/dm:dark-funnel

Purpose

Map and illuminate the dark funnel — buyer journey activities invisible to traditional attribution. Identify where prospects are encountering the brand outside of trackable channels (Reddit discussions, AI chatbot queries, podcast mentions, community forums, word-of-mouth, dark social sharing) and surface intent signals that reveal the true scope of brand awareness and consideration happening beyond what analytics platforms can measure.

Input Required

The user must provide (or will be prompted for):

• Brand name and product names: The brand and specific products or services to track across dark funnel channels — used to define search terms, mention patterns, and signal queries
• Known community presence: Subreddits, Slack communities, Discord servers, industry forums, or niche platforms where the brand has an official or organic presence — these are primary dark funnel listening posts
• Podcast appearances: Episodes, shows, or sponsorships the brand has participated in — used to correlate vanity URL visits, promo code redemptions, and branded search spikes with specific air dates
• AI visibility data (optional): Output from /dm:geo-monitor showing how AI chatbots (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini) reference or recommend the brand — a growing dark funnel channel
• Branded search volume trends: Google Search Console or third-party keyword data showing branded search volume over time — the strongest proxy signal for offline and untracked brand exposure
• "How did you hear about us" survey data (optional): Self-reported attribution from lead forms, onboarding flows, or post-purchase surveys — direct evidence of dark funnel touchpoints that customers themselves identify

Process