So far, most tools I’ve tested either: • grab way too much irrelevant noise • miss actual buyer‑intent posts • or break when platforms change UI/API
I’m currently testing OptaReach, which claims to monitor multiple platforms and surface posts where users explicitly ask for something (e.g., “looking for a marketing agency,” “need a developer,” etc.). It even tracks replies and engagement. Early results look promising, but I’m curious how others here approach this problem.
Questions for the HN crowd:
Has anyone built their own system for cross‑platform intent detection?
Are there open‑source tools or frameworks that do this reliably?
How do you handle platform rate limits, UI changes, and false positives?
For those who’ve used tools like OptaReach — did it meaningfully improve your outreach efficiency?
Genuinely interested in the technical side: NLP accuracy, platform scraping legality, real‑time monitoring, etc.
joshwaller7•1mo ago
It tracks Reddit and LinkedIn hourly, and has an AI filtering feature where you can describe in natural language what type of posts you want or don't want, and it will filter out the rest.
E.g. "Only show me posts where someone is asking for recommendations of a social listening tool" - this is actually the filter I used to find this post
Pretty much all of my users for ForumScout have came from using my own product to find users with buyer intent.
I also track mentions of competitors and have it show me posts where people are complaining about them, so I can offer my tool as a better alternative.