Dark Social
Quick Definition
Private sharing of content through messaging apps, email, and text messages that can't be tracked by standard analytics tools.
Examples
- 1A user copies your Instagram post link and shares it via WhatsApp with friends.
- 2Someone emails your blog post to colleagues instead of sharing it on LinkedIn.
- 3A customer sends your product page to family members through Facebook Messenger.
- 4People sharing content through Telegram groups or Discord channels.
- 5Screenshots of social media posts shared in private chats.
Pro Tips
Test Your Knowledge
Take this quick quiz to see how well you understand dark social.
Question 1 of 5
Which of these is an example of Dark Social sharing?
In-Depth Definition
Dark Social was first coined by Alexis Madrigal in 2012 to describe the 'invisible' sharing that happens outside of public social platforms. It includes any content shared through private messaging apps (WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger), email, SMS, and native mobile apps where the referrer data isn't passed to the destination website. When someone visits your site through Dark Social, it typically appears as 'direct traffic' in analytics, making it hard to track the true source.
For SMM professionals, Dark Social presents both challenges and opportunities. While it makes attribution difficult, it represents authentic sharing between people who trust each other. This word-of-mouth marketing often drives higher-quality traffic with better conversion rates. To leverage Dark Social in SMM, focus on creating highly shareable content, implementing tracking where possible, and designing campaigns that encourage private sharing. Remember that Dark Social often represents your most engaged audience—people who care enough about your content to personally recommend it to others.
Related Terms
Attribution
The process of identifying which marketing channels and touchpoints contribute to conversions or sales.
Direct Traffic
Visits to a website that occur when a user types the URL directly into their browser or uses a bookmark.
UTM Parameters
Tags added to URLs to track the effectiveness of online marketing campaigns across traffic sources and publishing media.
Referral Traffic
Visits to a website that come from links on other websites rather than directly or from search engines.
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