Zovda
Share of voice is the most quoted number in brand reporting and the least defined. Two teams can both be right and still disagree by a factor of two.
The numerator is usually agreed on. The argument is always about what counts.
The number everyone argues about
A share is a fraction. The top is mentions of your brand; the bottom is mentions of your brand plus the set you are comparing against. Change the comparison set and the share moves without a single new mention appearing.
So the first question in any share discussion is not "how many" but "against whom".
Define the universe first
Write down, before pulling numbers: the languages, the date range, the platform mix, whether replies and shares count, whether the brand's own accounts count, and whether a mention in an image caption counts.
Each of those decisions is worth several points of share. A comparison that does not state them is a comparison of two definitions.
Weighting is a choice, not a correction
Weighting by reach, by engagement, or by nothing at all are three different products. Weighted numbers look more rigorous and are usually less stable, because reach itself is estimated.
Pick one, say why, and keep it fixed for the length of the reporting period. Changing the weighting mid-quarter makes the trend unreadable.
Publish the definition with the chart
Put the universe in the footnote of the chart, every time. It costs one line and prevents the meeting where two teams present two shares and neither can be checked.
Zovda assembles these collections through Datuva, where the query definition travels with the export. The data research collection shows how a defined window is assembled.
Tell us which share you need to defend. We reply within one business day.