Dark Social
Influence spreads in untrackable channels—optimize for shareability.
Explanation
Most sharing happens in private channels like text messages, email, and private chats that analytics tools can't track. While you can measure likes and public shares, the majority of word-of-mouth happens in 'dark social' where your content gets discussed and shared privately. This hidden sharing often drives more actual purchases than public social media activity.
Real-World Example
Executive screenshots your pricing page, sends to team Slack. Team discusses for a week. Someone googles your brand, signs up. Attribution says: Direct traffic. Reality: Week of dark social sharing. Your content needs to be screenshot-worthy.
How to Apply
Create assets meant to be shared: Frameworks, templates, benchmarks, calculators. Make them self-contained (context included). Add subtle branding. Use unique phrases (trackable in search). Ask customers: 'How did you first hear about us?' Trust qualitative data.