Share of voice (SOV)
Also called SOV, social share of voice
What is share of voice?
Share of voice (SOV) is a measure of how visible your brand is in its market compared with competitors. In social media it usually means your share of all online mentions in your category. In advertising it means your share of total ad spend or impressions. It is expressed as a percentage of the total for your market.
Social share of voice is calculated by counting mentions of your brand and of each competitor over a period, then dividing yours by the total. Some teams weight it by sentiment, because a spike of complaints raises mentions without helping the brand.
SOV is related to brand awareness: brands with a larger share of voice tend to be thought of first. It is a comparative metric, so it only makes sense alongside the competitors you choose to track.
Why share of voice matters
Share of voice shows whether your brand is gaining or losing attention in its market, not just whether your own numbers went up. Your mentions can grow while your share falls if competitors grow faster.
It also helps set budgets and judge campaigns. A launch or creator campaign that lifts your share of voice is gaining ground on competitors.
How to calculate share of voice
- Choose your competitors and a time period.
- Count mentions of your brand and each competitor across the platforms you track.
- Divide your mentions by the total mentions of all brands.
- Multiply by 100 for a percentage.
- Track it monthly and note what caused changes.
Share of voice example
Share of voice = your brand mentions / total mentions (you + competitors) x 100
Example: 300 / (300 + 500 + 200) x 100 = 30%Share of voice FAQ
What is a good share of voice?
It depends on how many competitors you have and your size. Track your own trend over time and compare with the brands you most directly compete with.
How do I measure social share of voice?
Count mentions of your brand and competitors on social platforms for the same period, either manually or with a listening tool, and divide yours by the total.
Related terms
Social listening is tracking what people say online about your brand, competitors and industry, then using it to improve products and content.
Brand awareness is how familiar your target audience is with your brand: whether they know it exists and can recall or recognize it.
Impressions are the total number of times content was shown on screen, counting repeat views by the same person. Reach counts people.
A social media audit reviews every social profile, its content and its results to see what works, what does not and what to change.
Reach is the number of unique people who saw a post or ad at least once. Impressions count every view, including repeats.