Audience & Engagement
Share of Voice
Share of voice (SOV) is the percentage of total conversation, mentions, or advertising in your market that belongs to your brand versus competitors. In social media it measures how much of the category dialogue you own, indicating your relative visibility and prominence within the wider competitive landscape.
Why it matters
Share of voice benchmarks your brand against competitors rather than in isolation, showing whether you are gaining or losing prominence in the category. It often correlates with market share, making it a useful proxy for competitive momentum.
How it is measured
Share of Voice = (your brand mentions / total mentions for you and competitors) x 100. Example: 400 brand mentions out of 2,000 total mentions across the tracked set = (400 / 2,000) x 100 = 20% SOV. It can be applied to mentions, engagement, impressions, or ad spend.
Typical benchmarks
There is no fixed target; SOV is interpreted relative to competitors and your market share, and is most useful tracked as a trend over time across a defined set of competitors.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate share of voice?
Divide your brand's mentions (or impressions, engagement, or ad spend) by the combined total for you plus your tracked competitors, then multiply by 100. The result is your percentage share of the conversation in that defined market segment.
What is a good share of voice?
There is no universal number; it depends on how many competitors you track and your market position. Compare SOV to your market share. Excess share of voice, meaning SOV above market share, often signals momentum and future growth.
How is share of voice different from reach?
Reach counts the unique people exposed to your content. Share of voice is relative, showing your portion of the total conversation against competitors. Reach is an absolute exposure metric; SOV is a competitive benchmark.