What Is Dark Social & How Do You Measure It?

Dark social is a term coined by Alexis C. Madrigal in a 2012 article for The Atlantic. Dark social refers to content shared through private channels that are not easily tracked by traditional web analytics tools. This includes sharing links via direct messaging, such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, emails, private groups, and other private forms of communication.

Marketers often miss out on valuable insights from these private conversations. Understanding dark social helps businesses get a clearer picture of how their content is being shared. b=Brands can shed light on this hidden activity by using advanced analytics and encouraging direct engagement,

Navigating dark social can be challenging, but there are several strategies you can use to gain insights and leverage this hidden traffic:

Use UTM Parameters: 

• Adding UTM parameters to URLs can help track the source of traffic when links are shared privately. This way, the parameters can provide some tracking data even if the link is shared through dark social channels.

Encourage Social Sharing Buttons: 

• Making it easy for users to share content through visible social sharing buttons can encourage more trackable sharing methods.

Analyze Direct Traffic: 

• A significant portion of direct traffic comes from dark social. By analyzing patterns in direct traffic, marketers can infer the impact of dark social sharing.

Leverage Dark Social Tools: 

• There are tools specifically designed to track dark social shares, such as GetSocial.io which can provide insights into how content is being shared privately.

Engage with Your Audience: 

• Encourage feedback and conversations with your audience. This can help you understand how they are sharing your content and what platforms they are using.

Content Personalization: 

• Tailor content to specific audience segments. Personalized content is more likely to be shared privately, and understanding your audience can help you predict and track these shares.

Although dark social poses difficulties in measurement and attribution, utilizing the appropriate tools and methodologies can enable marketers to gain valuable insights and refine their strategies.

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