Systems and methods for a referral email generator and management system

• US 20070260523A1
• Filed: 02/26/2007
• Published: 11/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Contagion, LLC
• Original Assignee: Contagion, LLC
• Inventors: Gilhuly, Brian, Butcher, Paul, Schadt, James, Regland, John
• Application Number:
  US11/711,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20070260523A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.160
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0214 Referral reward systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for generating referral emails. Particularly, referral emails are generated as part of a campaign initiated by a member of an online community. The referral emails are customized based on both information about the potential member and the referring member. An email campaign may include a number of emails that change over time as a result of particular events being triggered. Links for particular assets, such as privileged web content, may be included in emails. Such links may be selectively chosen from an asset database. Such a selection may be chosen, for example, based on the stage of the referral/marketing campaign, information about the potential member, information about the referring member, and the contents of the assignment database.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a user database, wherein said user database stores a member profile having a plurality of member profile fields, one of said member profile fields is a member name, and another one of said member profile fields is a prospective member email address;

a prospect database, wherein said prospect database stores a prospect member profile associated to said prospective member email address, said prospective member profile having a plurality of prospective member fields;

an asset database, wherein said asset database stores a plurality of assets and said assets are categorized dynamically according to at least one of said prospective member fields; and

a referral email generator to generate and send a referral email to said prospective member email address, wherein said referral email is signed by an administrator and said member name, includes at least one of said plurality of assets based on the information from said prospective member profile, and provides the ability for said prospective member email address to join.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one email template for use by said referral email generator.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said referral email generator is configured to merge at least one of said member profile fields with said email template.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein said at least one email template defines static information and dynamic information.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said dynamic information comprises at least one of said plurality of assets.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein said dynamic information comprises a hyperlink to at least one of said plurality of assets.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of assets are selected from the group consisting of online chats, software, digital music, and webcasts.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the referral email generator is configured to automatically resend said referral email to said prospective member email address after a predetermined amount of time.

9. A system comprising:

a user database, wherein said user database stores a member profile having a plurality of member profile fields, one of said member profile fields is a member name, and another one of said member profile fields is a prospective member email address;

a prospect database, wherein said prospect database stores a prospect member profile associated to said prospective member email address, said prospective member profile having a plurality of prospective member fields;

an asset database, wherein said asset database stores a plurality of assets; and

a referral email generator to generate a referral email to said prospective member email address, wherein said referral email is signed by an administrator and said member name, includes at least one of said assets, includes an introductory section manually entered by a member associated with said member profile, and provides the ability for said prospective member email address to join.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising at least one email template for use by said referral email generator.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said referral email generator is configured to merge at least one of said member profile fields with said email template.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein said at least one email template defines static information and dynamic information.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said dynamic information comprises at least one of said plurality of assets.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein said dynamic information comprises a hyperlink to at least one of said plurality of assets.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein said plurality of assets are selected from the group consisting of online chats, software, digital music, and webcasts.

16. The system of claim 9 wherein the referral email generator is configured to automatically resend said referral email to said prospective member email address after a predetermined amount of time.

17. A method comprising:

determining a benefit of a user to an online community;

prompting said user with the ability to initiate a referral campaign when said benefit exceeds a benefit threshold; and

generating a referral email as part of said referral campaign that is addressed to a prospective member email address manually inputted by said user, signed by an administrator and said user, and includes at least one dynamic asset.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein generating a referral email comprises autonomously generating said referral email using a referral email generator and an ability to edit said referral email is provided to said user after said referral email is generated but before said referral email is sent.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising accepting user input from said user to initiate said referral campaign.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising generating a second referral email after a pre-determined period of time.