You've built an outstanding B2B SaaS product and have an amazing website to match. Website traffic is steady, and marketing campaigns are optimized, but for some reason, your sales pipeline isn't flooding with new opportunities. What's going on? The answer could lie in Dark Social - those private channels where your potential customers are talking about you without your knowledge.
What is Dark Social?
Have you ever heard of "Dark Social"?
Dark Social is all about sharing content or mentioning brands on private social channels like DMs, messaging apps, emails, word of mouth, and private groups. It's about relationships and word-of-mouth. But here's the catch: traditional attribution tracking tools struggle to identify this "dark" traffic.
The current marketing measurement for B2B tech companies heavily relies on technology that only captures visible touch-points, missing out on the crucial interactions happening in Dark Social.
"TikTok, WhatsApp, Discord, and Slack hide 100% of referral data from Google Analytics." - Rand Fishkin, SparkToro CEO.
While data helps guide, human connections within your company and with customers should be the priority in your B2B brand strategy. Focus on listening to the meaningful conversations happening in the dark to better understand your audience and fuel sustainable growth.
Tracking the Untrackable: Methods to Illuminate Dark Social
Tracking the untrackable Dark Social interactions about your brand can be difficult, but not impossible. Here are a few methods to shine some light on these hidden conversations:
Content Tracking
Utilize tracking codes, UTMs, or link shorteners when sharing content on private channels.
This helps identify the traffic source when someone clicks, even if it's from WhatsApp or Slack. See what content is resonating in the dark and look for opportunities to optimize.
Surveys & Feedback
Simple pop-up forms, win/loss analyses, or post-purchase surveys provide insights into your audience's journey. Ask how they heard about you or what impacted their decision-making.
The answers may surprise you.
Referral Systems
Incentivize customers to refer your brand through referral programs. Give them unique links or codes to share privately. You can then track conversions from these referrals, attributed to Dark Social.
While the above methods help, they likely won't fully illuminate Dark Social. Focus on building a strong brand identity and messaging. What do people say about your brand behind closed doors? Use it as a clue to shape your identity and fuel growth.
Metrics matter but aren't everything. Rethink your one-size-fits-all content strategy. Website content is your public face, but Dark Social content is private whispers. Tailor your content for each channel.
Though Dark Social hides data, don't stress. See it as uncovering your true brand identity and what people say privately. Build your brand and the conversations will come, even in the dark. Track what you can, but have faith in the power of brand, content marketing and word-of-mouth. Your B2B tech company will thrive.
Adapting Your Content Strategy for Dark Social Engagement
While you may struggle to accurately track the impact of these hidden interactions, you can still optimize your content strategy to encourage more private sharing and word-of-mouth marketing. Tailor your content for Dark Social channels by keeping these tips in mind:
Focus on relationship-building
Create content that facilitates personal connections and cultivates trust in your brand. For example, behind-the-scenes footage, origin stories, or insights into your company culture. This type of content is ideal for spreading through private networks.
Share visually engaging and sharable content
Things like infographics, stats, quotes, GIFs, and short video clips are perfect for messaging apps and group chats. They're eye-catching, easy to consume, and prime for re-sharing.
Promote your content through employee advocacy. Encourage your staff to share company content through their own social networks. Their networks likely include close friends and family, so the content reaches audiences on Dark Social channels.
Keep your content concise yet impactful
For Dark Social, aim for content that can be read or viewed quickly but still leaves a memorable impression. Get to the point fast and keep things scannable.
While Dark Social remains largely a mystery, you can take measures to nurture private sharing and word-of-mouth marketing. Tailoring your content and distribution strategy for messaging apps and group chats allows you to build relationships, spread brand awareness, and drive more traffic from these hidden channels. Focusing on the quality and scalability of your content will organically fuel the spread of your brand through the whispers of Dark Social.
The difference between Website content and Dark Social content
The content on your website is tailored to attract new visitors and convert them into leads. It focuses on educating and informing audiences about your B2B tech offerings, highlighting key features and benefits. In contrast, Dark Social content has a different goal - to nurture existing relationships and build brand loyalty.
Dark Social platforms are where real conversations happen between people who already know and trust your brand. The content here should aim to strengthen these connections by addressing customer pain points, providing value, and facilitating engagement.
Keep your Dark Social content casual and conversational. While website content is often more formal, on private messaging apps or email, you have the opportunity to show your brand's more personal side. The key is to be authentic and build genuine connections.
The difference between Website Content and Dark Social Content
Although Dark Social content may seem challenging to produce given its "hidden" nature, it is worth the investment. Strong relationships with your existing customers can lead to increased customer lifetime value, more referrals, and word-of-mouth marketing. They are your brand's biggest advocates and allies.
Don't underestimate the power of Dark Social. What happens in the shadows could very well drive your B2B tech company's growth into the light.
Your brand is more than metrics and data
So there you have it, some insightful ways to shed light on the shadowy corners of dark social and gain valuable insights into how your audience interacts with and perceives your B2B tech brand. But at the end of the day, don't get too caught up in tracking every referral or click - your brand is more than just metrics and data.
Focus on listening to the whispers, paying attention to what people are saying behind closed doors. Build a brand with meaning and purpose. Craft content and messaging that sparks conversation and generates demand. Establish a connection with your audience that goes beyond numbers. While dark social may remain an enigma, you can work to understand the forces driving your growth by strengthening your brand from within. The conversations happening in the dark will follow.
