An insight by Holly Turner, Junior Research Analyst, EMEA Strategy team
In 2016, 84% of consumers shared content privately through dark social channels such as instant messaging or email, whilst 90% of ad of spend was ploughed into social networks, as revealed by eMarketer. So, how can brands looking to engage with these closed off consumers achieve that connection, without becoming too intrusive a force?
This was a significant topic of discussion at the Contagious ‘Now, Next, Why’ event I recently attended. At the event, Contagious writer Kristina Dimitrova offered an overview of the rising influence of so-called ‘dark social’ and the challenges it presents to the industry, alongside the opportunities this presents brands to get close to their fans and followers.
The term ‘dark social’ can be quite vague. Simplistically, it refers to people sharing content through private channels such as messaging apps or email; making recommendations and sharing ideas about brands essentially in a ‘walled garden’. According to eMarketer, the number of mobile messaging app users will reach 2 billion in 2018 as more consumers gain mobile internet access worldwide and flock to messaging apps as cheaper alternatives to SMS, MMS and voice calls.
In addition to this, further analysis by RadiumOne reveals that dark social shareability has jumped from 69% to 84% globally. This poses a serious challenge to the industry, which is failing to track and capture the activity. Dimitrova reiterated this at the event, arguing that, “…dark social can result in spending time and money focusing on the wrong metrics”.
Despite this measurement obstacle, dark social creates an exciting opportunity for marketers and if implemented correctly, can enable brands to get up close and personal with their fans than ever before.
A successful example of this can be seen with Nike. Nike On Demand, a one-to-one messenger-based service on WhatsApp, was created to connect athletes with Nike experts on a regular basis to keep them motivated and on-track with their fitness goals. The campaign delivered personalised content in the form of images, conversation, playlists, etc. as well as providing expert advice from pacers and trainers.
The athletic apparel giant identified this as a significant opportunity to deliver useful content to consumers via WhatsApp. The beauty of this mobile marketing tactic is that the brand cannot interrupt the consumer; they can only be invited in, making for an overall more positive experience for the consumer.
Whilst dark social presents a lot of challenges, if implemented in the correct way and with the right kind of presence, brands can benefit from the ‘walled gardens’ that are messaging apps and consumers’ increasing propensity to use them. The embracing and implementation of such a strategy could prove even more fruitful in this trusted and influential environment.
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