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What is Share of Voice (SOV)?

Share of Voice (SOV) is a marketing metric measuring your brand's visibility relative to competitors within your industry. It shows how often your brand is mentioned or seen across channels like social media, search results, and paid ads compared to rivals.

Why Share of Voice Matters

In competitive markets, brands constantly battle for attention. SOV helps brands answer crucial questions: "How visible are we compared to our competitors?" and "How effectively is our marketing resonating within the industry?"

Here’s why understanding SOV matters deeply:

  • Competitive Analysis: It reveals your standing relative to competitors, highlighting opportunities to dominate the conversation.

  • Market Influence: Brands with higher SOV generally experience higher market share, stronger customer perception, and better overall brand recognition.

  • Strategic Resource Allocation: It guides strategic decisions on marketing spend, enabling brands to invest resources efficiently in channels delivering maximum exposure.

  • Performance Measurement: Tracking SOV over time helps measure the effectiveness of marketing initiatives and campaigns, enabling continuous optimization.

How to Calculate Share of Voice

Calculating SOV varies slightly based on your industry and selected marketing channels. The general formula is straightforward:

Share of Voice (SOV)=Total Industry Mentions or VisibilityYour Brand Mentions or Visibility​×100

 

Examples:

  • Social Media SOV:
    Your brand’s total mentions ÷ Total industry mentions across social media × 100.

  • Paid Advertising SOV:
    Your total ad spend ÷ Industry’s total ad spend in the same channel × 100.

  • Organic Search SOV:
    Your brand’s ranking positions for keywords ÷ Total available positions in your keyword set × 100.

Different Types of Share of Voice

1. Social Media Share of Voice

Measures how often your brand is mentioned on social media compared to competitors. Tools like Sprout Social, Hootsuite, and Mention simplify tracking this metric.

2. Paid Advertising Share of Voice

Compares your brand’s ad spend or impressions to the total ad spend/impressions within your industry, typically calculated within platforms like Google Ads or Facebook Ads.

3. Organic Search Share of Voice

Evaluates your visibility in organic search results against your competitors, considering ranking positions and search volume for important industry keywords. Tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz provide this metric.

4. PR and Media Share of Voice

Assesses your brand’s mentions in media outlets, press coverage, and PR events compared to competitors, often tracked using tools like Meltwater or Cision.

Strategies to Increase Your Share of Voice

Improving your SOV requires strategic and consistent effort:

1. Invest Strategically

Increase budget in effective marketing channels where your competitors have lower visibility or higher vulnerability.

2. Leverage Influencers

Partner with influencers to amplify your brand’s voice, particularly on social media, to reach broader or highly engaged audiences.

3. Boost Content Quality

Consistently produce and distribute valuable, relevant, and engaging content that naturally attracts attention, shares, and mentions.

4. Increase PR Efforts

Proactively reach out to media, offer thought leadership, newsworthy stories, or expert commentary to increase brand mentions and visibility.

5. Enhance SEO Strategy

Improve your organic search presence through targeted keyword strategies, optimized content, and technical site improvements to boost visibility in search results.

6. Monitor Competitors

Regularly track competitors' activities, identify gaps or opportunities, and quickly adapt your strategy to maintain or gain an edge.

Challenges and Considerations

While Share of Voice is invaluable, there are some considerations:

  • Quality vs. Quantity: A high volume of mentions doesn't always equal positive sentiment or brand perception. Always measure sentiment alongside SOV.

  • Accuracy and Measurement: Properly measuring and attributing mentions across channels can be challenging without robust monitoring tools.

  • Long-term vs. Short-term Impact: High SOV doesn't automatically translate into immediate sales but provides a strong foundation for long-term market growth.

Tools for Tracking Share of Voice

Reliable tracking requires specialized tools:

  • Social Media: Sprout Social, Mention, Brandwatch

  • SEO/Organic Search: Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz

  • Paid Advertising: Google Ads, Meta (Facebook) Ads Manager

  • PR and Media: Meltwater, Cision, TrendKite

Understanding and actively managing Share of Voice gives marketers a significant competitive advantage. It provides crucial insights for strategic decision-making, resource allocation, and brand positioning. By continually monitoring and strategically optimizing your SOV, your brand can dominate market conversations, enhance visibility, and foster sustainable growth.