Share of voice
In short
Share of voice (SOV) is the percentage of total visibility in a market that your brand holds compared with competitors. Visibility can be measured by ad impressions, search rankings, social mentions, or media coverage.
It is a relative metric. Growing from 10 percent to 15 percent of the conversation means you gained ground, even if total volume stayed flat. Teams use it to judge brand awareness and category presence.
How share of voice is calculated
Pick one channel, define a competitor set, and divide your count by the total for all brands in that set.
Formula
Share of voice = your brand metric divided by the total metric for all brands in the set, times 100.
Example
Say a category topic produced 200 mentions in a month across your company and its competitors, and your company accounts for 50 of them. Your share of voice for mentions is 25 percent.
Types of share of voice
- Paid: Your share of ad impressions or spend in a market.
- Organic search: Your share of clicks or ranking positions across a set of target keywords.
- Social: Your share of brand mentions or engagement on social platforms.
- Earned media: Your share of press and analyst coverage.
How to use it
Choose the set carefully
Include direct competitors and the alternatives buyers actually consider. A wrong set gives a misleading number.
Track it on a schedule
Measure monthly or quarterly with the same method so trends are comparable.
Compare with pipeline
If share of voice rises but demand does not, check whether you are visible to the right audience.
Common mistakes
- Mixing channels: Adding search and social numbers into one figure hides what changed.
- Measuring vanity topics: Count mentions of the category and buying topics, not general brand chatter.
- Treating it as a goal alone: It is a diagnostic. The aim is revenue, not the number itself.
Share of voice FAQs
What is share of voice in marketing?
Share of voice is the portion of total market visibility your brand holds compared with competitors. It can be measured through ad impressions, search results, social mentions, or press coverage, and is expressed as a percentage.
How do you calculate share of voice?
Choose a channel and a competitor set, measure your brand and the total for all brands, then divide your number by the total and multiply by 100. Use the same method each period so changes are meaningful.
Why does share of voice matter in B2B?
B2B buyers often form a shortlist before talking to vendors. A larger share of voice means you are seen more often during research, which makes the shortlist more likely. It is an early indicator of brand awareness and category presence.
What is the difference between share of voice and market share?
Market share measures your portion of actual sales or revenue in a market. Share of voice measures your portion of visibility or attention. The two are related, but visibility does not guarantee sales.
