Understanding the Dark Funnel

The Dark Funnel is where customers begin their journey anonymously. They are researching, gathering information, and forming opinions—all without directly engaging with your brand. During this stage, they may be reading blogs, watching videos, searching online, or interacting with content on social media without revealing their identity to your marketing and sales teams.

Why the Dark Funnel matters

Engaging customers in the Dark Funnel is critical because a significant portion of decision-making happens here. Research shows that up to 90% of a buyer’s journey is completed before they make contact with a brand. If you’re not actively targeting this hidden stage, you might be missing out on valuable opportunities to influence potential customers early on.

Strategies to illuminate the Dark Funnel

To connect with customers in the Dark Funnel, you need to focus on creating visibility and relevance:

• Intent data and behavioral tracking: Use tools like N.Rich and 6Sense to track online behavior and identify potential buyers’ interests and needs.
• SEO and Content Marketing: Develop content that answers common questions, offers solutions, and ranks well on search engines.
• Social engagement and social listening: Monitor social media platforms to identify conversations relevant to your industry. Participate in these discussions to subtly introduce your brand to potential customers who may not yet be on your radar.
• Account-Based Marketing (ABM): Focus your marketing efforts on key accounts by crafting personalized content that speaks directly to their pain points.
• Thought leadership and educational content: Publish blogs, whitepapers, webinars, and reports that position your brand as a trusted source of information.

Social engagement in the Dark Funnel

During the Dark Funnel stage, social engagement is vital. By actively participating in online communities, industry forums, and social media groups, salespeople can position themselves as helpful, knowledgeable resources. This isn’t about directly selling but about sharing insights, answering questions, and establishing credibility.

Salespeople should:

• Join Relevant Social Media Groups: Be active in LinkedIn or Facebook groups where potential customers are likely to participate.
• Share Valuable Content: Regularly post industry insights, answer questions, and engage in meaningful conversations without pushing a hard sell.
• Use Social Listening Tools: Tools like Hootsuite or Sprout Social can help salespeople track relevant discussions and identify potential leads based on their engagement with specific topics or hashtags.

Looking ahead

Now that we’ve explored the Dark Funnel, the next step in our journey is the Awareness stage. In our next article, we’ll dive into how you can effectively capture the attention of customers as they begin to recognize their needs.