Hey there, need some help?

Help Center › Best Practices › Balancing Broad vs. Specific Signals

Balancing Broad vs. Specific Signals

Finding the right balance between broad and specific Signals is key to making ThreadSignals work effectively for you.

Broad Signals help you discover more conversations, while specific Signals deliver highly qualified leads.

By also optimizing which groups you target, you can increase the relevance of your results without relying on overly long keywords.

1. Understanding Broad Signals

Broad Signals use general keywords that match a wide range of posts.

Example: marketing, advertising, SEO help
Results: Larger volume of posts with mixed relevance.

Broad Signals are useful when:

You’re exploring new industries or audiences.
You want to see what types of conversations are happening.

Keep in mind that broad Signals may surface posts that aren’t directly related to your service, so they’re best for discovery rather than immediate outreach.

2. Understanding Specific Signals

Specific Signals use detailed or long-tail keywords to pinpoint precise discussions.

Example: Google Ads audit for eCommerce, need local SEO help, WordPress developer Portland
Results: Fewer posts but much higher intent.

Specific Signals are ideal when:

You already know your niche or target customer.
You want to focus on posts with clear buying intent.

Remember, the more niche the keyword, the fewer results you’ll receive—but those leads are usually more actionable.

3. Optimize by Choosing the Right Groups

A powerful way to refine your results is by selecting the right groups (subreddits) when creating your Signal.
The groups you choose define where ThreadSignals listens, which can often be more effective than using overly specific keywords.

Example: Choosing the Denver group and using agency as your keyword will surface agency-related discussions specific to Denver, CO.
This is usually more effective than searching a massive group with a long-tail keyword like “agency in Denver.”

Smart group selection helps you stay localized, relevant, and precise—without needing long or complex keywords.

4. Finding the Right Mix

For most users, the best setup includes a blend of both broad and specific Signals:

A few broad Signals to uncover new discussions or topics.
Several specific Signals aimed at your strongest services or regions.

Monitor performance in your Run History and Posts tabs, then adjust as needed—removing low-performing Signals and refining those that consistently bring valuable leads.

Pro Tip

Use location-based or niche-specific groups to naturally narrow your audience.
Pairing a well-chosen group with a short keyword often performs better than long, over-targeted keywords in broad communities.