METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROMOTION OF A SEARCH SERVICE

• US 20080168040A1
• Filed: 01/08/2008
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ChaCha Search, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ChaCha Search, Inc.
• Inventors: Kremer, Steve Maltland, Brown, Jared D., Jones, Scott A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,078,608 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A method and system for viral marketing is described. Using the method and system, recruiters may be associated with recruits. Recruiters may be compensated based on activities of recruits. The traceability of a recruit to a recruiter permits analysis of efficacy of the recruiter and recruitment techniques employed. The improved traceability is achieved due to the ability to trace any recruited user associated with an identifier of the recruiter.

Claims

1. A method of viral marketing, comprising:

associating one or more identifiers with a recruiter;

supplying information to the recruiter associated with said one or more identifiers; and

identifying recruits based on said information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one of said identifiers is a URL associated with the recruiter.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said information is distributed to the recruits by said recruiter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying is based on an identifier assigned to the recruit.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

supplying the recruit with an identifier based on said information which is unique to the recruit.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein an activity of the recruit is tracked based on said identifier.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the recruiter is informed of the activity of the recruit.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said identifier is incorporated in software downloaded by the recruit.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the recruiter is compensated based on said activity of the recruit.

10. A method, comprising:

distributing a search service tool having an identifier associated with a recruiter; and

compensating the recruiter in accordance with usage of the search service tool by a user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the search service tool is associated with an identifier assigned to the user.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising:

tracking an activity of the user via the search service tool to determine a compensation for the recruiter.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the recruiter is provided with the compensation when the activity of the user meets a predetermined condition.

14. The method of claim 12, comprising:

displaying information indicating each activity performed using the search service tool associated with the recruiter.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the recruiter is provided with recruitment information for said distributing of the search service tool.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the search service tool is one or more of a URL of a search system, a modification to a search appliance of a browser, a registration of a user with the search system or a toolbar extension associated with the search system.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the recruiter is a human guide registered to conduct a search responsive to a request.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein an invitation is sent to the user using at least one of an electronic mail, a blog posting, a voice message, a text message, an Instant Message or printed media.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein multiple recruiters are registered to promote the search service tool, and

the search service tool distributed indicates information of the recruiter among the multiple recruiters.

20. A system, comprising:

a server distributing an invitation to use a search service in association with a recruiter; and

a database tracking usage of the search service in response to the invitation associated with the recruiter.

22. The system of claim 20 further comprising:

a recruiter system;

reviewing information of the usage of the search service associated with the recruiter;

sending the invitation to a user system; and

tracking an activity of a user responsive to the invitation,

a user system generating search activities; and

a searcher system performing a search responsive to a request from the user.

21. A computer readable medium having a program stored therein to cause a computer to execute operations, comprising:

distributing an invitation to use a search service in association with a recruiter;

tracking usage of the search service in response to the invitation associated with the recruiter; and

determining a compensation for the recruiter in accordance with said usage of the search service.

23. A method of viral marketing, comprising:

assigning an identifier to a recruiter;

distributing, to a user, information of a search service including an invitation to use the search service and the identifier of the recruiter, said information indicating a distribution type for sending the invitation to the user;

assigning an identifier to the user and tracking an action of the user responsive to the invitation, said action being associated with the identifier of the user; and

compensating the recruiter when the action of the user responsive to the invitation meets a predetermined condition by identifying the user as a recruit based on the identifier of the recruiter in the information sent to the user and the identifier of the user associated with the action.