Dark Social has become a significant issue for marketers everywhere, so you should work on a plan to cope with it if you currently need to get one. This term refers to sharing social media material outside of what web analytics tools can measure.
If you’re wondering why it is such a pain for marketers, the links published through these networks lack referrer data, such as tags or UTM parameters. This then prevents web analytics tools from tracking them. Because of this, marketing experts need help to precisely measure the traffic and conversions that Dark Social brings.
How to Take Advantage of Dark Social with Solid Demand Gen Strategy
Marketers need to know where their traffic is coming from, which helps them craft a winning strategy. This also allows them to gather data on user intent and garner senior stakeholders’ support for more significant marketing expenditures. Sadly, 77.5% of consumers disseminate links on dark social networks. And for the average marketer, the inability to track this data equates to revenue loss.
Dark social is here to stay and, if anything, will get bigger. Therefore, identifying where your traffic originates is crucial for future marketing planning. But how? Below are tips to ensure you leverage every opportunity from dark social through a strong demand generation strategy.Create the Dream Team
Right off the bat: Dark social and conventional content strategies are different. As such, it requires unique and bespoke teams of individuals who understand the value and intricacies of it all.
Your strategy can be the most creative and effective, but it will only work with the right team. But how do you know you have the right people for the job? Here is what to look for:
- Content Masters:
They create content that resonates well with your audience. They must be experts in the subject and express a unique tone that relates to your brand. - A Creative Influence:
They help build your content. Ideally, they should also effectively pitch, create and update the content to fit the brand’s image. - Point Person:
They will lead the whole dark social strategy. The buck stops with them. They are responsible for accountability and reporting. - The Social Genius:
Normally, this person deeply understands social media networks, how they work and where to capitalize on them. They will be responsible for naturally distributing content.
Track What Is Trackable
Most dark social interactions are private and will remain so, making tracking so much harder. However, there are analytical techniques you can try:- Use Short Links:
Short links are distinctive, trackable, and no longer exist in obscurity. They may be posted on your website, via emails, and on social media, allowing you to track when your content is shared on dark social channels. - Track in Real-Time:
A rise in direct hits to specific links will tell you when traffic results from dark social shares. Often, this occurs after the content gains immense attention from social media channels. - Enhance Your Lead Capture Forms:
Adding self-attribution questions on your lead capture forms, like how the user heard of you, can help you understand the channels to scale your efforts. Leveraging data enrichment tools will help simplify your form and convert demand from your audience.
Consistency May Not Always Work
An effective dark social strategy entails more than consistency and keywords. It is an opportunity to present your brand as a subject matter expert and leader in your industry. Still, the most crucial thing in all of this is to ensure the information you’re producing is worthwhile to share.
It’s not complicated; if people don’t want to share your stuff, there’s nothing to monitor. It is, therefore, only essential to keep track of what your audience cares about. But how? Take a look at your messages. What do you share, and who do you share it with? Answering these questions will help you understand which content you need to share on dark social channels.
T.A. Monroe Is Here to Help
Dark social is the digital version of word of mouth and a key influencer for many consumers. By acknowledging the existence of Dark Social, quantifying it, and integrating it into a larger digital strategy, you can still leverage the situation to your advantage. However, it is easier said than done.
Hire a marketing firm specializing in generating demand for B2B SaaS enterprises if you need help developing a sustainable and effective demand gen plan utilizing dark social to your advantage. Our team of experts will help you make decisions that improve your brand’s bottom line. So schedule a call with us today.
