Possible ways of using dark social in digital marketing

At some point, we’ve all come across a video or an article, thought of someone, and then sent them a link in a message. Would you like to have a private conversation about it? If you’ve already done that, congratulations, you’ve used dark social media. Put, private content sharing is known as dark communities. The “dark” part of the name refers to marketers' challenges when measuring ROI with such messages.

Thousands of people use private messaging to share content, driving traffic to website owners. However, these links do not have reference tags. So even if the recipient clicks on the link, their visit will not appear in the Direct Traffic column. The power of dark social networks lies in their authenticity. It’s more personal because people use it for one-on-one conversations.

Dark social is when people share content through private channels like email, text messages, or instant messaging applications like WhatsApp, WeChat, Facebook Messenger, or Snapchat, rather than social media platforms and public social networks like Use Facebook and Twitter. According to Hootsuite, private sharing creates some barriers for marketers to track and measure the effectiveness of content, making it difficult to spot patterns or social trends.

Dark sharing and replies on social networks often happen via mobile devices. Statistics show that dark social sharing clicks via mobile increased from 53% in 2014 to 62% in 2016. Like a link shared privately between friends, clicks tend to be higher because the shares are from trusted sources.

Many marketers have recognized this and used it to their advantage. They’ve changed their social media strategies to accommodate dark social experiences.

Ways to use dark social in digital marketing

One way to use dark social in digital marketing is through referral marketing. Referral marketing is a strategy where current customers are incentivized to refer their friends and family to a product or service. By encouraging customers to share a referral link through private channels, such as messaging apps or email, marketers can tap into the power of dark social to drive new business.

Another way to use dark social in digital marketing is through targeted advertising. By utilizing data from customer interactions on messaging apps or closed social networks, marketers can create highly targeted advertising campaigns that reach the right audience at the right time. This can be especially effective for reaching younger demographics, who are more likely to be using messaging apps and closed social networks.

A third way to use dark social in digital marketing is through influencer marketing. Influencer marketing is a strategy where brands partner with social media influencers to promote their products or services. By working with influencers who have a strong presence on messaging apps or closed social networks, brands can tap into the power of dark social to reach a highly engaged audience.

A fourth way to use dark social in digital marketing is through customer engagement. By creating a closed social network or messaging group for customers, brands can build a community of loyal customers who can provide valuable feedback and insights. Additionally, by providing exclusive content and special offers to members of these groups, brands can incentivize customers to continue engaging with them.

Another way to use dark social in digital marketing is through personalized messaging. By utilizing data from customer interactions on messaging apps or closed social networks, brands can create personalized messaging campaigns tailored to individual customers' specific interests and needs. This can help to increase customer engagement and drive conversions.

A final way to use dark social in digital marketing is through content marketing. By creating high-quality, engaging content that is shareable through messaging apps or closed social networks, brands can tap into the power of dark social to drive traffic and increase brand awareness. Additionally, by using data from customer interactions on messaging apps or closed social networks, brands can optimize their content better to meet the needs and interests of their target audience.

How companies use dark social in a strategic way

Here are a few examples of how they can do this:

Utilize referral marketing:
Encourage customers to share referral links through private channels, such as messaging apps or email. This can drive new business and help the company to tap into the power of dark society.

Targeted advertising:
Use data from customer interactions on messaging apps or closed social networks to create highly targeted advertising campaigns that reach the right audience at the right time. This can be especially effective for reaching younger demographics who are more likely to be using messaging apps and closed social networks.

Influencer marketing:
Partner with social media influencers who have a strong presence on messaging apps or closed social networks. This can help the company to reach a highly engaged audience and tap into the power of dark society.

Customer engagement:
Create closed social networks or messaging groups for customers. This can help the company to build a community of loyal customers who can provide valuable feedback and insights.

Personalized messaging:
Utilize data from customer interactions on messaging apps or closed social networks to create personalized messaging campaigns tailored to individual customers' specific interests and needs.

Measurement and analysis:
To take full advantage of dark social, companies should have a way of measuring and analyzing the data of the interactions on messaging apps or closed social networks. This can help them to understand which strategies are working and which are not.

Winning at influencer marketing with dark social

1. Adidas

Adidas was one of the first brands to step into the dark social game. Its Tango Squad campaign was launched with the aim of creating a community of brand advocates who would operate on private messaging apps.

Essentially, the Tango Squad is a group of soccer fans and content creators ages 16 to 19 residing in some of the biggest cities in Europe. Their aim is to build the next generation of soccer influencers who are involved in building communities.

Tango Squad has been around for more than three years now. To support the dark social strategy, they have also come up with the Tango app. It offers content creators a platform to showcase their skills, earn rewards, and build their own community.

Conclusion

Dark social can be a valuable tool for digital marketers to connect with consumers more intimately and personally. By utilizing referral marketing, targeted advertising, influencer marketing, customer engagement, personalized messaging, and content marketing, brands can tap into the power of dark social to drive new business, reach the right audience, build a community of loyal customers, increase customer engagement, and drive conversions. Brands should be more proactive in understanding the dark social and take steps to leverage it in their digital marketing strategy.