Today’s marketers rely more than ever on data and analytics, allowing them to precisely track the journey consumers make through the sales funnel. And yet, even the most robust analytics program isn’t able to see everything. The so-called “dark funnel” brings some mystery and uncertainty into the world of marketing, and it can be especially acute in B2B sectors such as manufacturing.
What is the dark funnel, then? And more importantly, how does it affect the big-picture strategies used for successful manufacturing marketing? Answering these questions is essential for B2B marketers looking to better understand and track consumer behaviors.
What is the Dark Funnel?
Let’s start with a basic definition. When we talk about the dark funnel, exactly what do we mean?
Essentially, the dark funnel denotes that part of the buyer journey that unfolds before a consumer engages with a brand’s sales or marketing mechanisms. To put it even more succinctly, the dark funnel refers to the part of the buyer's journey that is unknown or not trackable.
Usually, the buyers who are in the dark funnel are still at the research phase of their journey. They have not yet submitted any contact information, or taken any other actions that could be measured by a marketing team’s analytic platform.
The dark funnel can be an important part of the buyer’s journey, particularly when dealing with more complex B2B products. That’s because there tend to be more stakeholders and decision-makers involved, which leads to a greater need for rigorous research that encompasses multiple touchpoints.
Because the dark funnel represents such a long part of the consumer journey, particularly in fields like manufacturing, it presents an invaluable opportunity for marketers, who can reach out to potential customers before they are ready to buy.
The Impact of Overreliance on Resellers
All too often, manufacturers don’t take full advantage of these opportunities, instead allowing potential customers in the dark funnel to remain invisible and unreached. There are a number of reasons why this is the case, and foremost among them is the tendency of manufacturers to rely a little too heavily on resellers.
Simply put, the typical manufacturer does not have a direct relationship with their consumers, instead working through intermediary distributors. This is not a bad thing in and of itself, but poor marketing efforts from these third-party partners only widen the dark funnel.
Because customers tend to interact more with the reseller than with the manufacturer, and because resellers often do a subpar job at B2B marketing, manufacturers can lose sight of their buyers’ journey. This is, at the very least, a missed opportunity.
The Scale of the Dark Funnel
To understand just how great of a missed opportunity it is, it may be helpful to know a little bit more about the scope of the dark funnel.
According to recent studies, a significant percentage of the buyer’s journey takes place in the dark funnel. In fact, some projections put it at between 50 percent and 70 percent.
At Clarity Digital Agency, a firm that specializes in B2B and manufacturing marketing, we can confirm from our own experience that the dark funnel makes up a huge part of the typical consumer journey. For one manufacturing client, the Clarity Digital team found that an astonishing 95 percent of leads were in the dark funnel before they onboarded.
Through a refined digital marketing strategy, advanced analytics, and lead attribution, Clarity Digital helped reduce the size of the dark funnel for this client, driving more visibility and measurable marketing success.
How the Dark Funnel Affects Lead Attribution and Strategy
The dark funnel presents manufacturing marketers with a number of challenges, and one of the most significant of those challenges has to do with lead attribution.
In a traditional marketing campaign, lead attribution is usually tied to the last touchpoint before the consumer makes a purchase. But when a huge swathe of the consumer journey happens in the dark funnel, with the potential for several invisible touchpoints, lead attribution becomes a lot more complicated.
An experienced manufacturing marketing company can help here, providing both lead attribution modeling and buyer intent data that leads to a greater understanding of where consumers are in their journey… and which touchpoints are most relevant for converting potential prospects into clients.
Combatting the Dark Funnel
That brings us to a final question: What specifically can manufacturers do to combat the effects of the dark funnel?
We’ve already highlighted the importance of using advanced analytics and data strategies to gain a clearer understanding of the buyer journey. It’s also important to seek greater alignment with resellers, which can potentially help manufacturers to feel more closely connected to the buyer journey.
Creating strong, relevant, and authoritative content is important, as well. Specifically, manufacturers must focus on tailoring content to various touchpoints across the buyer’s journey—especially those that remain hidden—all while leveraging intent data to gain clearer insights.
Get Help Navigating the Dark Funnel
Manufacturers cannot make the dark funnel disappear, but there are some steps they can take to mitigate its impact. It all boils down to having the right B2B marketing strategy.
Clarity Digital Agency’s approach helps manufacturers shrink the dark funnel by implementing better digital marketing tactics, refining lead attribution, and improving overall visibility. Consider working with Clarity Digital Agency as you seek to find your way through the dark funnel, and to better understand how buyers engage with your products and brand.
