Dark social is off-the-grid sharing of content that occurs across channels such as email, messaging apps (such as WhatsApp or Slack), or social networking site direct messages, where standard web analytics services cannot see or properly attribute the source of traffic. Dark social is particularly valuable in B2B marketing, as it can include peer-to-peer sharing, internal team discussions, and recommendations among decision-makers, all of which are part of the buying process.
Alexis C. Madrigal defined it in a 2012 piece for The Atlantic, "dark social." Web traffic is being depicted as "direct", but it does not necessarily mean someone typed it into the browser. It just means the traffic originated from a source that wasn't being tracked, such as a link forwarded within a Teams chat, a LinkedIn direct message, or an email chain.
What does dark social look like in B2B marketing and social media?
Dark social pervades B2B but remains invisible. Marketing and social managers toil to create content, get engagement, and track success, but dark social foils them by concealing the complete picture.
Common instances where dark social appears in B2B are:
1. A prospect shares your thought leadership article in their company's Slack channel.
2. An internal team emails the product comparison PDF to you.
3. A decision-maker emails your LinkedIn post link to a colleague through InMail.
4. A webinar link is cut and pasted into a WhatsApp group of industry influencers.
In every one of these instances, content is being shared and disseminated in valuable ways, but the source of that engagement never appears in your analytics platform. Instead, it gets folded into "direct traffic" or becomes some mystical source you can't trace.
Why is dark social a concern for content attribution and marketing analytics?
Dark social shatters the classic marketing attribution funnel. CMOs are being compelled to demonstrate ROI and link leads to campaigns, and dark social is the missing puzzle piece to fill the gap.
Why attribution doesn't work:
Twitter Analytics cannot monitor hidden channels, such as email conversations, text messages, or internal chat forums.
"Direct" traffic in analytics is generally wrong. Not all direct traffic results from a person typing out a URL. They can result from an untrackable share.
First-click and last-click models are simplistic. There are several B2B touches, many of which occur through dark social.
So while a prospect may convert on a landing page, that click may have originated from a message in a private Slack conversation. You'll never see that path, which makes optimization and reporting much more difficult.
What types of content are most commonly shared through dark social?
Not everything is shared equally on dark social. In B2B, some content types are more likely to be shared privately than publicly.
The following is what usually flows through dark channels:
1. Whitepapers and reports : Particularly the data-heavy or laden with strategic intel
2. Event links : Webinars, roundtables, or virtual events
3. Case studies : Particularly those that mirror a prospect's challenge or industry
4. Blog posts and thought leadership : If they resonate, they get passed around
5. Product feature lists or comparison charts : Handy for internal decision-making
6. LinkedIn news or newsletters : Frequently screenshotted, copied, or forwarded via DMs If it's informative, relevant, and valuable to an internal buying team conversation, it's likely being shared in the dark.
How does dark social impact B2B buyer behavior and decision-making?
B2B purchasing decisions are never made in isolation. Peers, influencers, and buying committees all play a role, and dark social is where much of that occurs.
Most significant influences on purchasing behavior:
Peer approval is essential. Ads are too low on the social hierarchy compared to what you think about from colleagues or peers within your industry. If someone shares your content through a private message, it carries more weight.
Influence occurs off the radar. You may not notice a public share or like, but your content may be the topic of a private discussion.
Shortlisting is done behind closed doors. A buyer may not even have been recorded on paper before conducting in-depth research on the topic in question, and almost all of that research has passed through dark social channels.
In short, dark social is where actual influence occurs, out of reach of pixels and UTM codes.
Some of the most prevalent myths surrounding dark social are:
It's easy to get confused about dark social and what it isn't. The following are some myths that marketers and social media managers frequently find themselves running into:
Myth 1: "Dark social is irrelevant to B2B." Actually, B2B purchasing entails more private conversations than B2C, particularly in groups.
Myth 2: "We can't measure it, so we shouldn't care about it." Though not measurable directly, dark social can be inferred and included in planning.
Myth 3: "Dark social is all about messaging apps." It also encompasses email, personal forums, internal sites such as Microsoft Teams, and even native mobile share that erases referral data.
Myth 4: "If it's not on our analytics dashboard, it doesn't count." The most significant touchpoints in B2B usually occur offline or in dark channels, so dark social becomes particularly significant.
How can B2B marketers prepare for dark social?
Although you can't measure dark social, you can plan your strategy to prepare for it and even use it.
1. Produce shareable content
Useful, relevant formats such as reports, checklists, and templates Make URLs short and straightforward to copy and paste easily. Make significant findings digestible so they can be easily shared in screenshots or briefs.
2. Ask your audience
Include "How did you hear about us?" fields on forms, with open-text answers. Conduct customer and lead interviews to understand their actual content journey.
3. Utilize UTM best practices
Whenever sharing content via email or social media, always use UTM parameters so you can strip out known sources. This won't eliminate dark social, but it reduces what isn't dark.
4. Identify proxy indicators
Search for traffic spikes of "direct" traffic that happen around content drops or emails sent. Monitor off-platform discussion or mentions by sales teams.
5. Work with sales
B2B sellers tend to uncover where leads actually originated. Take that anecdotal evidence.
How does dark social appear on LinkedIn, and what does it mean for marketers?
LinkedIn is one of the leading causes of B2B engagement and a leading source of dark social activity. Here's why:
Private sharing: Members tend to cut and paste posts to InMail, Teams chat, or email chains.
No referral data: Links shared via DMs will not pass referral data through to analytics tools.
Silent engagement: They don't all like, comment, or share. Many simply screenshot or message privately.
Make posts snackable: Emphasize quotes, facts, or charts that can be easily screenshot.
Ask to share: Include calls-to-action like "Share this with a colleague" in posts.
Monitor with context: Couple LinkedIn engagement data with CRM activity and sales conversations to gain a more comprehensive perspective.
Final Thoughts: Why dark social is more critical than ever
Dark social is no edge phenomenon for B2B marketers. It's at the heart of how people consume, assess, and share content. Although it may not appear directly on dashboards, its influence can be felt.
Social media managers and marketing managers who grasp this hidden level of influence can develop strategies that are more human, more efficient, and better attuned to how buyers really react.