The Rise of Dark Social Content: How to Win in the New Era of Marketing

Gone are the days when website content was the be-all and end-all of digital marketing. In today's world, social media has taken over as the king of content, with "dark social" content emerging as the latest trend in B2B marketing.

But what exactly is dark social content, and how does it differ from traditional website content?

Let's break it down.

Website Content

Website content is exactly what it sounds like – content that lives on a company's website in the form of pages, blog posts, landing pages, and so on. This type of content assumes that the website is a destination for consumers who want to find information about a brand, its products or services, and other relevant information.

The main use cases for website content are to provide transactional information (such as the time of a sporting event or a recipe) or to enable independent purchasing decisions (such as getting product specifications or pricing information).

However, the reach of website content is quite low, as it requires users to actively search for the content on search engines. Additionally, the frequency of visits to a company's website is typically low, as consumers may not have a need to visit the site on a daily or even monthly basis.

Dark Social Content

Dark social content, on the other hand, is built specifically for digital consumption outside of trackable situations and content platforms. It is a form of B2B marketing that is often neglected by companies due to difficulties in measuring its impact with attribution software.

Examples of dark social content include LinkedIn posts, Instagram paid ads, YouTube videos, comment threads on Reddit, and conversations within Slack communities.

The main use cases for dark social content are to learn about new ideas and products, understand what peers are doing and using, and receive validation and insights from peers about business priorities and purchase decisions.

Unlike website content, dark social content has a high reach, as it is often amplified by social networks and shown to users who have not actively searched for it. Additionally, the frequency of consumption of dark social content is high, as users log into social networks and content platforms multiple times a day and are served content that aligns with their interests.

The Benefits of Dark Social Content

As we can see, the differences between website content and dark social content are stark. So why should B2B companies invest in dark social content?

1. High Reach: With strong likelihood of passive engagement, dark social content has the potential to reach a large audience.
2. Clear User Feedback: The comments and post engagement on dark social platforms provide clear feedback about the content, including who is engaging with it, what questions they have, and what objections they may have.
3. Increased Shareability: There are numerous mechanisms for proactively sharing dark social content with others, increasing its overall shareability.

In short, dark social content has the potential to revolutionize the way B2B companies approach digital marketing.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it's clear that dark social content is the future of B2B marketing. Companies that fail to invest in this type of content risk being left behind as their competitors reap the benefits of increased reach, user feedback, and shareability.

So don't be afraid to embrace the dark side of digital marketing – it just might be the key to your success.