Let’s talk about dark social. It’s certainly not as ominous as its name sounds, but it’s still vitally important for digital marketers to understand. Dark social refers to social sharing that comes from outside sources that web analytics tools are not able to track. (Think Snapchat, personal email, or incognito browsing.)
Over 70% of all web traffic referrals come from dark social. That deeply affects businesses’ ability to paint a complete picture of how content, products, or channels are performing.
How do we overcome it? Using UTM parameters and shortened links, you can shine a light on your murky data. Sites like Bitly track clicks that would otherwise become dark traffic.
