New research has revealed that UK consumers are sharing over three times more information on ‘dark social’ channels – where web analytics are unable to track – than via social channels like Facebook.
The study, published by RadiumOne, shows that 74% of all online sharing activity in the UK takes place via platforms such as email, forums or instant messengers, compared to 19% via Facebook and 7% on all other social channels combined.
The report also shows that 36% of ‘dark social sharing’, globally, now takes place via mobile devices.
The study is the first to provide a complete picture of online data sharing habits across all social networks and other messaging platforms in five key markets including the UK, North America, Europe, Australia and France.
The report’s authors say that the “honesty” of dark social data makes it a valuable source of insight because it presents brands with an “incredibly accurate picture” of the sharer’s interest and intent to buy, in real-time, across any device. However, without the means to understand or action it effectively, any value it holds is instantly lost.
“Dark Social is simply too big to ignore,” said Rupert Staines, MD Europe at RadiumOne.
“Sharing in the dark outstrips Facebook and all other social channels combined by three-to-one, yet many brands are currently unable to understand this untapped audience.
“Acting on dark social presents a huge opportunity for brands to improve their ROI from their social media and digital marketing investments.”
Staines said brands need to “quickly get a grip” on what is relevant to their online audience in real-time.
“By using smart tools that protect data from being sold or used by competitors, brands can gather and activate known engagement with their content in real-time, across all channels. This will help brands discover and protect their audience whilst importantly finding new customers.”
The full report is available here.
