In digital marketing, social media refers to the public posts, tags, comments and livestreams that are inherently seen, measured and tracked. But there is a significant number of digital interactions that happen under the radar. This is the realm of “dark social” — the private, digital spaces, inaccessible to the public, where genuine conversations and recommendations take root.
Dark social has become a routine part of daily life for most of us. Whether you’re texting family through iMessage, chatting on workplace Slack channels or sharing your favorite game with friends on Discord, you’re participating in the world of dark social.
So why does this matter to brands? According to Databox, 84% of sharing happens on dark social networks. Understanding and strategically approaching dark social is key to keeping your brand in the conversation and ensuring you don’t miss out on this large portion of audience engagement.
Beyond mitigating lost brand attribution, dark social is also important to understand as a powerful driver of interest and conversions. Think of dark social as the digital equivalent of word-of-mouth marketing. A colleague forwards an insightful blog post. A friend texts you a link to a product they love. These seemingly small, private acts of sharing offer consumers reviews and recommendations that feel organic and authentic, which can have a significant influence on purchase decisions.
Research from Statista shows that 89% of buyers consider personal referrals and recommendations to be their most trusted source of information. In the age of increasing privacy concerns, we will continue to see consumers gravitate towards these types of intimate, trusted spaces, with a link shared by a friend seen as more credible than a post from a brand.
Tapping into these networks doesn’t mean gaining access to private conversations, but adapting marketing strategies accordingly to take advantage of dark social as a new opportunity for brand attribution, brand advocacy and consumer understanding.
One way to capitalize on the dark social opportunity is to insert your brand into these consumer to consumer conversations. For example, Lululemon offers an affiliate program where influencers promote shareable brand content and discount codes with their audience. This type of content can spark more dark social conversations about their brand and products by prompting people to share discounts and offers with friends and family.
Dark social can also reveal what resonates with your audience to inform your content strategy. When content is shared privately, it indicates that your audience finds it genuinely valuable, interesting or helpful enough to personally endorse it to their networks. While direct tracking of dark social remains a challenge, you can infer some insights around what content most resonates by looking for indicators like a spike in “direct traffic” after a particularly shareable piece of content is posted or encouragement of sharing via trackable buttons (e.g. “Share via WhatsApp”), for example.
While dark social may operate in the shadows, its influence on consumer behavior and brand success is undeniable. By recognizing its influence, understanding its dynamics and crafting content that is highly shareable within these private networks, brands can tap into powerful growth by building a deeper, more trusting relationship with audiences, one share at a time.
At Mythic, we specialize in modern social media strategies that amplify your brand’s voice and build fandom while helping you navigate an ever-evolving social landscape – all of this is in the pursuit of ambitious growth. From content creation and community management to paid campaigns and analytics, we deliver social media solutions that connect brand and performance.
Ready to elevate your social presence and achieve ambitious growth? Reach out to newbiz@mythic.us to get started.
