Social media contributor weight

• US 9,442,984 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2014
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Kevin G., George, William Brandon
• Primary Examiner(s): JEAN, FRANTZ B
• Application Number:
  US14/179,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20140164398A1
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/231
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services

Abstract

A system and method is disclosed for measuring contributor weight or influence in social media. Content posted by a user on one or more social media platforms is identified. The identifying the content posted by the user includes searching the one or more social media platforms for content posted by the user with identifying information. Downstream content associated with the content posted by the user is identified. Metrics measuring a contributor weight of the user based on the downstream content are calculated.

Claims

1. A method, comprising the following computer implemented steps:

determining identifying information associated with a user;

identifying content posted by the user on one or more social media platforms by searching the one or more social media platforms for content that is posted by the user with an account associated with at least a portion of the identifying information;

identifying downstream content associated with the content posted by the user;

determining, for the user and based on the downstream content, a reposting rate at which the content posted by the user is subsequently also posted by other users within a time period on the one or more social media platforms, the downstream content comprising the content subsequently also posted by the users;

comparing the reposting rate of the user to a reposting rate of another user within the time period, the reposting rate of the other user determined based on the downstream content;

determining that the reposting rate of the user is higher than the reposting rate of the other user based on the comparing; and

assigning, based on the reposting rate of the user being higher, a higher contributor weight to the user for the downstream content relative to a contributor weight assigned to the other user for the downstream content, wherein the contributor weight is assigned to the other user based on the reposting rate of the other user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating metrics measuring the higher contributor of the user, wherein calculating the metrics comprises measuring the higher contributor weight of the user based on a frequency with which the content posted by the user on the one or more social media platforms is reposted by other users on the one or more social media platforms.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating metrics measuring the higher contributor of the user, wherein calculating the metrics comprises:

measuring the higher contributor weight of the user based on a reply velocity indicating a rate at which the content posted by the user on the one or more social media platforms is replied to within a time period; and

assigning the higher contributor weight to the user than a contributor weight assigned to another user having a lower reply velocity within the time period.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating metrics measuring the higher contributor of the user, wherein calculating the metrics comprises measuring the higher contributor weight of the user based on a number of times the content posted by the user on the one or more social media platforms is reposted by other users on the one or more social media platforms.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating metrics measuring the higher contributor of the user, wherein calculating the metrics comprises measuring the higher contributor weight of the user based on a number of times the content posted by the user on the one or more social media platforms is forwarded by other users on the one or more social media platforms.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating metrics measuring the higher contributor of the user, wherein calculating the metrics comprises measuring the higher contributor weight of the user based on a number of times the content posted by the user on the one or more social media platforms is replied to.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating metrics measuring the higher contributor of the user, wherein calculating the metrics comprises:

measuring characteristics of the downstream content associated with the user; and

assigning the higher contributor weight to the user based on the measured characteristics.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the content posted by the user comprises identifying content posted by the user on the one or more social media platforms that is relevant to a keyword.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining identifying information associated with the user comprises:

receiving an identity of the user on a first social media platform;

retrieving a first profile of the user from the first social media platform based on the identity;

searching a second social media platform for a match with first data from the first profile;

identifying a second profile of the user from the second social media platform based on the match; and

identifying the information associated with the user based on the first data from the first profile and second data from the second profile.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying additional downstream content;

identifying relevant content in the downstream content and the additional downstream content;

identifying users that contributed to the relevant content;

determining reposting rates of the users; and

assigning contributor weights to the users based on the respective reposting rates.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the higher contributor weight is determined for a subject of the downstream content, and wherein the user is assigned a different contributor weight for another subject of the downstream content based on a different reposting rate of the user associated with the other subject.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

determining identifying information associated with a user;

identifying content posted by the user on one or more social media platforms by searching the one or more social media platforms for content posted by the user with a profile including at least a portion of the identifying information;

identifying downstream content associated with the content posted by the user; and

determining, for the user and based on the downstream content, a reposting rate at which the content posted by the user is subsequently also posted by other users within a time period on the one or more social media platforms in response to the content being posted by the user, the downstream content comprising the content subsequently also posted by the users;

comparing the reposting rate of the user to a reposting rate of another user within the time period, the reposting rate of the other user determined based on the downstream content;

determining that the reposting rate of the user is higher than the reposting rate of the other user based on the comparing; and

assigning, based on the reposting rate of the user being higher, a higher contributor weight to the user for the downstream content than a contributor weight assigned to the other user for the downstream content.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise calculating metrics measuring the higher contributor of the user, wherein calculating the metrics comprises measuring the contributor weight of the user based on a number of users forwarding the content posted by the user on the one or more social media platforms.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise calculating metrics measuring the higher contributor of the user, wherein calculating the metrics comprises measuring the higher contributor weight of the user based on a number of users reposting the content posted by the user on the one or more social media platforms.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise calculating metrics measuring the higher contributor of the user, wherein calculating the metrics comprises measuring the higher contributor weight of the user based on a number of users replying to the content posted by the user on the one or more social media platforms.

16. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory having instructions stored thereon that, if executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

determine identifying information associated with a user;

identify content posted by the user on one or more social media platforms by searching the one or more social media platforms for content posted by the user with a profile including at least a portion of the identifying information;

identify downstream content associated with the content posted by the user; and

determine, for the user and based on the downstream content, a reposting rate at which the content posted by the user is subsequently also posted by other users within a time period on the one or more social media platforms, the downstream content comprising the content subsequently also posted by the users;

compare the reposting rate of the user to a reposting rate of another user within the time period, the reposting rate of the other user determined based on the downstream content;

determine that the reposting rate of the user is higher than the reposting rate of the other user based on the comparing; and

assign, based on the reposting rate of the user being higher, a higher contributor weight to the user for the downstream content than a contributor weight assigned to the other user for the downstream content.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the memory further comprises instructions that, if executed by the processor, cause the processor to rank the user among a group of users based on the higher contributor weight assigned to the user as compared to contributor weights assigned to other users in the group of users.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the memory further comprises instructions that, if executed by the processor, cause the processor to target advertising content to the user based on the higher contributor weight assigned to the user and a set of keywords contained in the content.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the memory further comprises instructions that, if executed by the processor, cause the processor to target advertising content to the user based on the higher contributor weight assigned to the user, a set of keywords contained in the content, and sentiment expressed in the downstream content.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the memory further comprises instructions that, if executed by the processor, cause the processor to monitor the content posted by the user and the downstream content.