Dark Post - Marketing Dictionary - Upnify
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Dark Post


A "Dark Post" in marketing, also known as a "dark ad" or "hidden post," is a type of social media advertisement that doesn't appear in the public news feed of a page or profile but is selectively shown to specific audiences. Unlike regular posts that are published on a page's feed and are visible to all followers, dark posts are ads that are targeted to specific segments of the audience in a more discreet and personalized manner. These ads can be used on various social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.


Here are some key features of Dark Posts in marketing:


  1. Precise Targeting: Dark posts allow advertisers to target specific audiences based on criteria such as age, gender, location, interests, online behaviors, and more. This ensures the message reaches the most relevant people for the campaign.

  2. Personalization: Advertisers can create multiple versions of an ad with personalized content and calls to action for different audience segments. This increases the ad's relevance and the likelihood of interaction.

  3. Testing and Optimization: Dark posts are ideal for conducting A/B tests and assessing which messages, images, or strategies work best with different audience segments. This allows advertisers to optimize their campaigns based on results.

  4. Privacy: Dark posts are not published in the main feed of the company's page, avoiding content saturation in that area and keeping followers' experience more focused on organic content.

  5. Measurement and Analysis: Social media advertising platforms provide detailed analytics tools to evaluate the performance of dark posts, allowing precise tracking of metrics such as reach, engagement, and conversions.

  6. Flexibility and Scalability: dvertisers can use dark posts for a variety of objectives, from increasing brand awareness to driving sales. They can also efficiently manage multiple campaigns.

In summary, Dark Posts in marketing are highly targeted and customized social media ads that enable businesses to reach specific audiences more effectively and discreetly. This strategy helps optimize campaign performance and ensures that promotional content is relevant to those who see it.




The Marketing Glossary is a compendium of all the most commonly used terminology in sales strategy. Many of the concepts listed here are used when implementing a CRM system or a digital sales funnel, no matter if they are legacy systems or an online CRM. See also our blog that deals with sales techniques, marketing and sales culture.