Whether what people say about a brand is positive, negative or neutral. Listening tools classify mentions automatically, and the share of each is tracked over time.
Formula
Negative share = negative mentions ÷ total mentions × 100
Example
Of 180 mentions of Meera's store in a month, 54 were negative, mostly about late home deliveries. That is 30% negative sentiment.
How you'll hear it
“Sentiment went negative after the delivery delays; let's fix that before pushing more ads.”
Don't confuse it with
- Engagement: counts actions, not whether people feel good or bad about you.
Related terms
Want to use this at work? AI-led Social Media Excellence is aFactor's 16-week program for social media work.
Sources
- Social media metrics to track, Hootsuite, 2026
- Social listening: the key to success on social, Sprout Social