What is share of voice and how do you calculate it?

[George Danaila]

Your client’s monthly report is open, and the share of voice slide shows 28%. Two questions come up: Is 28% a good result? And did last month’s campaign improve it, or did the measurement method change? The answers depend on how share of voice is calculated, which competitors are included, and whether the measurement stays consistent over time. This article explains the share of voice definition and formula, how to benchmark your results against competitors, and how to track changes accurately so you can distinguish real campaign impact from changes in your reporting method. What does share of voice mean in marketing? Share of voice (SOV) measures a brand’s share of visibility within a defined competitive set. Traditionally, marketers calculated it using advertising spend. Today, the same percentage-based approach is used to measure social media mentions, engagement, search demand, earned media coverage, and visibility in AI-generated answers. According to Nielsen, a brand’s SOV “refers to its media spending and is expressed as a percentage of all media expenditures in the category.” The calculation follows the same principle across channels: divide your brand’s measured activity by the total activity for all brands in the comparison set. What changes is the metric […]