Dark Social: What is it, and how to measure the impact of invisible sharing? 

Do you have any idea what it might be? Dark social?  

Despite its intimidating name, the term has gained prominence in Marketing. It has become an increasingly relevant topic, as its numbers grow every year and cannot be ignored.

Understand what Dark Social is, and learn how to enhance it on your website, transforming it into a strategic ally – and not an enemy to be feared.   

After all, what is Dark Social?  

In short, 'Dark Social' refers to one simple fact: sharing content through private channels – such as DM's, SMS and WhatsApp – that cannot be tracked by common analytics methods, such as Google Analytics.  

A simple example is when you copy the link of a page, with some promotion or information from the site, and send it by message to a colleague or family member. This exchange is called 'Dark Social' – since it happens without the possibility of any tracking, protected by encryption.   

Dark Social: the advantages and disadvantages  

Ok, we understand the concept of Dark Social. Now, how does it affect the functioning and analysis of your website?   

At first, the biggest disadvantage is the one already mentioned in the topic above. The impossibility of tracking ends up preventing insights valuable, such as the collective's personal perception of the content or product. This prevents the marketing team from interpreting the total audience.  

Furthermore, it is not possible to predict how the company is being viewed. Sharing information, if done through criticism, will go unnoticed by the metrics and vision of the responsible team. This is a disadvantage for many reasons, but mainly due to the lack of feedback.  

However, there is also a positive side. Shares can also be positive, and this greatly favors the brand or product's image. This is because, when a link like this is shared positively, it is usually done with the intention of indicating and suggesting the product or service.  

With direct referrals from trusted people, your audience becomes even more segmented, and creates a wider range of loyal and trustworthy customers.   

How to Measure and Track Dark Social  

Let’s be honest: it’s not possible to directly track Dark Social interactions – that's why they are considered 'Dark'. But there are some strategies that, used together, can give you an idea of ​​how this traffic works.   

First of all, the first thing to do to get an idea of ​​Dark Social interactions is a strategic analysis using the analytics program itself. Understand the abnormal direct traffic on internal pages, since people rarely type links manually. Monitoring sudden direct spikes without a clear reference is also a strong indicator of this type of sharing.   

The use of UTM links can also be a tracking tool where possible. Using this strategy, it is possible to analyze where the traffic comes from. Programs such as Google Campaign URL builder help in the creation and implementation of these links in practice.   

Another very functional idea – and simple – is the implementation of direct sharing buttons, such as WhatsApp and SMS. This feature can generate monitorable links, keeping you informed about traffic.     

Strategies to leverage Dark Social to your brand’s advantage  

As mentioned, despite the scary name, Dark Social has its advantages. Direct communication instills trust among customers, who share what attracts them and, most importantly, what they recommend.  

Creating highly shareable content is the main tip to suggest. Short videos, educational texts and clear images are examples of this strategy. This will encourage the public to share the page, bringing more visitors to the site.   

Furthermore, creating communities and private channels, such as channels on Telegram and WhatsApp, are also smart strategies for sharing and contacting the target audience.  

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