Share of Voice (SOV): How to measure It & Tips to Boost SOV

What is share of voice? 

Share of voice (SOV) measures your brand's presence compared to your competitors in the marketplace. It's a key metric in brand marketing that tells you how much you're being talked about, compared to others in your industry. Understanding your SOV provides several advantages such as: 

• Competitive benchmarking: Allows you to see where you stand in your industry

• Brand health: An upward trend in SOV usually signifies that your brand is gaining popularity and establishing itself more firmly in consumers' minds

• Strategic planning: Helps you make data-driven decisions for your marketing campaigns 

• ROI measurement: Can assist in gauging the effectiveness of marketing strategies over time 

A real-world illustration of SOV 

Imagine you sell organic coffee. If there are 100 mentions of organic coffee brands on social media and 20 of those mentions are about your brand, your share of voice would be 20%. This directly impacts your brand visibility and engagement. A higher SOV usually means your brand is top of mind for consumers, making them more likely to choose you over competitors. 

Use case scenario: A case study in campaign effectiveness 

Let's say you launch a new espresso blend and decide to invest in a social media campaign. By measuring the share of voice before and after the campaign, you can gauge its effectiveness. If your SOV increased from 20% to 30%, it's a good indicator that your campaign successfully captured the audience's attention. This not only validates your marketing strategies but also helps you fine-tune them for future endeavors. 

What makes the share of voice a critical metric to be measured? 

Share of voice is not just another number; it’s a crucial indicator of your brand’s real-time health and competitive stance. It serves as a scoreboard that not only gauges your market presence but also offers valuable insights into customer engagement and brand authority. 

Let's look at a real-world example to underline its importance. Amazon dominated the online fashion retail sector in the US, boasting a share of voice of 16% from April to June 2023. This statistic isn't just a testament to Amazon's marketing prowess; it reflects the power of a strong SOV in carving out market leadership. By meticulously tracking and optimizing its SOV, Amazon has managed to not just exist but excel in a crowded marketplace. 

Let's talk about SOV’s multifaceted impact on your business, starting with the following: 

• Impact analysis: Share of voice plays a pivotal role in shaping brand reputation and consumer trust. When your brand commands a larger SOV, it sends a clear message: you're the leader consumers should trust. This amplifies your brand’s appeal and drives customer loyalty. 

• ROI perspective: Measuring SOV offers a tangible way to assess your marketing ROI. If you notice an uptick in your share of voice, chances are your investment is paying off in heightened market presence and, ultimately, in revenue. 

• Leadership view angle: For organizational leaders, the share of voice acts as a critical barometer for market relevance. It's not just a marketing metric; it’s a strategic tool that can guide product development and customer relations. 
  
  Helpful Read: 9 ways to boost your brand's share of voice on social media  

Share of voice vs. Share of market: A comparative analysis 

Both share of voice and share of the market are crucial metrics that decision-makers frequently use to gauge brand performance. Yet, these two terms serve different purposes and provide distinct insights. To elucidate the unique roles they play, here's a detailed comparison. 
 

Understanding the nuances between the share of voice and the share of the market gives you a clearer picture of your brand's overall standing. Each metric offers its own set of valuable insights, essential for crafting a well-rounded business and even product strategy. 

Insightful Read: How to create a marketing automation strategy  

How to calculate share of voice (formulas for each platform included) 

Crunching numbers isn't just for accountants—when it comes to share of voice, it’s a marketer’s game. A calculated SOV can give you real, actionable insights to refine your strategies. Each platform has its nuances, and the formulae for measuring SOV differ accordingly.  

Let’s take a look at how you can gauge this metric across various platforms. 

1. Organic Search SOV 

• What it is: This refers to the non-paid results that appear in search engines. They are ranked based on relevance to the user's query. 

• Formula: (Your brand's organic traffic / Total organic traffic) x 100 

• Nuance: Focus on keyword rankings and clicks that are directly relevant to your brand. 

2. PPC (Pay-per-click) SOV 

• What it is: These are the paid advertisements that appear in search engine results or on websites. 

• Formula: (Your brand's ad clicks / Total ad clicks) x 100 

• Nuance: Keep an eye on the advertisement position and Quality Score, as they impact your visibility. 

3. Social media SOV 

• What it is: Platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter where users share and engage with content. 

• Formula: (Your brand's mentions / Total industry mentions) x 100 

• Nuance: Platform algorithms and engagement rates affect how often your brand appears in users’ feeds. 

4. General online presence (e.g., forums, news) 

• What it is: This includes forums, news sites and other online spaces where your brand may be mentioned. 

• Formula: (Your brand's mentions / Total industry mentions) x 100 

• Nuance: The credibility of the source and sentiment of the mention can add weight to your SOV. 

By learning how to measure your SOV across these platforms, you can fine-tune your marketing strategies. For example, if your Organic Search SOV is 25%, it signifies that one in every four organic search impressions in your industry features your brand, which is a strong indicator of high visibility and consumer awareness. 

Must Read: Social Media Advertising: In-Depth Guide  

How to measure your share of voice

Measuring your share of voice helps you understand how visible and engaging your brand is in the market. To get a comprehensive view, it's important to focus on specific metrics. So, which ones should you pay attention to? 

Here are some important metrics you must consider. 

1. Brand mentions: Unlike the simple counts we discussed earlier, consider the quality of these mentions. Are they positive, neutral or negative? 
Additional insight: Quality-over-quantity matters here. High-value mentions from authoritative sources can amplify your share of voice considerably.  

2. Impressions: Instead of merely adding them up, dissect impressions to see where they're coming from. Are they organic, paid or earned? 
Additional insight: Knowing the source can help you tweak your strategy for better visibility and engagement.  

3. Engagement rate: Go beyond the numbers to see what types of engagement—likes, comments, shares—are most common. 
Additional insight: If your audience frequently shares your content, for instance, it implies a deeper level of engagement and trust. 

4. Keyword ranking: You know where you stand, but do you know the 'why' behind your keyword rankings? 
Additional insight: Investigate which aspects of your SEO are driving your rankings, whether it's backlinks, content quality or site speed. 

5. Customer sentiment: Move past the raw numbers to understand the nuances of consumer feelings toward your brand. 
Additional Insight: Emotional analysis can help you pivot your messaging to better resonate with your audience. 

Types of tools you'll need 

For share of voice, you'll benefit from a multi-pronged approach. 

• SEO platforms: Choose platforms that go beyond just providing search engine rankings. Opt for those that also offer comprehensive competitive analysis, keyword tracking, and insight into search behavior. 

• Advanced social monitoring tools: Look for tools that offer more than just basic metrics like the number of mentions or shares. Ideal options should also provide social media sentiment analysis and gauge the quality of user engagement with your brand.

• PPC analysis tools: Opt for tools that provide consumer behavior insights and conversion path analysis in addition to click metrics. 

• Comprehensive analytics platforms: These should provide a unified view, synthesizing data from different channels into actionable insights. 

By layering these diverse metrics and tools, you'll get a more nuanced understanding of your share of voice, enabling you to make smarter, more impactful business decisions. 

Helpful Read: Social Media Analytics: A Simple Guide for Every Marketer  

How to select the right tool to track your share of voice 

Choosing the right tool for measuring your share of voice is crucial for understanding how your brand is performing in the market. The ideal tool should provide detailed insights to help you make informed decisions. Now, let's discuss what features to consider in a tool that will effectively track your brand's share of voice. Here’s the criteria for selection. 

• Versatility: The tool should measure the share of voice across various platforms — search, social media, PPC and more  
  Why it matters? A multi-faceted view allows for a more robust understanding of your share of voice.  
  

• Real-time tracking: Look for tools that offer real-time analytics 
  Why it matters? Immediate data enables rapid response to any shifts in your share of voice.  
  

• Competitive analysis: Opt for tools that can analyze not just your brand but your competitors' as well 
  Why it matters? Knowing where you stand relative to competitors gives a fuller picture of your share of voice.  

Pro Tip: With Sprinklr’s competitive insights and benchmarking tools, compare your performance against 400,000+ social accounts on 8 digital channels — and leverage years of historical insights — to identify the opportunities and strategies that can keep you ahead of competitors.

• User experience: A complex tool will cost you more time than it saves 
  Why it matters? Simplicity and ease-of-use can drastically cut down the time you spend on share of voice analysis.  
  

• Budget-friendly: Effective doesn't always mean expensive  
  Why it matters?  Balance your needs with your budget; a cost-effective tool can provide a robust share of voice metrics without breaking the bank.  So, as you evaluate tools for tracking your share of voice, keep these criteria in mind. The right tool can refine your strategy, keep you ahead of competitors and optimize your brand's overall performance. 

Must Read: Customer experience marketing: A detailed guide  

Multichannel approach to increase your share of voice 

Think of boosting your share of voice as assembling a high-performance engine; every component, from big to small, plays a crucial role. The secret lies in a robust multichannel approach. Here’s how to finesse your way through multiple platforms to elevate your brand’s resonance. 

Adopt a multichannel approach with the help of the following:

1. Social media: Curate content that speaks to your audience's needs and interests. Utilize analytics to measure engagement.
How it helps: A tailored social strategy allows you to dominate conversations, amplifying your share of voice on platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

2. Search engine optimization (SEO): Beyond keyword optimization, focus on providing high-quality, useful content. Make sure your website is mobile-friendly. 
How it helps: By offering valuable content, Google is more likely to rank your site higher in search results. This improved ranking increases your visibility, thereby raising your share of voice for organic traffic. 

3. Pay-per-click (PPC): Use segmented ad groups and invest in A/B testing to refine your message. 
How it helps: More precise targeting means your ads reach the right audience, boosting your share of voice where it counts most in paid search. 

4. Content marketing: Develop a content calendar that addresses your audience's questions and problems. Leverage formats like blogs, videos and webinars. 
How it helps: Consistent, quality content positions your brand as a thought leader, amplifying your share of voice across digital spaces.  

Read More: Content Marketing

5. Public relations (PR): Build relationships with influencers and journalists in your industry. Prepare press kits that make it easier for media to cover your story. 
How it helps: Gaining the endorsement of trusted voices expands your reach, thus improving your share of voice in public discourse. 

6. Email marketing: Personalize your messages based on user behavior and preferences. 
How it helps: Highly targeted emails resonate more, reinforcing your brand's presence in a crowded inbox and contributing to your overall share of voice.  

7. Customer reviews and testimonials: Use platforms like Capterra to gather and showcase positive feedback. 
How it helps: These third-party endorsements enhance credibility, making your voice more prominent in purchase decisions. 

By effectively utilizing a multichannel approach, you're doing more than making small improvements; you're creating a strong and resilient brand presence. When all these elements work in harmony, the increase in your share of voice becomes a significant advantage.  

How Sprinklr can amplify your share of voice

When it comes to amplifying your share of voice, Sprinklr's Unified Customer Experience Management (Unified-CXM) is a game-changer. It aligns perfectly with your needs to optimize and manage your brand's SOV across multiple channels. 

Five strong reasons to choose Sprinklr for SOV: 

• Unified dashboard: Manage all your channels in one place, making SOV tracking effortless 

• Advanced analytics: Real-time insights to fine-tune your share of voice strategies 

• Customer-centric: Optimize interactions at every touchpoint, enhancing brand resonance 

• AI-powered: Automate routine tasks, letting you focus on strategic SOV improvement 

• Global scale: Monitor and adjust your SOV campaigns in multiple languages and regions. 

Remember, the goal is not merely to achieve quick wins but to establish a long-lasting brand presence. And Sprinklr can help you do just that. 

Request a demo today!

Frequently Asked Questions