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
How Time and others are rebuilding parts of the web for AI agents
Publishers are preparing for the agentic web by creating AI-friendly versions of their sites to stay discoverable in AI search.
The Economist’s launches new audio and video tier targeting younger subscribers
The Economist has launched a lower-priced audio and video subscription to attract younger readers, called Economist Play.
OpenX hunts new CEO after parting ways with Matt Sattel as chief executive
The ad tech company is switching leaders, ending the current CEO’s five-month term in office.