Analytics nightmare: 82 percent of mobile sharing is done through dark social
A new report sheds some light on the tall numbers in the murky world of “dark social.”
Globally, 82 percent of content shared on mobile is shared through messaging, email or text, according to a report released today from ad platform RadiumOne, called the “The dark side of mobile sharing.” In 2014, it was below 50 percent. Just 13 percent is shared via Facebook, and the remaining 10 percent through the other public social networks.
RadiumOne based the numbers on the actions of the 940 million people globally on the platform.
Dark social, or dark traffic, is a rising issue for publishers as they try to get a handle on traffic patterns. This is exacerbated by the adoption of secure encryption technologies by sites and services, making referral traffic harder to pin down.
Daniel Price, head of social operations at Lost Boys, said clients are trying to get their head around dark social, but the shift to building directly on platforms could make it unimportant. “By building functionality and utility into Facebook Messenger, it becomes more of a web platform than a social messaging app.”
More in Media
LGBTQ+ publishers grapple with a Pride Month ad spend slowdown
LGBTQ+-focused publishers faced a tougher-than-usual Pride month this June, as ad dollars failed to materialize.
Spotify’s video podcast program draws praise from creators — and skepticism from networks
Six months into the Spotify Partner Program, creators and podcast networks are split on the opportunity, with ad monetization at the core.
How iHeartMedia kept the tone and personality of its AI-translated podcasts
More than a year after iHeartMedia execs planned to debut a handful of AI-translated podcasts, those shows are finally seeing the light of day.