In a nutshell: The Rodz API gives you six social signal types to track LinkedIn and social platform activity in real time: social-mentions, social-reactions, influencer-engagement, company-page-engagement, company-followers, and competitor-connections. This guide covers what each signal detects, when to use it, how to configure it with cURL, what the webhook payloads look like, and how to combine them into a unified engagement strategy. If you sell to growing companies, these signals show you who’s gaining momentum before the rest of the market notices.
What Are Social Signals?
Social signals are business events derived from public social media activity. They capture patterns in how companies, their leaders, and their audiences interact on platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter/X, and industry forums. Unlike financial signals (funding rounds, M&A) that reflect boardroom decisions, social signals reflect market perception and community engagement. They’re leading indicators: a spike in follower growth or a burst of influencer mentions often precedes a funding announcement, a product launch, or a hiring push.
For B2B sales and marketing teams, social signals answer a specific question: which companies are gaining attention right now? When a company’s LinkedIn page suddenly attracts 40% more followers in a month, when an industry influencer comments on their latest post, or when their CEO is mentioned across multiple threads, something is happening. That something is often a buying opportunity.
The Rodz API exposes six distinct social signal types. Each one monitors a different facet of social activity, and each one can be configured independently with its own filters, thresholds, and webhook destinations. Together, they give you a complete view of a company’s social footprint.
This guide assumes you’ve already set up authentication with the Rodz API. If not, start with Getting Started: Authentication and Your First Request before continuing here.
Prerequisites
Before configuring social signals, make sure you have the following:
- A Rodz account with API access enabled. API access is included on all paid plans.
- Your API key, generated from the Rodz dashboard under Settings > API Keys. If you need help generating one, follow the authentication guide.
- cURL installed on your machine. macOS and Linux include it by default. Windows users can use Git Bash or WSL.
- A webhook endpoint ready to receive payloads. This can be a custom server, a Zapier webhook, a Make scenario, or any HTTPS URL that accepts POST requests. See the webhook setup guide for details.
- A list of target companies or industries you want to monitor. Social signals work best when scoped to your ICP.
- Basic familiarity with REST APIs and JSON. No SDK needed.
Set your API key as an environment variable to keep the examples clean throughout this guide:
export RODZ_API_KEY="your_api_key_here"Signal 1: Social Mentions
What It Detects
The social-mentions signal fires when a company or one of its key executives is mentioned on social platforms, forums, news sites, or blog posts. The Rodz platform aggregates mentions across LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Reddit, Hacker News, and major industry publications. Each mention is scored for relevance and sentiment, so you can filter out noise and focus on meaningful conversations.
Mentions can be direct (someone tags the company) or indirect (someone discusses the company by name without tagging). The API captures both and normalizes them into a single stream.
When to Use It
Social mentions are most useful in three situations. First, timing outreach around buzz: when a company is being talked about positively, your message feels relevant rather than random. “I saw the discussion around your new feature on LinkedIn” is a stronger opener than a cold template. Second, monitoring what people say about your competitors’ products. When someone complains publicly, that’s a warm lead. Third, tracking mention volume around keywords tied to your product category. Rising mentions around “data enrichment” or “sales automation” tell you where the market is heading.
cURL Example
curl -X POST https://api.rodz.io/v1/signals/configurations \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $RODZ_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"name": "Social mentions - SaaS Series A companies",
"type": "social-mentions",
"filters": {
"industries": ["software", "saas"],
"company_size": {"min": 50, "max": 500},
"geography": ["FR", "DE", "GB", "NL", "BE"],
"mention_sources": ["linkedin", "twitter", "reddit"],
"min_mentions": 5,
"time_window_days": 7,
"sentiment": ["positive", "neutral"]
},
"webhook_url": "https://your-server.com/webhooks/social-mentions",
"active": true
}'This configuration triggers when a SaaS company with 50 to 500 employees in Western Europe receives at least 5 mentions across LinkedIn, Twitter, or Reddit within a 7-day window, with positive or neutral sentiment.
Webhook Payload
When the signal fires, Rodz sends a POST request to your webhook URL with a payload like this:
{
"signal_id": "sig_sm_8f2a1b3c",
"type": "social-mentions",
"triggered_at": "2026-03-07T09:15:00Z",
"company": {
"id": "comp_4e7d9a",
"name": "Datawise",
"domain": "datawise.io",
"industry": "saas",
"employee_count": 120,
"country": "FR"
},
"data": {
"mention_count": 8,
"time_window_days": 7,
"sources": {
"linkedin": 5,
"twitter": 2,
"reddit": 1
},
"sentiment_breakdown": {
"positive": 6,
"neutral": 2,
"negative": 0
},
"top_mentions": [
{
"source": "linkedin",
"author": "Marie Dupont",
"text": "Impressive product launch from Datawise this week...",
"url": "https://linkedin.com/posts/...",
"engagement_score": 142,
"published_at": "2026-03-05T14:30:00Z"
}
]
}
}Use case: competitor displacement
A sales team at a CRM company configures social-mentions to track mentions of their top three competitors. When the signal detects a negative sentiment spike around one of them (complaints about downtime, pricing changes, or missing features), the team receives a webhook and routes the lead to a dedicated displacement sequence in their outreach tool. The outreach arrives while the frustration is fresh, which is a different conversation from any cold pitch.
Signal 2: Social Reactions
What It Detects
The social-reactions signal tracks engagement metrics on content published by a target company or its executives: likes, comments, shares, and reposts on LinkedIn, Twitter/X, and other platforms. Unlike social-mentions, which captures what others say about a company, social-reactions measures how audiences respond to what the company itself publishes.
The signal watches engagement velocity, not just absolute numbers. A company that normally gets 20 likes per post and suddenly receives 200 is more interesting than a large brand that consistently gets high engagement. Rodz calculates a baseline for each company and fires the signal when engagement deviates significantly from that baseline.
When to Use It
Rising engagement on company content often correlates with increased marketing spend, new product releases, or a successful repositioning. Companies in that mode are more open to tools that support the momentum. When a post goes viral, it also creates a short conversation window: your outreach can reference the post directly, which makes your message instantly relevant. And monitoring reactions to posts by C-level executives at target accounts gives you a read on their priorities before you reach out.
cURL Example
curl -X POST https://api.rodz.io/v1/signals/configurations \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $RODZ_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"name": "Engagement spikes - Tech companies",
"type": "social-reactions",
"filters": {
"industries": ["software", "fintech", "cybersecurity"],
"company_size": {"min": 20, "max": 1000},
"geography": ["US", "GB", "CA", "AU"],
"platforms": ["linkedin"],
"engagement_multiplier": 3.0,
"min_reactions": 50,
"include_executive_posts": true
},
"webhook_url": "https://your-server.com/webhooks/social-reactions",
"active": true
}'The engagement_multiplier parameter is the key one here. A value of 3.0 means the signal triggers only when engagement on a post is at least three times the company’s rolling average. That eliminates noise from companies that consistently post popular content and surfaces genuine spikes only.
Webhook Payload
{
"signal_id": "sig_sr_2c4e8f1a",
"type": "social-reactions",
"triggered_at": "2026-03-07T11:42:00Z",
"company": {
"id": "comp_7b3f2e",
"name": "SecureStack",
"domain": "securestack.com",
"industry": "cybersecurity",
"employee_count": 85,
"country": "US"
},
"data": {
"platform": "linkedin",
"post_url": "https://linkedin.com/posts/securestack-...",
"post_type": "company_update",
"reactions": {
"likes": 312,
"comments": 47,
"shares": 28,
"total": 387
},
"baseline_average": 45,
"engagement_multiplier": 8.6,
"post_author": {
"name": "James Hartley",
"title": "CEO at SecureStack",
"linkedin_url": "https://linkedin.com/in/jameshartley"
},
"post_snippet": "We just shipped end-to-end encryption for...",
"published_at": "2026-03-06T16:00:00Z"
}
}Use case: product launch detection
A marketing agency monitors social-reactions for 200 mid-market SaaS companies. When SecureStack’s CEO post about a new feature receives 8.6x the normal engagement, a product launch is clearly underway. The agency’s SDR reaches out within 24 hours, offering post-launch marketing support. The timing works because the signal captured the moment the market started paying attention, not a week after.
Signal 3: Influencer Engagement
What It Detects
The influencer-engagement signal monitors when recognized industry influencers interact with a company’s content or mention it in their own posts. Rodz maintains an internal database of influencers categorized by industry, platform, and reach. When an influencer likes, comments on, shares, or tags a company, this signal fires.
The difference between this and social-mentions is specificity. A mention from a random account and a mention from a top-50 industry influencer carry very different weight. This signal isolates the high-impact interactions.
When to Use It
When multiple influencers start paying attention to a company within a short period, the company is usually doing something right. Whatever the cause, product-market fit, a strong launch, or an interesting approach, influencer attention is a reliable indicator of momentum. The signal also surfaces potential introduction paths: if an influencer in your network has engaged with a target company, that’s a connection worth exploring. And if a well-known analyst starts promoting a rival product, you want to know immediately rather than stumble across it later.
cURL Example
curl -X POST https://api.rodz.io/v1/signals/configurations \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $RODZ_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"name": "Influencer interactions - B2B SaaS",
"type": "influencer-engagement",
"filters": {
"industries": ["software", "saas", "martech"],
"company_size": {"min": 10, "max": 500},
"influencer_categories": ["sales_tech", "marketing_tech", "growth"],
"min_influencer_reach": 10000,
"interaction_types": ["comment", "share", "mention"],
"geography": ["US", "FR", "GB", "DE"]
},
"webhook_url": "https://your-server.com/webhooks/influencer",
"active": true
}'The min_influencer_reach parameter sets a floor for the influencer’s follower count, filtering out micro-influencers if you only want high-reach interactions. The interaction_types parameter lets you prioritize deeper engagement (comments and shares) over passive engagement (likes).
Webhook Payload
{
"signal_id": "sig_ie_9a1b4d2f",
"type": "influencer-engagement",
"triggered_at": "2026-03-07T14:20:00Z",
"company": {
"id": "comp_3c8e1f",
"name": "GrowthLoop",
"domain": "growthloop.co",
"industry": "martech",
"employee_count": 65,
"country": "US"
},
"data": {
"influencer": {
"name": "Elena Varga",
"platform": "linkedin",
"profile_url": "https://linkedin.com/in/elenavarga",
"follower_count": 87000,
"category": "marketing_tech"
},
"interaction_type": "comment",
"interaction_content": "This is exactly the kind of CDP approach the market needs. Most tools overcomplicate the data layer...",
"target_post": {
"url": "https://linkedin.com/posts/growthloop-...",
"author": "GrowthLoop (Company Page)",
"snippet": "We rebuilt our identity resolution engine from scratch...",
"published_at": "2026-03-06T10:00:00Z"
},
"influencer_engagement_history": {
"total_interactions_30d": 3,
"first_interaction_date": "2026-02-18T08:45:00Z"
}
}
}Use case: warm outreach through shared connections
A sales rep at a data integration company sees that Elena Varga, a well-known martech analyst, has commented on GrowthLoop’s posts three times in the past month. The rep checks their own LinkedIn network and finds a mutual connection with Elena. Instead of cold-emailing GrowthLoop, the rep asks for an introduction through that connection, referencing the specific exchange between Elena and GrowthLoop. The meeting is booked within a week.
Signal 4: Company Page Engagement
What It Detects
The company-page-engagement signal monitors overall engagement trends on a company’s official social media pages. Rather than tracking individual posts or specific influencers, it looks at aggregate metrics: total interactions per week, engagement rate changes, content publishing frequency, and audience growth patterns.
It’s a health check for a company’s social presence. A company that doubles its posting frequency and sees a corresponding engagement increase is likely investing in brand building, which often accompanies a growth phase, a new market entry, or a product launch.
When to Use It
An increase in posting cadence combined with rising engagement tells you a company has probably hired a marketing team or brought in an agency. If you sell marketing tools, analytics platforms, or content services, that’s a direct indicator of buyer intent. For existing customers, the opposite pattern matters too: declining page engagement can be an early churn signal. A customer that stops investing in their online presence may be cutting budgets more broadly. You can also use this signal to compare engagement across companies in the same industry and identify who’s gaining mindshare.
cURL Example
curl -X POST https://api.rodz.io/v1/signals/configurations \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $RODZ_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"name": "Page engagement growth - SMBs Europe",
"type": "company-page-engagement",
"filters": {
"industries": ["software", "ecommerce", "consulting"],
"company_size": {"min": 10, "max": 200},
"geography": ["FR", "BE", "NL", "DE", "ES"],
"platforms": ["linkedin"],
"engagement_growth_percent": 30,
"min_posts_per_month": 4,
"time_window_days": 30
},
"webhook_url": "https://your-server.com/webhooks/page-engagement",
"active": true
}'The engagement_growth_percent parameter defines the threshold: only trigger when overall engagement has increased by at least 30% compared to the previous period. The min_posts_per_month filter ensures you’re not alerted about companies that posted once and got lucky. You want consistent, growing activity.
Webhook Payload
{
"signal_id": "sig_cpe_5d2a7e9c",
"type": "company-page-engagement",
"triggered_at": "2026-03-07T08:00:00Z",
"company": {
"id": "comp_9f4b2a",
"name": "Flowdesk",
"domain": "flowdesk.eu",
"industry": "software",
"employee_count": 45,
"country": "FR"
},
"data": {
"platform": "linkedin",
"page_url": "https://linkedin.com/company/flowdesk",
"current_period": {
"start": "2026-02-05",
"end": "2026-03-06",
"total_posts": 12,
"total_reactions": 1840,
"total_comments": 156,
"total_shares": 89,
"engagement_rate": 4.2
},
"previous_period": {
"start": "2026-01-05",
"end": "2026-02-04",
"total_posts": 6,
"total_reactions": 720,
"total_comments": 48,
"total_shares": 31,
"engagement_rate": 2.1
},
"growth": {
"posts_change_percent": 100,
"reactions_change_percent": 155.6,
"engagement_rate_change_percent": 100
}
}
}Use case: marketing tool upsell
A social media management platform monitors company-page-engagement for SMBs in Europe. When Flowdesk doubles its posting frequency and sees a 155% increase in reactions, the platform’s sales team knows Flowdesk is investing in LinkedIn. The outreach message highlights how the platform’s scheduling and analytics features can amplify results Flowdesk is already seeing. The conversation starts from a position of momentum rather than a cold pitch.
Signal 5: Company Followers
What It Detects
The company-followers signal tracks changes in a company’s follower count on LinkedIn and other social platforms. It measures both absolute growth and growth velocity. A company that gains 500 followers in a week is interesting. A company that normally gains 20 followers per week and suddenly gains 500 is worth acting on immediately.
Follower growth is one of the more reliable early indicators of market momentum. It tends to precede revenue growth, hiring surges, and media coverage. People follow companies they’re interested in, whether as potential customers, future employees, or investors. A spike in follower growth means a spike in market attention.
When to Use It
Companies preparing for a funding round often increase their social presence to attract investor attention. A sudden follower surge can precede a funding announcement by weeks. Similarly, companies planning a major hiring push often build their employer brand first: rising followers combined with increased content about culture and team events signal an upcoming recruitment drive. And new entrants in your space that gain followers quickly are building market presence. You want to know about them early, whether they’re future competitors or potential partners.
cURL Example
curl -X POST https://api.rodz.io/v1/signals/configurations \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $RODZ_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"name": "Follower growth spikes - Tech startups",
"type": "company-followers",
"filters": {
"industries": ["software", "saas", "fintech", "healthtech"],
"company_size": {"min": 5, "max": 300},
"geography": ["US", "GB", "FR", "DE", "NL"],
"platforms": ["linkedin"],
"growth_rate_percent": 25,
"min_follower_count": 500,
"time_window_days": 14
},
"webhook_url": "https://your-server.com/webhooks/followers",
"active": true
}'The growth_rate_percent sets the minimum follower increase as a percentage of the starting count. Combined with min_follower_count, this prevents false positives from tiny accounts where a handful of new followers would trip the threshold. A company with 500 followers gaining 25% (125 new followers) in two weeks is genuinely noteworthy.
Webhook Payload
{
"signal_id": "sig_cf_1e8b3d4a",
"type": "company-followers",
"triggered_at": "2026-03-07T06:30:00Z",
"company": {
"id": "comp_2d6c8f",
"name": "Nomad Health",
"domain": "nomadhealth.io",
"industry": "healthtech",
"employee_count": 30,
"country": "US"
},
"data": {
"platform": "linkedin",
"page_url": "https://linkedin.com/company/nomad-health",
"current_followers": 3200,
"previous_followers": 2100,
"new_followers": 1100,
"growth_rate_percent": 52.4,
"time_window_days": 14,
"daily_breakdown": [
{ "date": "2026-02-21", "new_followers": 25 },
{ "date": "2026-02-22", "new_followers": 30 },
{ "date": "2026-02-23", "new_followers": 45 },
{ "date": "2026-02-24", "new_followers": 110 },
{ "date": "2026-02-25", "new_followers": 180 }
],
"estimated_cause": "viral_post"
}
}Use case: pre-funding outreach
A VC-backed sales intelligence tool monitors company-followers for healthtech startups. When Nomad Health’s followers jump 52% in two weeks, the team investigates and finds the company just published a viral case study. The tool’s SDR reaches out to the CEO, referencing the traction and suggesting a demo to capitalize on the growing attention. Three weeks later, Nomad Health announces a Series A. The SDR is already in conversation.
Signal 6: Competitor Connections
What It Detects
The competitor-connections signal is, according to Rodz, the highest-intent social signal in the catalog. It monitors when prospects connect on LinkedIn with the sales representatives of a competitor. The logic is straightforward: someone who connects with a competing vendor’s sales team is actively evaluating that vendor. They are in-market, right now, for a solution like yours.
This signal runs on a delta-scan mechanism. On day 0, Rodz takes a baseline snapshot of the LinkedIn connections held by each tracked sales profile. On day 1, it runs again and isolates only the new connections added since the baseline. The delta is the signal: those new connections are fresh prospects who just raised their hand for the category.
To configure this signal, you provide a LinkedIn company page URL for each competitor you want to track. Rodz handles the rest automatically: it discovers the sales profiles associated with that company (based on job titles and department classification), builds the baseline connection list for each profile, and starts monitoring for new additions. You don’t need to supply individual profile URLs manually.
When to Use It
The canonical use case: “I want to contact a prospect when they connect with a competitor’s sales rep.” That connection is the context. It tells you the prospect is in an active evaluation cycle, not just browsing. The timing window here is tight, 48 hours or less. A prospect who connected with a competitor two weeks ago has either moved on or already signed. The same prospect contacted within a day of that connection is still comparing options.
It’s also worth stacking this signal with others. A prospect who connects with a competitor’s sales rep AND whose company just posted three new sales-related job listings is doubly interesting. The hiring signal confirms the budget exists; the competitor connection confirms the intent.
Why It’s the Most Expensive Social Signal
The competitor-connections signal costs more than the other five. The delta-scan requires continuous monitoring across many profiles simultaneously, and the connection data has a short shelf life: the faster the scan cycle, the more valuable the output. The infrastructure behind it is heavier than a follower-count check or a mention aggregation.
For teams that sell in competitive markets where evaluation cycles are short, the cost is easy to justify. You’re not buying a list of companies that might be interested. You’re buying confirmation that a specific person at a specific company is currently comparing you to a competitor.
cURL Example
curl -X POST https://api.rodz.io/v1/signals/configurations \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $RODZ_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"name": "Competitor connections - sales profiles",
"type": "competitor-connections",
"filters": {
"competitor_company_urls": [
"https://linkedin.com/company/competitor-one",
"https://linkedin.com/company/competitor-two"
],
"tracked_roles": ["sales", "account_executive", "business_development"],
"prospect_industries": ["software", "saas", "fintech"],
"prospect_company_size": {"min": 20, "max": 1000},
"geography": ["US", "GB", "FR", "DE", "NL", "BE"],
"scan_frequency_hours": 24
},
"webhook_url": "https://your-server.com/webhooks/competitor-connections",
"active": true
}'The competitor_company_urls array accepts up to 10 LinkedIn company page URLs. Rodz auto-discovers the associated sales profiles from each URL; no manual profile harvesting is required. The tracked_roles filter restricts monitoring to profiles classified as sales or business development, ignoring other departments. The scan_frequency_hours parameter controls how often the delta scan runs: 24 hours is the default, and 6 hours is available on higher-tier plans.
Webhook Payload
{
"signal_id": "sig_cc_3f7b1e9d",
"type": "competitor-connections",
"triggered_at": "2026-07-03T07:45:00Z",
"company": {
"id": "comp_5a2d8c",
"name": "Stackline Analytics",
"domain": "stackline.io",
"industry": "saas",
"employee_count": 75,
"country": "US"
},
"data": {
"competitor": {
"name": "Competitor One",
"linkedin_url": "https://linkedin.com/company/competitor-one"
},
"sales_profile_connected_with": {
"name": "Sophie Renard",
"title": "Account Executive",
"linkedin_url": "https://linkedin.com/in/sophierenard",
"profile_discovered_automatically": true
},
"new_connection": {
"name": "Marco Ferretti",
"title": "Head of Growth",
"company": "Stackline Analytics",
"linkedin_url": "https://linkedin.com/in/marcoferretti",
"connected_at": "2026-07-02T16:20:00Z"
},
"delta_scan": {
"baseline_date": "2026-07-01T07:45:00Z",
"scan_date": "2026-07-02T07:45:00Z",
"new_connections_detected": 1
}
}
}The profile_discovered_automatically flag confirms the sales profile was identified by Rodz from the company URL alone, without manual input. The delta_scan block shows the exact baseline and scan timestamps, so you can confirm the freshness of the data before acting.
Use case: same-day interception
A B2B analytics platform competes in a crowded market where three or four vendors are typically shortlisted together. The team configures competitor-connections for their two closest rivals. On a Tuesday morning, a webhook fires: the Head of Growth at a 75-person SaaS company connected the previous afternoon with an AE from one of those rivals.
By 9 a.m., the platform’s own AE sends a single message referencing the product category, not the competitor by name. The context is enough: the prospect knows they’re being contacted at the right moment. A call is booked the same day. The platform ends up on the shortlist, which wouldn’t have happened with a weekly export and a generic sequence.
Combining Social Signals for an Engagement Strategy
Each social signal type gives you one dimension of context. The real value comes from stacking them. Here’s how to build a multi-signal engagement strategy that catches companies at the right moment.
The Signal Stack Approach
Think of the six signal types as layers, each one adding confidence to the intent picture. Here’s a practical ordering:
- Layer 1: Company Followers. The broadest filter. Configure it with a moderate threshold (15-20% growth) to build a watchlist of companies gaining attention.
- Layer 2: Company Page Engagement. For companies on your watchlist, check whether the follower growth comes with increased engagement. Growth without engagement often means paid ads or sponsorships. Growth with engagement is organic momentum.
- Layer 3: Social Reactions. Watch for individual posts that break out. A company with growing followers, rising engagement, and a viral post is in the middle of a genuine market moment.
- Layer 4: Social Mentions. Check whether people outside the company are talking about it. External validation confirms the momentum isn’t just self-promotion.
- Layer 5: Influencer Engagement. Strong confirmation. When industry influencers start paying attention, the company is close to a breakout.
- Layer 6: Competitor Connections. The sharpest signal. Someone at that company is actively talking to a rival. This overrides the other layers on its own.
Implementation with Webhooks
Configure all six signals with webhook URLs that point to a single processing endpoint. In your backend, score companies based on how many signal layers they’ve triggered:
Score 1