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The B2B Dark Funnel: How to Identify and Influence Hidden Buying Signals
Written by Alexandra Flygare, Content Marketing Manager
Last Updated: October 2025
The customer journey has long-been a tool for marketers to harness and understand buyer decision making. However, due to the increasing digital nature of this process, a large portion of the customer journey is carried out in the dark.
This untraceable process is commonly referred to as the dark funnel.
TL;DR
The Dark Funnel refers to the parts of a buyer's journey that are difficult to track with standard attribution software, such as word-of-mouth, social media, and private communities.
A significant portion of customer research and decision-making happens in these "dark" channels, meaning companies that only track direct clicks have an incomplete view of what influences their buyers.
The goal is not to track everything, but to understand the funnel's impact through methods like self-reported attribution and by investing in brand-building activities within these channels.
What Is the Dark Funnel?
Understanding the Concept of Dark Funnel
Broadly, the tradition marketing funnel describes the multi-stage movement of buyers from awareness to purchase. However, as the landscape of consumer decision making changes, so do the methods of engagement.
The dark funnel refers to a deviation from the initial sales funnel, towards less conventional methods of product perception. This is important because customer journey touchpoints outside of the traditional funnel are often where consumers engage with and make decisions about products.
Channels that are typically not accounted for by traditional tracking and attribution software, makeup the ubiquitous dark funnel.
Why It’s Called the ‘Dark’ Funnel
Because these interactions are difficult to trace, they are deemed invisible to marketers. However, the significant role they play in consumer purchasing habits is influential. Thus, similarly to dark matter, the dark funnel acts as an invisible force that is both abundant and significant.
What Channels Make Up the Dark Funnel?
It has become increasingly important to make use of the dark funnel as marketing attribution has become insufficient.
Online Channels Within the Dark Funnel
The dark funnel can be characterized by a variety of online channels that are both in and out of the control of B2B marketers, these include:
blogs
newsletters
word of mouth
social media
events
public relations
referral programs
podcasts and Youtube channels
Offline Channels That Influence Buying Decisions
It is also important to note that the dark funnel is also composed of offline channels, such as print ads, radio, and TV.
Why the Dark Funnel Matters for B2B Marketers?
Seeing Opportunity in What You Can’t Measure
For a lot of companies, that which is immeasurable is typically neglected.
However, the discrete nature of the dark funnel should not be cause for alarm. Rather it can be seen as an exciting way to gain competitive advantages.
Turning Hidden Engagement Into a Competitive Advanatge
By leaning into the channels that form the dark funnel, the problem of concealed engagement can become an opportunity. For B2B marketers, understanding the dark funnel provides the circumstances to gain deeper insight into the customer journey, as well as identify new avenues for marketing opportunities and growth.
Insights from our LinkedIn Ads Benchmarks Report reveal just how early this journey begins in the dark funnel. The average time from a buyer's first ad impression, which is a classic dark funnel activity, to a closed deal is 320 days. This is months before the first trackable ad 'conversion,' which occurs on average 219 days before revenue.
How the Buying Process Has Changed
Because the internet has provided users with access to widespread information, buying decisions can now be made without direct interaction with sales.
Therefore, B2B marketers must create content that engages with their audience throughout each stage of the purchasing process.
How to Navigate the Dark Funnel
Map and Measure What You Can
To gain complete transparency of every touch of every account, use Dreamdata’s Customer Journeys feature. It gives you the visibility you need to connect known and unknown activity across the entire buying journey.
Uncover Patterns in the Dark Funnel
While not every touchpoint in the dark funnel can be tracked, you can still uncover patterns. Use intent data, self-reported attribution, and CRM insights to piece together what influences your buyers before they ever reach out.
Practice Ways to Illuminate Hidden Influence
Here are a few ways to approach it:
Focus on channels that drive long-term awareness, such as LinkedIn, podcasts, and newsletters.
Ask leads how they first heard about you. Self-reported attribution often reveals key moments traditional tools miss.
Analyze successful deals to understand what activities occurred early in the journey.
The goal is not to track everything perfectly, but to build a system that makes the invisible more visible. When you understand where influence starts, you can start shaping it.
Conclusion
The traditional sales funnel no longer captures the full scope of how B2B buyers make decisions. By embracing the dark funnel instead of fearing it, marketers can create strategies that illuminate unseen opportunities and drive more authentic engagement.
Therefore, it is crucial to look to the dark funnel to adapt marketing strategies accordingly and effectively expand the reach towards potential customers.
The importance of the dark funnel is underscored by the 95:5 rule which, as noted in our LinkedIn Ads Benchmarks Report, suggests that 95% of B2B buyers are out-of-market at any given time. Engaging these buyers through brand-building in the dark funnel is critical for long-term growth.
Shedding light on the fluidity of the consumer journey expressed by the revised funnel can effectively lead marketers out of the dark.
FAQs
What makes the dark funnel so difficult to track?
The dark funnel consists of activities and touchpoints that fall outside the scope of traditional analytics and attribution tools. These include word‑of‑mouth referrals, private Slack conversations, podcast mentions, and peer recommendations. None of these interactions leave a direct data trail marketers can follow.
How can B2B marketers begin to measure or respond to dark funnel activity?
While you may not be able to measure every touchpoint directly, marketers can respond by investing in high‑quality content, brand awareness, and community engagement. These efforts help build trust across the invisible parts of the funnel and influence decision‑makers indirectly.
Is the dark funnel just a challenge, or can it be an advantage?
It can absolutely be an advantage. The dark funnel offers a chance to differentiate your brand and engage customers in more authentic and human ways. Marketers who understand its influence can create strategies that meet buyers where they are, even when they are not yet in the market.
How is the dark funnel different from zero‑party or first‑party data?
Zero‑party and first‑party data refer to information a user voluntarily gives you or that you collect through their behavior on your owned platforms. The dark funnel, on the other hand, consists of interactions and influences you may never fully observe or own, such as off‑site research or peer recommendations.
Author
Alexandra Flygare is a content marketing manager at Dreamdata. Before transitioning to B2B marketing, Alexandra worked as a music journalist, developing her expertise in storytelling and cultural analysis. Her background spans both creative and technical writing, allowing her to bridge the gap between complex technology concepts and accessible content.