Lessons in Navigating Dark Social

It sounds like something out of a horror movie-dark social.

But the term “dark social” really just points to when people share content through private channels like email and messaging apps. It’s estimated that 84 percent of outbound sharing is done through dark social, which makes content shared on public platforms like Facebook or Twitter much harder for marketers to track.

A lot of companies have chosen to bury their collective heads in the sand regarding dark social, but these companies are missing out on a huge opportunity.

Here are the top three reasons your company cannot ignore dark social.

1. It’s everywhere

According to a recent online article, the majority of responses (clickbacks) to dark social shares have come from mobile devices. People are using dark social on the device that is basically glued in their hands.

2. Dark social has a huge impact on traffic

According to marketing firm RadiumOne, dark social shares as a percent of on-site shares jumped from 69 to 84 percent globally in just the last year.

3. This is an untapped marketing opportunity

Dark social data reveals the real interests of the consumer. As a business owner, it would behoove you to familiarize yourself with this information. It will allow your business to grow and create a more targeted audience profile.   

So, how do you take advantage of dark social? Well, measuring social media ROI should be paramount. The best way to do this and to circumvent the challenges of dark social is to shorten URLs. Creating UTM links will provide you with a tool to get a deeper analysis of the engagement rates.