Dark social, a term that keeps coming up in the world of digital marketing, refers to the exchange of content via non-public channels such as messenger services, emails or even text messages. This form of communication is often invisible or untraceable to outsiders, including marketers and analysts. Dark social presents a challenge for traditional tracking and analysis of online behaviour, as much of the content and recommendations shared are outside the scope of standard analytics tools.

The term "dark social" may sound a little mysterious, but it basically describes a very common practice: sharing links and information in a private setting. This could be, for example, forwarding an interesting article to a friend via WhatsApp or sharing a product link in a private Facebook message. Such activities are difficult for companies to measure as they do not take the usual route via publicly accessible social media or other platforms.

These invisible social activities form a significant part of online traffic. Many users prefer to share content in a more private setting, leading to a growing importance of dark social in the digital communication landscape. For marketers and businesses, this means that a significant portion of user interactions and recommendations may not be captured in their data, which can lead to a gap in their understanding of user behaviour.

The challenge with dark social lies in developing strategies to make this form of communication visible and usable. Some approaches include the use of shortened URLs or special tracking codes that make it possible to better identify the origin of web traffic, even if this is via private channels. Another option is to focus on content that encourages sharing in private networks in order to indirectly utilise the reach and influence of dark social.

In conclusion, dark social is an important, albeit elusive, component of digital marketing. It requires companies and marketers to have a deeper understanding of the way people communicate and interact online. By recognising the dynamics of dark social and integrating them into their strategies, they can gain a more complete picture of user behaviour and make their online marketing activities more effective.