Paid social
Dark Post
A targeted ad that appears only to selected audiences in feed and is never published on the advertiser's public profile.
What it means in practice
The ad is created inside an advertising platform and delivered according to campaign targeting and placement settings. Separate dark posts can carry different creator clips, copy, or offers without adding each version to the public profile grid.
Why it matters
Dark posts let teams tailor messages by audience while keeping the public account focused on its organic content plan.
How it is used
A brand creates several unpublished ads from one creator video to test audience-specific hooks and calls to action.
Also called
unpublished post
Related terms
- WhitelistingGranting a brand permission to run paid ads directly from a creator's social handle using advertiser access tools.
- Creative TestingRunning multiple ad variations simultaneously to identify which hooks, formats, or creators drive the strongest performance.
- RetargetingServing ads specifically to people who previously interacted with a brand's site, app, or social content.