Terms

Dark Social

What is Dark Social?

Dark social refers to the sharing of content through private channels, such as messaging apps, email, and text messages, which are difficult to track by traditional analytics tools due to their private nature. This type of sharing is significant as it represents a large portion of consumer interactions and influences buying decisions, especially in the B2B sector, where peer recommendations hold more weight than traditional advertising.

The Challenges of Tracking Dark Social

Dark social channels include private messaging apps like WhatsApp, Discord, and Slack, as well as emails, private messages within native apps, and private social media channels such as closed Facebook Groups and private subreddits. These channels significantly impact marketing analytics by obscuring the source of a large portion of web traffic and social media mentions, making it challenging for marketers to accurately measure campaign effectiveness and understand audience behavior.

Strategies for Leveraging Dark Social

To effectively utilize dark social in marketing strategies, consider:

  • Employee Advocacy: Encourage employees to share content on their personal networks, indirectly influencing their audience through dark social channels.
  • Content Diversification: Include a mix of direct links, text-based content, native videos, static images, and third-party content in your distribution strategy to engage audiences across different dark social platforms.
  • Active Participation: Be an active participant in dark social channels to effectively reach your ideal customer profiles.
  • Google Analytics: Create advanced segments to identify dark social traffic by separating overall visitors from direct traffic and excluding specific pages.
  • "How Did You Hear About Us?" Field: Add a required text field in forms on your website to gather direct feedback from visitors on how they discovered your brand, providing insights into dark social's impact.
  • Increased Brand Awareness: Leverage dark social to significantly increase visibility and awareness among your target audience.
  • Enhanced Inbound Opportunities: Understand and participate in dark social channels to increase inbound opportunities, such as leads and conversions.
  • Shortened Sales Cycles: Utilize the word-of-mouth influence generated through dark social to directly impact buying decisions and shorten sales cycles.
  • Accurate Attribution: Gain insights into dark social traffic for more accurate attribution of marketing efforts, helping you understand where your efforts are most effective.

Dark Social vs. Public Social Channels

Dark social and public social channels differ in their nature and the way they impact marketing efforts. Dark social refers to the sharing of content through private channels like messaging apps, email, and text messages, which are difficult to track and often appear as "direct" traffic in analytics tools.

On the other hand, public social channels involve sharing content on public social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, which are easier to track and measure due to the public nature of the shares and the availability of analytics tools provided by these platforms.

Essential Tools for Managing Dark Social

Managing dark social effectively requires the use of various tools and strategies to gain insights into this elusive traffic source. Some essential tools for managing dark social include:

  • URL Shorteners: Tools like Hootsuite's Ow.ly or Bitly help in accurate analytics measurement by adding tracking information to shortened links, allowing for better attribution of traffic and ROI.
  • Social Listening Tools: Platforms such as Hootsuite Streams and Hootsuite Insights mine the web for conversations about your brand, competitors, and products, helping to identify engagement opportunities and protect brand reputation.
  • Google Analytics: Creating advanced segments in Google Analytics helps identify dark social traffic by separating overall visitors from direct traffic and excluding specific pages.
  • Form Fields on Company Websites: Adding a required "How Did You Hear About Us?" text field on forms related to demos, pricing, or contact can provide accurate information about the impact of dark social channels.
  • Sharing Buttons and Tools: Improve your sharing buttons with tools like sharethis, making it easier to track if people share your content via email, messenger, or text.
  • Comprehensive Tracking Solutions: Consider using platforms like GetSocial or Po.st for a more in-depth approach to tracking dark social traffic.

Other terms

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
00 items

Demand Capture

Learn about demand capture, including strategies for effective demand capture, key principles of demand capture, & demand capture vs. demand generation.

Demand Capture

Customer Success

Learn about customer success, including key strategies for customer success, benefits of prioritizing customer success, & customer success vs. customer support.

Customer Success

Overcoming Objections

Learn about overcoming objections, including the art of handling rejections, & strategies for effective objection management.

Overcoming Objections

Buying Intent

Learn about buying intent, including identifying buying intent signals, strategies to capture buying intent, & buying intent vs. browsing behavior.

Buying Intent

Database Management

Learn about database management, including key principles of efficient database management, & building a robust database architecture.

Database Management

Electronic Signatures

Learn about electronic signatures, including benefits of electronic signatures, & how to implement electronic signatures.

Electronic Signatures

Account View Through Rate

Learn about account view through rate, including maximizing account view through rate, & key metrics to track and improve.

Account View Through Rate

Copyright Compliance

Learn about copyright compliance, including how to ensure copyright compliance , & key benefits of copyright compliance .

Copyright Compliance

Break-Even

Learn about break-even, including calculating your break-even point, importance of break-even analysis, & break-even analysis vs. profit margins.

Break-Even

Workflow Automation

Learn about workflow automation, including benefits of workflow automation, implementing workflow automation, & common workflow automation tools.

Workflow Automation

Buyer Journey

Learn about buyer journey, including stages of the buyer journey, key factors influencing the buyer journey, & buyer journey vs. sales funnel.

Buyer Journey

Simple Object Access Protocol Application Programming Interface

Learn about SOAP API, including benefits of SOAP API, how SOAP API works, SOAP API vs. REST API, and common use cases for SOAP API.

Simple Object Access Protocol Application Programming Interface

Process Builder

Learn about process builder, including how process builder works, benefits of using process builder, & best practices for process builder.

Process Builder

Product-Led Growth

Learn about product-led growth, including hallmarks of product-led growth, strategies for implementing PLG, & comparing PLG with sales-led approaches.

Product-Led Growth

Weighted Pipeline

Learn about weighted pipeline, including calculating your weighted pipeline, & distinguishing weighted pipeline from traditional forecasting.

Weighted Pipeline

Applicant Tracking System

Learn about applicant tracking system, including benefits of using an ATS, key features of effective ATS, & ATS vs. traditional recruitment methods.

Applicant Tracking System

Sales Intelligence

Learn about sales intelligence, including key benefits of sales intelligence, harnessing data for sales success, & sales intelligence tools comparison.

Sales Intelligence

Lead Enrichment Tools

Learn about lead enrichment tools, including benefits of lead enrichment tools, & key features of effective lead enrichment software.

Lead Enrichment Tools

Cold Calling

Learn about cold calling, including crafting effective cold calling scripts, the art of the follow-up call, cold calling vs. warm calling: u.

Cold Calling

Single Page Applications

Learn about single page applications, including benefits of single page applications, key features of SPAs, how to build SPAs, & common mistakes in SPAs.

Single Page Applications

Enterprise

Learn about enterprise, including defining enterprise, key components of an enterprise, & enterprise vs. small business differences.

Enterprise

Account-Based Advertising

Learn about account-based advertising, including strategies for implementing account-based advertising, & benefits of account-based advertising.

Account-Based Advertising

Horizontal Market

Learn about horizontal market, including identifying opportunities in horizontal markets, & key strategies for market penetration.

Horizontal Market

Forecasting

Learn about forecasting, including forecasting methods overview, principles of accurate forecasting, & comparing forecasting techniques.

Forecasting

B2B Data Solutions

Learn about B2B data solutions, including unlocking the power of B2B data, & key components of effective B2B data solutions.

B2B Data Solutions

Retargeting Marketing

Learn about retargeting marketing, including the foundations of a successful retargeting campaign, & strategies for effective retargeting.

Retargeting Marketing

Value Chain

Learn about value chain, including key elements of value chain, building an efficient value chain, & value chain vs. supply chain.

Value Chain

Key Accounts

Learn about key accounts, including identifying key accounts criteria, strategies for managing key accounts, key accounts vs. regular accounts: understanding the differences.

Key Accounts

Discount Strategies

Learn about discount strategies, including understanding discount types, creating effective discount strategies, & benefits of using discounts.

Discount Strategies

Lead List

Learn about lead list, including building a high-quality lead list, strategies for effective lead generation, lead list vs. CRM database: understanding the differences.

Lead List

Application Programming Interface

Learn about application programming interface in outbound sales, including its benefits, best practices, and APIs vs traditional methods.

Application Programming Interface

Weighted Sales Pipeline

Learn about weighted sales pipeline, including calculating your pipeline's weight, & key metrics in weighted sales pipelines.

Weighted Sales Pipeline

Unique Selling Point

Learn about unique selling point, including identifying your unique selling point, crafting a compelling USP, & unique selling point vs. value proposition.

Unique Selling Point

Data Privacy

Learn about data privacy, including understanding data privacy laws, implementing data privacy in your business, data privacy vs. data security: the differences.

Data Privacy

Marketing Operations

Learn about marketing operations, including key elements of marketing operations, & the role of technology in marketing operations.

Marketing Operations

Email Personalization

Learn about email personalization, including benefits of email personalization, & techniques for effective personalization.

Email Personalization

Decision Maker

Learn about decision maker, including identifying key decision makers, strategies for engaging decision makers, decision maker vs. influencer: understanding the differences.

Decision Maker

Cross-Selling

Learn about cross-selling, including benefits of effective cross-selling, strategies for successful cross-selling, cross-selling vs. upselling: understanding the differences.

Cross-Selling

Channel Partner

Learn about channel partner, including benefits of partnering with channels, choosing the right channel partner, & channel partners vs. direct sales.

Channel Partner

Precision Targeting

Learn about precision targeting, including implementing precision targeting strategies, & benefits of precision targeting in sales.

Precision Targeting

Marketing Automation

Learn about marketing automation, including benefits of marketing automation, & key features of effective marketing automation.

Marketing Automation

Robotic Process Automation

Learn about robotic process automation, including benefits of robotic process automation, & implementing RPA in outbound sales.

Robotic Process Automation

Sales Stack

Learn about sales stack, including building an effective sales stack, key components of a sales stack, sales stack vs. marketing stack: understanding the dif.

Sales Stack

Upsell

Learn about upsell, including benefits of effective upselling, strategies for successful upselling, & upsell vs. cross-sell: understanding the difference.

Upsell

Sales Pipeline Velocity Formula

Learn about sales pipeline velocity formula, including calculating your sales pipeline velocity, & key components of pipeline velocity.

Sales Pipeline Velocity Formula

Accessibility Testing

Learn about accessibility testing, including how to conduct accessibility testing, & benefits of accessibility testing.

Accessibility Testing

Value Gap

Learn about value gap, including identifying the value gap, closing the value gap effectively, & value gap vs. price gap.

Value Gap

WordPress

Learn about WordPress, including understanding WordPress features, benefits of using WordPress, comparing WordPress and other CMS, and essential WordPress plugins.

WordPress

CRM Data

Learn about CRM data, including maximizing CRM data value, utilizing CRM data effectively, CRM data vs. traditional data, & key elements of CRM data management.

CRM Data

Lead Generation Tactics

Learn about lead generation tactics, including strategies for successful lead generation, & key components of effective lead generation.

Lead Generation Tactics

Marketing Funnel

Learn about marketing funnel, including stages of the marketing funnel, building a successful marketing funnel, & marketing funnel vs. sales funnel.

Marketing Funnel

Audience Targeting

Learn about audience targeting, including developing an audience targeting strategy, & key benefits of audience targeting.

Audience Targeting

Consumer Relationship Management

Learn about consumer relationship management, including building effective consumer relationships, & strategies for enhanced consumer engagement.

Consumer Relationship Management

Quality Assurance

Learn about QA, including understanding QA in outbound sales, benefits of implementing QA, best practices for QA, and tools for effective QA.

Quality Assurance

Sales Territory Management

Learn about sales territory management, including strategies for effective territory management, & key benefits of optimizing territories.

Sales Territory Management

Competitive Landscape

Learn about competitive landscape, including analyzing your competitors, crafting your competitive edge, & key metrics for competitive analysis.

Competitive Landscape

Private Labeling

Learn about private labeling, including understanding the private labeling process, benefits of private labeling, & challenges in private labeling.

Private Labeling

Field Sales Rep

Learn about field sales rep, including key responsibilities of a field sales rep, & qualities of a successful field sales rep.

Field Sales Rep

Cross-Site Scripting

Learn about cross-site scripting, including understanding how cross-site scripting occurs, identifying vulnerabilities, preventing attacks, & best practices.

Cross-Site Scripting

On Target Earnings

Learn about on target earnings, including calculating on target earnings, factors influencing on target earnings, & on target earnings vs. base salary.

On Target Earnings

Forward Revenue

Learn about forward revenue, including calculating forward revenue accurately, & the impact of forward revenue on decision-making.

Forward Revenue

Buying Cycle

Learn about buying cycle, including stages of the buying cycle, key influences on buying decisions, & enhancing the customer's buying journey.

Buying Cycle

Gone Dark

Learn about gone dark, including identifying prospects gone dark, strategies to re-engage dark prospects, & the impact of gone dark on sales strategy.

Gone Dark

Account-Based Sales Development

Learn about account-based sales development, including strategies for implementing ABS development, & key principles of account-based sales.

Account-Based Sales Development

Clustering

Learn about clustering, including how clustering enhances outbound sales, key benefits of clustering, & types of clustering methods.

Clustering

Challenger Sales

Learn about challenger sales, including implementing the challenger sales model, key principles of challenger sales, & challenger sales vs. solution selling.

Challenger Sales

Voice Search Optimization

Learn about voice search optimization, including how to implement voice search optimization, & benefits of voice search optimization.

Voice Search Optimization

Omnichannel Marketing

Learn about omnichannel marketing, including the benefits of omnichannel marketing, & key strategies for omnichannel success.

Omnichannel Marketing

Sales Methodology

Learn about sales methodology, including developing an effective sales methodology, & key components of sales methodologies.

Sales Methodology

Event Tracking

Learn about event tracking, including understanding event tracking metrics, setting up event tracking, & best practices in event tracking.

Event Tracking

Sales Champion

Learn about sales champion, including identifying your sales champion, qualities of an effective sales champion, sales champion vs. sales representative.

Sales Champion

Sales Development

Learn about sales development, including the role of a sales development rep, & building a successful sales development strategy.

Sales Development

Follow-up

Learn about follow-up, including strategies for effective follow-up, crafting compelling follow-up messages, & differences between first contact and follow-up.

Follow-up

High Availability

Learn about high availability, including benefits of high availability, implementing high availability strategies, & high availability best practices.

High Availability

Lead Scoring

Learn about lead scoring, including importance of lead scoring, lead scoring techniques, & benefits of implementing lead scoring.

Lead Scoring

Lead Response Time

Learn about lead response time, including improving lead response time, the impact of quick response, & lead response time vs contact rate.

Lead Response Time

Deal-Flow

Learn about deal-flow, including maximizing your deal-flow efficiency, key components of successful deal-flow, & deal-flow versus sales pipeline.

Deal-Flow

Lightning Components

Learn about lightning components, including understanding lightning components benefits, & key features of lightning components.

Lightning Components

Psychographics

Learn about psychographics in marketing, including understanding it, crafting psychographic profiles, & psychographics vs. demographics.

Psychographics

Yield Management

Learn about yield management, including benefits of implementing yield management, & essential components of yield management.

Yield Management

Fault Tolerance

Learn about fault tolerance, including understanding fault tolerance, importance of fault tolerance, key components, & implementation strategies.

Fault Tolerance

Competitive Analysis

Learn about competitive analysis, including steps for conducting competitive analysis, & key components of competitive analysis.

Competitive Analysis

Email Deliverability

Learn about email deliverability, including improving email deliverability rates, & key factors affecting email deliverability.

Email Deliverability

Data-Driven Lead Generation

Learn about data-driven lead generation, including benefits of data-driven lead generation, & key metrics for measuring success.

Data-Driven Lead Generation

Closed Won

Learn about closed won, including strategies for achieving closed won, identifying closed won opportunities, closed won vs. closed lost: understanding the d.

Closed Won

Hybrid Sales Model

Learn about hybrid sales model, including benefits of a hybrid sales model, implementing a hybrid sales approach, & hybrid vs. traditional sales models.

Hybrid Sales Model

Call for Proposal

Learn about call for proposal, including crafting an effective call for proposal, & key elements of a successful proposal call.

Call for Proposal

Drip Campaign

Learn about drip campaign, including crafting an effective drip campaign, examples of successful drip campaigns, drip campaign vs. bulk emailing: understanding the differences.

Drip Campaign

Scrum

Learn about scrum, including advantages of scrum, implementing scrum in sales, scrum roles explained, & common scrum mistakes.

Scrum

B2B Demand Generation Strategy

Learn about B2B demand generation strategy, including key elements of demand generation, & crafting your demand generation plan.

B2B Demand Generation Strategy

CPM

Learn about CPM, including understanding CPM calculation, types of CPM models, importance of CPM in sales, & CPM vs. alternative metrics.

CPM

Representational State Transfer Application Programming Interface

Learn about REST API, including benefits of using REST API, how to implement REST API, REST API vs. other APIs, and best practices for REST API.

Representational State Transfer Application Programming Interface

Sales Dialer

Learn about sales dialer, including types of sales dialers, benefits of using a sales dialer, & choosing the right sales dialer for your team.

Sales Dialer

Sales Objections

Learn about sales objections, including identifying common sales objections, overcoming sales objections effectively, & sales objections vs. customer concerns.

Sales Objections

Multi-Channel Marketing

Learn about multi-channel marketing, including benefits of multi-channel marketing, & strategies for successful implementation.

Multi-Channel Marketing

Big Data

Learn about big data, including understanding big data characteristics, benefits of leveraging big data, & challenges in managing big data.

Big Data

Order Management

Learn about order management, including understanding order fulfillment, best practices for order management, & benefits of effective order management.

Order Management

Average Revenue per User

Learn about average revenue per user, including calculating ARPU: a step-by-step guide, & the impact of ARPU on business strategy.

Average Revenue per User

Cohort Analysis

Learn about cohort analysis, including understanding cohort segmentation, steps to conduct cohort analysis, & cohort analysis vs. traditional analysis.

Cohort Analysis

Lead Enrichment Software

Learn about lead enrichment software, including benefits of lead enrichment software, key features to look for, implementing lead enrichment in your sales process.

Lead Enrichment Software
Clay brand asset shaped as a 3D group of abstract objects made out of purple and pink clayClay brand asset shaped as a 3D group of abstract objects made out of purple and pink clay

Scale your outbound motion in seconds, not months

14 day free Pro trial - No credit card required

Try Clay free