How to Use IntentPing: Complete Guide to Finding High-Intent Leads

Why Most People Fail at Social Listening (And How You Can Succeed)

Sarah launched her SaaS product six months ago. She signed up for a social listening tool, added her brand name as a keyword, and waited. Three months later: zero leads, hundreds of irrelevant mentions, and a canceled subscription.

Sound familiar?

The problem wasn't the tool. It was how she used it. Social listening is powerful, but only when you know exactly what to monitor and how to filter the noise. This guide will show you how to use IntentPing effectively so you can find high-intent leads, not just generic mentions.

By the end of this guide, you'll know how to:

• Create laser-focused listeners that find real opportunities
• Choose keywords that attract buyers, not browsers
• Use filters to surface the most valuable conversations
• Monitor your usage and upgrade strategically
• Get support when you need it

Let's dive in.

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1. How to Create an Effective Listener

A listener is your automated scout that monitors social platforms 24/7 for specific conversations. Think of it as a smart filter that only shows you mentions worth your attention.

What You'll Need

Before creating a listener, ask yourself:

• Who am I trying to reach? (SaaS founders, marketers, developers, etc.)
• What problem do I solve? (project management, email marketing, analytics, etc.)
• Where do my customers hang out? (Reddit, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.)
• What are they actively searching for? (alternatives, solutions, recommendations)

Step-by-Step: Creating Your First Listener

Step 1: Name Your Listener

Give your listener a clear, descriptive name that tells you exactly what it's monitoring.

Good examples:

• "Notion Alternative Seekers"
• "Email Marketing Tool Complaints"
• "CRM Software Recommendations"

Bad examples:

• "Listener 1"
• "Test"
• "My Keywords"

A clear name helps you organize multiple listeners and quickly identify which one caught a hot lead.

Step 2: Add Keywords (The Most Important Part)

Keywords are the heart of your listener. Choose them wisely.

The 3 Types of High-Intent Keywords:

Keyword Type	Example	Why It Works
Alternative-Seeking	"alternative to Notion", "Trello replacement", "better than Asana"	Shows active comparison and buying intent
Problem-Based	"struggling with email marketing", "project management is a mess", "need better analytics"	Indicates pain points you can solve
Recommendation Requests	"best CRM for startups", "recommend a good tool for", "what do you use for"	People actively asking for solutions

How to Add Multiple Keywords:

Type your keyword and press Enter or comma (,) to add it. You can add multiple keywords at once by separating them with commas:

Example: notion alternative, notion competitor, better than notion

Pro Tips for Keyword Selection:

1. Use natural language: People don't say "project management software solution." They say "need a tool to manage projects."

2. Include variations:

   • "email tool" and "email software" and "email platform"
   • "alternative to Mailchimp" and "Mailchimp alternative" and "Mailchimp competitor"

3. Think like your customer: What would YOU search for if you needed your product?

4. Start broad, then narrow: Begin with 5-10 core keywords. Add more as you see what works.

Keyword Limits by Plan:

• Free Trial: 15 keywords per listener
• Starter: 15 keywords per listener
• Pro: 50 keywords per listener
• Enterprise: Unlimited keywords

Step 3: Exclude Words (Filter the Noise)

Not all mentions are valuable. The exclude words feature helps you filter out irrelevant conversations.

Common Exclude Words:

• Job-related terms: "hiring", "job opening", "we're looking to hire"
  • Why? You want customers, not job applicants
• Unrelated contexts: "free", "cracked", "torrent", "pirated"
  • Why? These people aren't paying customers
• Wrong intent: "review copy", "press kit", "sponsorship"
  • Why? These are media inquiries, not buying signals

Example:

If you're monitoring "email marketing tool," exclude words like "job", "hiring", "intern" to avoid job postings.

Step 4: Author Filters (Advanced Targeting)

Sometimes you want to monitor specific people or exclude certain users.

Use "Only from these authors" when:

• Monitoring influencers in your industry
• Tracking competitor executives
• Following specific community leaders

Use "Exclude these authors" when:

• Filtering out spammers
• Ignoring competitors' marketing accounts
• Removing bot accounts

Pro tip: Most users can skip author filters at first. Add them later if you notice patterns in irrelevant mentions.

Step 5: Set Your Goal (Let AI Do the Heavy Lifting)

This is where IntentPing's AI magic happens. Your goal tells the AI exactly what you're looking for, so it can score relevance accurately.

What to Write in Your Goal:

Be specific about what makes a mention valuable to you.

Examples of Good Goals:

• "I want to find SaaS founders complaining about their current project management tool and looking for alternatives."

• "Find marketing professionals asking for recommendations on email marketing software for small businesses."

• "Identify developers discussing analytics tools and looking for alternatives to Google Analytics."

Examples of Bad Goals:

• "Find customers" (too vague)
• "Get sales" (not specific enough)
• "Monitor mentions" (doesn't tell AI what's valuable)

Why This Matters:

IntentPing uses AI to score every mention on a scale of 0.0 to 1.0 for relevance. Your goal helps the AI understand what a perfect match looks like. Only mentions scoring 0.4 or higher are saved, keeping your feed clean.

Scoring Breakdown:

• 0.85-1.0: Strong buying intent, actively seeking solutions
• 0.65-0.85: Clear interest, comparing options
• 0.5-0.65: Relevant pain point mentioned
• Below 0.4: Filtered out automatically

Step 6: Choose Platforms

Select which social platforms to monitor. Currently available:

• ✅ Reddit: Active communities discussing tools and solutions
• ✅ Twitter (X): Real-time conversations and quick questions
• ✅ LinkedIn: Professional discussions and B2B opportunities
• ✅ Bluesky: Growing community of early adopters

Platform Selection Tips:

If You're Selling	Monitor
B2B SaaS	Reddit, LinkedIn, Twitter
Developer Tools	Reddit, Hacker News (coming soon), Twitter
Consumer Apps	Reddit, Twitter, Bluesky
Enterprise Solutions	LinkedIn, Twitter

You can select multiple platforms for comprehensive coverage.

Step 7: Customize Appearance (Optional)

Choose a color to easily identify your listener in the dashboard. This helps when managing multiple listeners.

Color options: Sunbeam (yellow), Ocean (blue), Forest (green), Sunset (orange), Lavender (purple), Rose (pink)

Step 8: Save and Activate

Click Create Listener and your monitoring begins immediately. IntentPing will start scanning platforms and building your feed.

What Happens Next:

1. Initial Scan: IntentPing searches for recent mentions (last 7 days)
2. AI Classification: Each mention is scored for relevance
3. Feed Population: High-scoring mentions appear in your feed
4. Ongoing Monitoring: Scheduled daily scans find new mentions
5. Instant Alerts: Get notified when high-intent matches are found

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2. Navigating Your Feed and Using Filters

Once your listener is active, IntentPing starts populating your feed with relevant mentions. Here's how to make the most of it.

Understanding Your Feed

Your feed displays all mentions found by your listeners, with the newest at the top. Each mention card shows:

• Platform icon: Where the conversation happened (Reddit, Twitter, etc.)
• Username: Who posted it
• Title/Content: What they said
• Matched Keywords: Which of your keywords triggered this mention
• AI Relevance Score: How well it matches your goal (High, Medium, Low)
• AI Intent Tags: Buying intent, complaint, comparison, question, etc.
• Engagement metrics: Upvotes, comments (platform-dependent)
• Timestamp: When it was posted

Filter Options

Use filters to quickly find the exact mentions you need.

Filter by Platform

Click the platform dropdown to view mentions from a specific platform only.

Use this when:

• You want to focus on Reddit conversations (often more detailed)
• You're running a Twitter engagement campaign
• You're targeting LinkedIn for B2B leads

Filter by Intent Type

IntentPing's AI automatically tags mentions with intent types:

• Buying Intent: Active search for solutions
• Complaint: Frustration with current tools
• Comparison: Evaluating multiple options
• Question: Asking for recommendations
• Discussion: General conversation about the topic

Pro Strategy: Focus on "Buying Intent" and "Comparison" tags first. These are your hottest leads.

Filter by Relevance Score

• High (0.85-1.0): Your top priorities, respond to these first
• Medium (0.65-0.85): Good opportunities, review daily
• Low (0.5-0.65): Contextual mentions, review when you have time

Time-Saving Tip: Start your day by filtering for "High" relevance only. Respond to these before checking medium or low.

Filter by Status

• New: Mentions you haven't seen yet
• Seen: Mentions you've viewed
• All: Everything

Daily Workflow Suggestion:

1. Check "New" + "High Relevance" first thing in the morning
2. Respond to top opportunities
3. Mark as "Seen" after reviewing
4. Check "Medium Relevance" later in the day

Listener Switching

Use the sidebar to switch between different listeners. This helps you:

• Focus on one campaign at a time
• Compare performance between different keyword sets
• Organize your workflow by product or use case

Example Workflow:

• Morning: Check "Competitor Alternatives" listener
• Afternoon: Review "Problem-Based" listener
• Evening: Scan "Industry Questions" listener

Bulk Actions

Take action on multiple mentions:

• Export to CSV: Download mentions for analysis or CRM import
• Bookmark: Save important conversations for later
• Archive: Remove irrelevant mentions from your feed
• Mark as Seen: Batch-process reviewed mentions

Pro Tip: Export weekly reports to track which keywords drive the most qualified leads.

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3. Monitoring Your Usage

Understanding your usage helps you stay within limits and upgrade at the right time.

Where to Check Usage

Navigate to Settings > Billing or check the Usage Stats Card in your sidebar.

What's Tracked

IntentPing tracks three key metrics:

1. Mentions Count

This is the total number of high-intent mentions (relevance score ≥ 0.4) found for you.

Limits by Plan:

Plan	Monthly Mention Limit
Free Trial	2,000 mentions (7 days)
Starter	2,000 mentions/month
Pro	10,000 mentions/month
Enterprise	Unlimited

What Happens When You Hit the Limit:

• You can still view existing mentions
• New mentions won't be collected until next billing cycle
• You'll receive a notification at 80% usage
• Consider upgrading to avoid missing opportunities

2. Active Listeners

Number of listeners you have created and actively monitoring.

Limits by Plan:

Plan	Listener Limit
Free Trial	5 listeners
Starter	5 listeners
Pro	15 listeners
Enterprise	Unlimited

Strategy: Start with 2-3 highly focused listeners. Add more as you identify winning keyword combinations.

3. Keywords Per Listener

Total keywords across all your listeners.

Limits by Plan:

Plan	Keywords Per Listener
Free Trial	15 keywords
Starter	15 keywords
Pro	50 keywords
Enterprise	Unlimited

Optimization Tip: Review your keywords monthly. Remove low-performing keywords and add new high-intent variations.

Usage Alerts

IntentPing automatically notifies you when:

• You reach 80% of your mention limit
• You reach 100% of your mention limit
• Your free trial has 3 days remaining
• A listener finds an unusually high number of matches

Best Practice: Set a monthly calendar reminder to review usage and performance metrics.

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4. When and How to Upgrade

Upgrading at the right time ensures you never miss valuable opportunities.

Signs You Should Upgrade

From Free Trial to Starter

✅ You've found at least 3 qualified leads during trial
✅ You're consistently hitting the 2,000 mention limit
✅ You want to continue monitoring after 7 days
✅ The ROI is clear (even 1 customer pays for months)

From Starter to Pro

✅ You're hitting the 2,000 mention limit monthly
✅ You need more than 5 listeners (multiple products/campaigns)
✅ You want more keywords per listener (15 isn't enough)
✅ You're running serious growth campaigns
✅ You've acquired customers worth $1,000+ from IntentPing

From Pro to Enterprise

✅ You're consistently hitting 10,000 mentions per month
✅ Your team needs unlimited access
✅ You want dedicated support and onboarding
✅ You need custom integrations or features
✅ IntentPing is mission-critical for your growth

How to Upgrade

Step 1: Visit Pricing Page

Click Upgrade in the sidebar or navigate to Settings > Billing > Manage Subscription.

Step 2: Choose Your Plan

Compare plans and select the one that fits your needs:

Starter ($39/month):

• Perfect for solo founders and small teams
• 2,000 mentions, 5 listeners, 15 keywords
• All platforms, AI scoring, export features

Pro ($99/month):

• Ideal for growing startups and agencies
• 10,000 mentions, 15 listeners, 50 keywords
• Everything in Starter + higher limits

Enterprise (Custom pricing):

• For large teams and enterprises
• Unlimited everything
• Dedicated support, custom integrations, priority features

Visit our pricing page for detailed comparison and current pricing.

Step 3: Complete Checkout

• Secure payment via DodoPay
• Instant activation
• No setup required
• Cancel anytime (no long-term contracts)

Step 4: Verify Upgrade

After upgrading:

1. Check Usage Stats in sidebar
2. Verify new limits are reflected
3. Create additional listeners if needed
4. Increase keywords on existing listeners

Pro Tip: We're much more affordable than competitors like F5Bot or ReplyGuy while offering more features and better accuracy.

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5. Getting Help and Support

Contact Options

Email Support

Primary: support@intentping.com
Response Time: Within 24 hours (usually much faster)

When to email:

• Technical issues or bugs
• Billing questions
• Feature requests
• General inquiries

Pro Tip: Include your account email and listener name when reporting issues for faster resolution.

In-App Help

Look for the ? icon in your dashboard for:

• Quick tutorials
• Feature documentation
• Common solutions

Community & Resources

• Video Tutorial: Watch our listener creation guide
• Blog: Check our blog for tips, strategies, and case studies
• FAQ: Visit our FAQ section for instant answers

Common Issues and Solutions

"My listener isn't finding any mentions"

Possible causes:

1. Keywords are too specific or niche
2. Goal is too restrictive for AI
3. Platforms don't have recent discussions on this topic

Solutions:

• Broaden your keywords (add synonyms, variations)
• Simplify your goal
• Add more platforms
• Wait 24 hours for initial scan to complete

"I'm getting too many irrelevant mentions"

Possible causes:

1. Keywords are too broad
2. Missing exclude words
3. Goal isn't specific enough

Solutions:

• Add exclude words to filter noise
• Make keywords more specific
• Refine your goal to be more detailed
• Use author exclusions if needed

"How do I know if a mention is worth responding to?"

Look for:

• High relevance score (0.85+)
• "Buying Intent" or "Comparison" tags
• Questions asking for recommendations
• Complaints about competitors
• Recent posts (respond within 24 hours)

Avoid:

• Old posts (7+ days old)
• Posts with many existing recommendations
• Off-topic discussions
• Self-promotional spam threads

Enterprise Support

Enterprise customers get:

• Dedicated account manager
• Priority support (2-hour response time)
• Custom onboarding and training
• Direct Slack or Teams integration
• Quarterly strategy reviews

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Bonus: Pro Tips from Power Users

Tip 1: Create Listener Templates

Once you find a winning keyword combination, duplicate the structure for related topics.

Example: If "Notion alternative" works great, create similar listeners for "Trello alternative", "Asana alternative", etc.

Tip 2: Layer Your Listeners

Instead of one massive listener with 50 keywords, create focused listeners:

• Listener 1: Competitor alternatives (high buying intent)
• Listener 2: Problem-based (pain point discovery)
• Listener 3: Industry questions (thought leadership)

This makes it easier to prioritize and respond strategically.

Tip 3: Time Your Engagement

Research shows the best times to respond on each platform:

• Reddit: Within 2-4 hours of posting (threads are still active)
• Twitter: Within 30 minutes (fast-moving timeline)
• LinkedIn: Within 6-12 hours (slower pace, professional tone)

Tip 4: Track Conversion Metrics

Create a simple spreadsheet:

• Mention URL
• Date found
• Relevance score
• Responded? (Yes/No)
• Result (trial signup, customer, no response)

This helps you identify which keywords drive actual revenue.

Tip 5: Combine with Your CRM

Export weekly CSV reports and import leads into your CRM for:

• Follow-up sequences
• Attribution tracking
• ROI calculation
• Team collaboration

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Your Next Steps

Now that you know how to use IntentPing effectively, here's your action plan:

Today:

1. Create your first listener with 5-10 high-intent keywords
2. Write a clear, specific goal for the AI
3. Add relevant exclude words
4. Select appropriate platforms

This Week:

1. Review mentions daily
2. Respond to high-relevance opportunities
3. Track which keywords find the best leads
4. Refine your listener based on results

This Month:

1. Create 2-3 additional focused listeners
2. Export and analyze performance data
3. Optimize keywords based on conversion data
4. Upgrade if you're hitting usage limits

Remember: Social listening is a skill that improves with practice. Your first listener might need tweaking, and that's completely normal. The key is to start, iterate, and refine.

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Start Finding High-Intent Leads Today

IntentPing takes the manual work out of social listening so you can focus on what matters: building relationships and closing deals.

Ready to get started? Sign up for free and create your first listener in under 5 minutes.

Have questions? Email us at support@intentping.com or check out our complete FAQ.

More Resources:

• Watch the video tutorial
• Read about social listening strategies
• Compare IntentPing vs alternatives

Happy listening! 🎯