If you measure the success of a post only by the number of likes and public comments, you might miss what is really happening. In 2026, the most important part of social media has moved into private spaces – into direct messages (DMs, that is, private messages) and group conversations. At Altanet Craiova we consider this shift one of the most important trends of the year, precisely because it is harder to measure and easier to ignore.
What are DMs and why have they grown so much?
DM stands for Direct Message – a direct, private message between two users or in a small group. It is nothing new – the feature has existed on every platform for years. What changed in 2026 is the importance that algorithms give to these private interactions.
The reason is simple: when someone sends a post to a friend through a private message, it is a much stronger signal of real value than a like given in passing. If you have sent someone an article, a video or a post through a private message in the last week, you have helped increase that account's visibility – even without knowing it.
On which platforms has the importance of DMs grown?
- Instagram: Adam Mosseri, the platform's head, has publicly confirmed that shares via DM are now the number 1 metric on Instagram. When someone sends your post to a friend, the algorithm distributes it more widely.
- TikTok: has added audio messages and video attachments to DMs – turning private conversations into a richer and more expressive space.
- YouTube: is testing a direct messaging feature between users – a sign that even the largest video platform recognises the importance of private conversations.
- Spotify: has launched its own DMs, allowing users to share music and podcasts in private conversations.
- Threads: has enabled private messages for close connections, complementing the platform's public experience with a private layer.
How much has private communication grown compared with public?
Strong signal for the algorithm
Weak signal for the algorithm
What is dark social and why does it matter?
Dark social is the term used for content distribution that cannot be measured – links sent via WhatsApp, Telegram, email or private messages on any platform. We call it "dark" because it does not appear in classic traffic analytics, not because it is anything negative.
In 2026, dark social accounts for roughly 70% of all traffic shared on the internet. That means most real recommendations – "have you seen this?", "look at this" – happen in private conversations, completely invisible to analytics tools.
What does this mean for a company? That many more people see and share your content than the analytics figures show. And that your most valuable content is probably the one circulating in private conversations, not the one with the most public likes.
How do you adapt your strategy for the DM era?
- Create content worth sending. Before every post, ask yourself: "Would anyone send this to a friend?" Useful tips, surprising information, funny or emotional moments – these are shared in private.
- Reply to DMs quickly and personally. When someone writes to you in private, it is a signal of real interest. A prompt, authentic reply turns a curious follower into a loyal customer.
- Use Stories and interactive features (polls, questions, quizzes) that invite replies via DM. These formats naturally generate private conversations.
- Build private groups. A WhatsApp group, a private Facebook group or a Telegram channel for loyal customers creates a space of community and loyalty that the public feed cannot offer.
- Don't try to measure everything. Part of the private distribution will never show up in analytics. Accept that the real reach of your content is probably much larger than the figures show.
What comes next?
According to Metricool, dark social will account for 70% or more of content distribution by 2027. Brands that understand this shift and adapt their strategy from "how do I get more likes" to "how do I create content worth sharing in private" will build truly loyal audiences.
Want to know what your company's communication strategy looks like and what you can improve? The Altanet Craiova team can help you with a concrete plan. Visit our contact page and let's talk.
This article is part of the Altanet series on changes in social media and SEO in 2026. Next article: Short video vs long video in 2026: which format to choose and when. See also the complete guide to the series.