s organically posting about your industry—and what kind of engagement they’re getting.
Power User Tips (From the Websays Team)
We’ve worked with thousands of brands and analysts—these are the top techniques we always recommend:
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Boolean logic is your friend: Combine terms with AND/OR/NOT to refine your results.
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Track nicknames, typos, and emojis: People don’t always tag you by name. You’d be surprised how often brands miss entire conversations this way.
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Don’t sleep on forums: Reddit is often where signals start before they spread to social.
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Use Websays tags + exports: Tag posts for internal workflows, export findings for decks or stakeholder reports in one click.
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Set alerts for spikes: Know when something’s about to blow up—or blow over—before your inbox fills up.
Final Thoughts: You Don’t Need Another Dashboard—You Need Clarity
There are plenty of tools that promise to “monitor conversations.” But if you’ve ever opened one and thought, cool… but now what?, you’re not alone.
At Websays, we focus on making search actually actionable. You don’t just get data—you get visibility. You get alerts when it matters. You get insights you can use today.
If you’re tired of digging through noise and screenshots, give Websays a try. You can start for free, or reach out and we’ll walk you through how our clients use it across industries—from fashion and consumer goods to fintech and public policy.
👉 Try Websays for Free
👉 Book a Live Demo
We’d love to show you how social media search can actually work the way you need it to.