Share of Voice

What is the Share of Voice?

Share of Voice (SOV) is a marketing metric used to measure the presence, visibility, and dominance of a brand within a specific market or industry compared to its competitors. It reflects a brand’s overall popularity, awareness, and authority by analyzing its visibility across various channels.

In SEO, SOV specifically pertains to a brand’s visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs) for selected keywords, representing the proportion of search traffic and clicks it garners.

Key Aspects of Share of Voice

1. Traditional vs. Modern SOV:

• Traditional: Originally, SOV referred to the share of advertising spend within a market.
• Modern: It now encompasses a broader scope, including online visibility, social media presence, website traffic, PPC performance, and media mentions.

1. Share of Voice vs. Share of Market:

• Share of Voice: Measures brand visibility and presence.
• Share of Market: Refers to the percentage of total market sales or revenue controlled by a brand.

Why is the Share of Voice Important?

1. Public Relations: Helps assess the effectiveness of PR campaigns and media strategies by tracking brand mentions and media coverage.
2. Consumer Insights: Provides valuable data on consumer behaviors, preferences, and opinions, which can inform marketing strategies and content creation.
3. Campaign Tracking: Allows brands to measure the success of marketing campaigns, understand what resonates with their audience, and adjust strategies accordingly.
4. Brand Management: Offers insights into brand awareness and reputation, helping to manage and improve brand perception and visibility.

How to Calculate Share of Voice

The formula for calculating Share of Voice is:

[ \text{SOV} = \frac{\text{Your Brand’s Metrics}}{\text{Total Market Metrics}} ]

This formula can be applied to various channels:

1. PPC Share of Voice:

• Impression Share: Measures ad visibility by comparing the number of times your ad was shown to the number of times it could have been shown. This data is available in Google Ads under “Campaigns.”

1. SEO Share of Voice:

• Organic Search Visibility: Compares your brand’s rankings and visibility for specific keywords against competitors. Tools like Ahrefs Rank Tracker can help track your SERP positions and organic search share of voice.

1. Social Media Share of Voice:

• Mentions and Engagement: Measures how frequently your brand is mentioned in social media conversations compared to competitors. Social media analytics tools can provide this data.

1. Media Share of Voice:

• Mentions in News and Blogs: Assesses how often your brand is mentioned in online publications and news websites. This can help identify which media outlets are covering your competitors and where to focus your efforts.

How to Increase Your Brand’s Share of Voice

1. Create Valuable Content:

• Produce content that is engaging, informative, and shareable. High-quality content attracts attention and encourages shares, boosting your visibility.

1. Enhance Social Media Presence:

• Increase activity on social platforms by posting regularly, engaging with followers, and participating in conversations relevant to your industry.

1. Engage with Your Audience:

• Use social media not just as a distribution channel, but also as a platform for meaningful interactions. Respond to comments, participate in discussions, and build relationships with your audience.

1. Establish Thought Leadership:

• Share insights and expertise on industry-specific websites, publications, and your blog. Positioning yourself as an authority can increase your brand’s visibility and credibility.

1. Optimize SEO:

• Improve your website’s SEO by focusing on relevant keywords, creating high-quality content, and optimizing on-page elements. Better SEO performance leads to higher rankings in SERPs, which can increase your organic traffic and brand awareness.

1. Monitor Competitors:

• Regularly analyze competitors’ strategies and performance to identify gaps and opportunities for your brand to enhance its share of voice.

Summary

The share of voice is a crucial metric for understanding your brand’s visibility and dominance in the market. By calculating and tracking your SOV across different channels, you can gain valuable insights into your market position and implement strategies to improve your visibility and competitive edge. Whether through PPC, SEO, social media, or media mentions, increasing your share of voice involves creating valuable content, engaging with your audience, and optimizing your marketing efforts.