Competitive intelligence from social and media data is comparison of public conversation, not espionage. You see what people already posted. You do not get a rival’s strategy deck.
Pick a tight set. Three to five brands is usually enough. Include the category terms customers use, not only legal names. A bank that ignores mobile-money slang will under-count the real conversation.
Compare change, not only size. A smaller brand that doubled conversation on “fees” may matter more this month than the incumbent’s steady rumble.
Keep methodology boring and visible: same date range, comparable query care, same source types. If one brand is over-matched with generic words, you will crown the wrong winner.
Share of voice is a conversation metric. It is not market share, revenue or consideration. Say that out loud in every report. Brand254 shows comparable public metrics for the brands you choose; it does not invent unpublished rankings.