Do not misinterpret the term “Dark Social” or “Dark Traffic” with something that is forbidden or unacceptable in the Social Media Marketing World.
Dark Social Sharing in itself is a very common practice and every person in the world has already taken part in it knowingly or unknowingly.
Before jumping into What “Dark Social” and “Dark Traffic” means let us explain how basic Online Sharing Works.
When it comes to sharing content online (especially readable content) people basically use two medium:
- Using a Share Button if provided by the content owner
- Copy/Past the Link of the content into a desired social platform
The existence of Dark Social Traffic depended on the kind of Social Media Platform your content is being shared to i.e. Open Social, Closed Social, or Dark Social platform.
What is Open Social Sharing, Closed Social Sharing and Dark Social Sharing?
Open Social Sharing
When a user shares a post on Open Social handles like Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook, using a website’s social sharing button.
Closed Social Sharing
Sharing of content from a website to a Closed Social channel like Slack, Email, or WhatsApp, using its private message sharing button.
Dark Social Sharing
When a link is copied and pasted to Dark Social platforms like WhatsApp. It is different from closed social sharing as it has not occurred using a “Share-Button” so the metadata is lost making the source untraceable.
What is Dark Social and Dark Traffic?
Dark Social
Website content shared viva URL copy/paste to a closed social channel (like messaging app, email & text) comes under Dark Social.
Your Web analytics software displays this data as direct traffic without any record of the source as the metadata within the link is lost during the process.
Dark Traffic
While using traffic tracking tools like Google Analytics, you will see a large amount of direct traffic heading towards your website.
When a person directly lands on your site’s home page (by typing in your website URL or through a bookmark) it is termed as Direct Traffic, but is it possible, to think so many people have happened to type in those specific URLs to their toolbar based on memory!
It is safe to assume that at least half of this traffic is coming from users who clicked on a link inside some closed social platform explaining the Dark Traffic i.e. traffic from the Dark.
Why do you need to be aware of your Dark Social Traffic?
Having a good knowledge about your Dark Social Traffic gets you a step closer to your consumer’s content needs.
By constantly tracking your Dark Social Shares you might be able to master the world of ‘Word of Mouth Marketing’.
Dark Social Sharing is private and trust-driven from the consumer point of view. A link shared directly to a person or group in closed social channels is likely to get more engagement as the content is pre-approved by someone they know.
You can efficiently target this specific group of consumers, and the content they are most engaged to for the success of your website, product or services by being aware of your Dark Social Traffic.
How to differentiate Dark Traffic from regular Direct Traffic?
For targeting Dark Traffic you first need to know how to differentiate it from Direct Traffic. The easiest way is by using a traffic tracking tool like Google Analytics.
Finding Dark Traffic with Google Analytics
Connecting your website to an analytic processor like Google Analytics will bring you a step closer to differentiating your Dark Traffic from your Direct Traffic.
The simplest way to find your Dark Social Traffic is to check the landing page of the direct traffic coming to your website in Google Analytics.
The percentage of Direct Traffic where the user comes down to your site’s home page (landing page) can be assumed as genuine straight traffic.
The other half of the Direct Traffic where you find users landing on the inner pages of your website, for example, a particular blog post deep inside your blog page with no particular mention of the source, are most likely to be a part of Dark Social Traffic.
Segregating Dark Traffic from Direct Traffic with Google Analytics
Now that you know the amount of Dark Social Traffic your website comes across, you can isolate it from the Direct Traffic and specifically target content your users find engaging enough to share in private chats.
Creating a different segment under Direct Traffic of your Google Analytics that measures only users that land on deeper pages of your website will give you a clear idea of the amount of traffic arriving from Dark Social Sharing.
Listen, Comprehend and React to Dark Social Traffic and Level-up your Social Media Marketing
With large brands like BuzzFeed, Shazam, and Star Bucks already targeting their dark social traffic in full swing, it’s time for you to listen to the call of Dark Social Sharing, Comprehend what the call means and React to it in your best interest.
Formulating an up-to-date Social Media Marketing Strategy that enlightens your route while uncovering Dark Social Traffic, will certainly be a responsible and fruitful decision for your business.
Social Media Marketing needs time, effort, and total devotion, only after putting in a tremendous amount of efforts does a strategy reaps a sweet fruit.
If you feel that your business is lacking behind in keeping up with the ever-changing digital world, our Social Media Marketing experts are here for you.
Join us to formulate a result-driven Social Media Marketing Strategy for your business.
