High-Performance Dark Social Content
|
This week's issue is proudly sponsored by 2POINT, more on them at the end. Read Time: 3.5 Minutes High-Performance Dark SocialIt seems like everyone is talking about dark social this month. So I thought it fitting for me to add my experience to the pool & share some insights from others you may have missed. A lot of the content from todays issue is pulled from conversations had with: Let's dig in... What is Dark SocialFor those of you who don't already know, the concept of dark social comes from the inability to attribute prospect actions as they happen on social media. Ex. A prospect gets a DM from their best friend that mentions your post > they like the post > they check out your company page > they google your company > they become a customer Most attribution tools that marketers use would see this as a Google Search sourced lead. ie. the data is WRONG, which leads marketers to make the WRONG decisions. Chris Walker's Refine Labs found that 87% of their Google Search attribution data was wrong. The far majority of their inbound leads actually came from Dark Social. What can we do about it?To be honest, not a lot. The exercise of trying to attribute this sort of complex customer journey is near impossible. Even if you can achieve it, it's an incredible time sink. Instead, I suggest giving your inbound leads the option to self-attribute with a "how did you hear about us?" field on your forms. Aside from this step, accept that your data won't be perfect. Marketing isn't just about looking at spreadsheets and being "data-driven". Yes, data has it's time & place. However the best marketing often comes from a feeling. Consider what your prospect is most likely to engage with, be curious about, and take action on. That's what you should focus your marketing on, data or not. Don't let the Dark Social scare you away from being a good marketer. So how do you create high-performance content for Dark Social?It's way easier than you think.
That's it. But, let's break that down. Create natively for the platform Repurposing content has become incredibly common. I use it in all of my work. But when repurposing it's important to consider native platform norms. Ex. TikTok video content works on TikTok, YouTube, and sometimes LinkedIn. But sizing and video lengths may vary. It's important to consider how each platform treats content differently. Another Ex. Twitter threads perform really well, but if you take that to LinkedIn or Instagram, it may perform better as a carousel. Same content > new native formatting. Always create natively for the platform you're on to get the best performance. Keep users within the platform The urge to pull users off of social & onto your website is strong. I mean, that's where you have all of the tracking data. That's where you can truly measure every action. But, if you want the best performance, this is not the right approach. Social media platforms don't like it when you direct users away from them. To be fair, they make money by keeping users engaged in the feed & showing them ads. If you hurt their ability to do that, they'll hurt your ability to reach a wide audience. So to get the best performance out of your content, don't link. Resist the urge! Your content will perform far better. Plus, the people who want to find your products/services can still find all of that on your profile. If they want it, they'll find it. Provide value to the user Everyone says you need to "provide value" for a reason. It's the only way people will engage with your content & remember your name. I dedicate 10+ hours per week to provide my audience value. Not just creating content, but researching, reading, engaging, networking, etc. It's a lot of work. But it's ultimately worth it. Here are a few recent resources I've shared that will help you provide value: If you use these tactics to empower your Dark Social content not only will your content be thriving on social, but you'll be generating far more qualified leads for your business. It's 2023, Dark Social isn't going anywhere. It's time to embrace what you can't trace. Thanks for reading this weeks issue of Marketing 123's, I hope you've found it valuable. If you did, I'd love to hear your feedback here: Leave a Testimonial Sponsored2POINT, a premium managed digital agency founded in 2006, is looking for partners to help run new locations and markets. Get paid up to 20% commissions for referring new marketing or website clients to the agency or simply handle existing leads and clients in your territory. Email team@2pointagency.com to explore further. Ready to take the next steps?
Promote your brand/business by sponsoring an issue of this newsletter. Transform your content process with this free 5-day course. |
3112 Hallmark Pl, Tyler, TX 75701 |
Marketing 123's
Weekly content to help you become a better marketer.
Read Time: 3 Minutes A life lesson from my Dad When I was 9 my Dad and I stopped at a Chick-fil-A in my hometown for lunch. He's a land surveyor, and there was a big project with a tight deadline coming up. So we'd spent all Saturday morning at the office as he chaotically tried to wrap this project up. I (not paying much attention) had a great morning playing on my Gameboy in the corner. While we weren't a poor family, we were not rolling in cash either. We counted money carefully. Going out...
Read Time: 2.5 Minutes New Year, Old Me? Marketing is one of the most distracting professions. There are always new platforms, new strategies, new opportunities, etc. It's so easy to get caught up chasing trends and whatever the "new thing" is. The problem is this causes marketing teams to make the wrong decisions while chasing shiny objects. The grass isn't greener. So as we go into 2024, this is your reminder that most businesses don't need to reinvent the wheel this year. Often if you have...
Read Time: 4 Minutes Storytelling ... it's a forgotten art. Almost everyone knows what storytelling is. They even say they believe in it. "Storytelling is the most effective way to market a company" "Marketers are storytellers" "Storytelling is the most authentic form of content" You've probably heard statements like this 1000x times, just like I have. The problem is most people don't know how to tell stories. Just like me. But, with thousands of hours in reading, podcasting, leading...