TARGETING ADVERTISEMENTS TO GROUPS OF SOCIAL NETWORKING SYSTEM USERS

• US 20130232012A1
• Filed: 03/02/2012
• Published: 09/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yan, Rong, Senaratna, Nuwan
• Granted Patent: US 10,685,361 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.67
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0275 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure target advertising to a group of related users of a social networking system. To target advertising to a group of users, the social networking system receives targeting criteria specifying a group to receive an advertisement at substantially the same time. To identify a group of users of the social networking system satisfying the targeting criteria, the social networking system observes the interactions of connected social networking system users. Connected users interacting with each other in a manner that satisfies the targeting criteria may be added to a group. The social networking system serves the advertisement to a set of users included in the group because the served users are members of the group.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving at a social networking system a request to provide an advertisement to users of the social networking system;

receiving targeting criteria defining a group of users of the social networking system to receive the advertisement, the targeting criteria specifying a common interaction between at least two connected users of the group;

observing a plurality of interactions between users of the social networking system;

forming a group of users of the social networking system who are involved in one or more of the observed interactions with each other that meet the targeting criteria; and

sending the advertisement for display to at least a plurality of the users in the group based on a set of users belonging to the group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the common interaction comprises checking in to a location related to the advertisement.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the common interaction comprises attending an event related to the advertisement.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the common interaction comprises planning to attend an event related to the advertisement.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the common interaction comprises interacting with a thread or post, the thread or post including one or more keywords related to the advertisement.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the common interaction comprises interacting with a common object associated with the social networking system.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the object comprises an image related to the advertisement.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the targeting criteria further specifies a number of connected users having performed one or more of a plurality of common interactions within a time period.

10. The method of claim 1, where the targeting criteria further specifies a sequence of one or more of a plurality of common interactions to be performed by at least two connected users.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the group is formed based at least in part on an affinity between the connected users.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the group is formed based at least in part on whether the connected users are tagged in a common image.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the group is formed based at least in part on a number of distinct types of common interactions performed by the connected users.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the group is formed based at least in part on a frequency of occurrence of one or more of a plurality of common interactions over a period of time.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the group is formed based at least in part on a number connected users to be included in the group.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the group is formed based at least in part on an account activity threshold associated with the connected users.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the advertisement for display to the plurality of the users in the group comprises sending the advertisement to a minimum number of users of the group.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the advertisement for display to the plurality of the users in the group comprises pushing the advertisement to the set of users.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the advertisement for display to the plurality of the users in the group comprises sending the advertisement when an indication that one or more of the set of users accessed a web page associated with the social networking system.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the advertisement for display to the plurality of the users in the group comprises sending the advertisement based on a time period when another user in the group was served the advertisement.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the time period when another user in the group was served the advertisement, being simultaneously.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the time period when another user in the group was served the advertisement, being within a minimum delivery window.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

including, in the advertisement, an indication that the advertisement was sent to one or more other users of the group.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining for at least one user of the group, a role based on observed interactions of users of the group;

receiving personalized content associated with the role; and

including the personalized content in the advertisement to be sent to the user of the group associated with the role.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving payment from an advertiser when receiving an indication that a minimum number of users of the group viewed the advertisement.

26. The method of claim 25, comprising receiving an incremental payment from the advertisers when receiving an indication that greater than the minimum number of users of the group viewed the advertisement.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertisement includes an offer for a deal, the method further comprising:

when the deal is redeemed by a minimum number of users of the group, activating the deal for the users of the group, wherein activation enables the users of the group to purchase the deal.

9. The method of claim 9, wherein the common interaction comprises listening to an audio object related to the advertisement.

28. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

observing an interaction with the advertisement by one or more users of the group; and

responsive to observing the interaction with the advertisement, sending a notification to the other users of the group indicating the interaction.

28-1. A method comprising:

receiving at a social networking system an ad request, the ad request specifying an advertisement;

receiving targeting criteria defining a group of users of the social networking system to receive the advertisement, the group of users comprising two or more users who have interacted with a common object in the social networking system;

observing one or more interactions between users of the social networking system that meet the targeting criteria;

forming a group of users of the social networking system who are involved in the observed interactions that meet the targeting criteria; and

determining whether to send the advertisement for display to a viewing user of the social networking system based at least in part on whether the viewing user belongs to the group.