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Dark social: The biggest missed opportunity in digital marketing
Journal of Digital & Social Media Marketing,
8
(3),
261-276
(2020)
Abstract
Following the widespread adoption of closed social media apps, marketers can no longer easily track outbound sharing of website links, or inbound traffic resulting from those shares — so-called dark social. This social traffic is misclassified in Google Analytics as ‘direct’, and little is currently known about its volume or relative behaviour, and therefore how to manage it effectively. This study aims to contextualise the typical contribution of the direct channel to total website reach, identify the relative contribution of (true) direct traffic and estimate the volume of dark social traffic. Traffic flows totalling over 3 million hits were observed over two years on five websites. The results suggest that the direct channel can contribute over one-third of total traffic and, according the authors’ estimate, an inbound dark social component of almost one-fifth. This is little understood at present, and the article proposes a future research agenda to develop theory in the area.
Keywords: dark social; web traffic; Google Analytics; direct traffic; social media; e-WOM
The full article is available to subscribers to the journal.
Author's Biography
Ammarah Marjan is a Doctoral Researcher and Associate Lecturer at London South Bank University Business School. Her research focuses on online loyalty programmes and involves the scientific replication and extension of empirical norms to the management of loyalty relationships in the customer base. Prior to her career in academia, Ammarah worked as a trade marketer at Nestlé S.A., where she designed strategies to increase the sales and visibility of Nestlé brands in key local and international accounts.
Charles Graham is a Senior Lecturer in Marketing at London South Bank University Business School and an adjunct research fellow at the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, University of South Australia. His research interests include long-term behavioural brand loyalty, competitive market structure modelling and effective brand portfolio management. Before becoming an academic, Charles spent nearly 15 years marketing national and international premium grocery and foodservice brands.
Margaret Bruce is Director of the Brandmovers Institute for Digital and Creative Economy and Professor of Digital Strategy at London South Bank University. Her previous roles include Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Derby University, leading research, innovation and enterprise, and Pro Vice-Chancellor of UCLan, leading research and innovation. She has also worked as a research professor at Manchester University, where she produced eight books and over 200 papers relating to design and innovation management, fashion marketing and branding. Professor Bruce has received a number of honorary professorships in recognition of her academic contribution.
Andrew Mitchell has over 25 years of global digital engagement experience with some of the world’s leading marketers, and has worked on digital promotions for a diverse portfolio of global clients. His areas of expertise span multiple industries, including consumer goods, entertainment, retail, travel and financial services. Andrew earned his doctorate for studies in identifying and developing digital technology that can be deployed and measured across various digital and social media channels. Dr Mitchell founded Brandmovers in 2003 and has since expanded across multiple continents and industries. He is a Chartered Marketer and a graduate of Manchester University and the Harvard Business School.
