System, program product, and methods for social network advertising and incentives for same

• US 9,741,080 B1
• Filed: 11/08/2013
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Overstock.com Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Overstock.com Incorporated
• Inventors: Byrne, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Cao, Vincent
• Application Number:
  US14/075,112
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 Days
• Field of Search: 705 14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0258 Registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0271 Personalized advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

Program product, systems, and methods of providing to social network websites advertising and incentives from an electronic retailer, are provided. A system can include a social network website displaying social network content and also displaying a link that reroutes the consumer to an electronic retailer website when the consumer clicks on the link: The system can also include program product for tracking purchase and other information about the consumer by the electronic retailer, and generating a commission for the provider of the social network website based on the tracked information about the consumer. The link can be embedded within the social network content or the link can be part of an advertisement and displayed adjacent the social network content. Also, a product featured in the advertisement can be affiliated with one main subject of the social network content.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method using a website generation program to create a website advertisement on a social network website, the method comprising:

providing the website generation program which creates a website advertisement by executing a method including;

receiving social network content, which is published by a social network user on a publicly accessible social network, sent by a third-party content provider to an electronic retailer computer associated with an electronic retailer;

initiating a search of a database for products for sale using the electronic retailer computer responsive to receiving the social network content;

automatically associating the social network content with one or more items for sale and available according to an inventory of items for sale, using the electronic retailer computer, which is configured to access the inventory and automatically make the association with the social network content;

creating an advertisement for the one or more items for sale using the electronic retailer computer, the advertisement comprising a link to a webpage of the electronic retailer;

creating a new webpage such that the social network content, as published by the social network user and provided to the electronic retailer computer by the third-party content provider, and the advertisement, created by the website generation program, are adjacent to one another; and

posting the new webpage to the social network website from the electronic retailer computer.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the social network content on the social network website viewable on a computer by a consumer, the social network content including one or more of the following;

a video segment with audio, a video segment without audio, an audio segment, a picture, and text;

displaying the link on the social network website;

rerouting the consumer from the social network website to the webpage of the electronic retailer when the consumer clicks on the link;

tracking information about the consumer by the electronic retailer on a website of the electronic retailer; and

generating a commission based on the tracked information about the consumer.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the linked electronic retailer webpage features a product identified as being used in context within the social network content.

4. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the step of rerouting the consumer from the social network website to the electronic retailer website involves redirecting the consumer to an appropriate section of the electronic retailer website, as determined by information contained within the link, based on one or more of the following:

a product, a product category, a brand, and a price range.

5. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the link is part of an advertisement;

wherein the advertisement is displayed adjacent the social network content so that the consumer can view the advertisement at the same time as at least a portion of the social network content;

wherein a product featured in the advertisement is affiliated with one main subject of the social network content; and

wherein the tracked information further includes movements by the consumer within the electronic retailer website.

6. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the link is a first link, the method further comprising the steps of:

generating statistical data for an aggregation of tracked information for multiple consumers responsive to the tracked information for a plurality of consumers; and

recommending a second link to a particular product to the provider of a social network website by the electronic retailer for inclusion with the social network content, based on the generated statistical data.

7. A method as defined in claim 2, further comprising the step of:

administering a website affiliate program of social network website providers, the program involving the social network website providers advertising products on behalf of the electronic retailer to consumers in exchange for commissions, recommendations, and access to specials and promotions for affiliated social network website providers.

8. A method as defined in claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

generating statistical data for an aggregation of tracked information for multiple consumers responsive to the tracked information for a plurality of consumers.

9. A method of creating a website advertisement, the method comprising:

providing a website generation program which creates a website advertisement by executing a method including;

receiving social network content which is published by a social network user on a publicly accessible social network, sent by a third-party content provider to an electronic retailer computer of an electronic retailer;

initiating a search of a database for products for sale using the electronic retailer computer responsive to receiving the social network content;

automatically associating the social network content with one or more items for sale and available according to an inventory of items for sale, using the electronic retailer computer, which is configured to access the inventory and automatically make the association with the social network content;

creating an advertisement for the one or more items for sale using the electronic retailer computer, wherein the advertisement includes a link being positioned to reroute a consumer to a webpage of a website of the electronic retailer when the consumer clicks on the link within the advertisement;

creating a new webpage such that the social network content, as published by the social network user and provided to the electronic retailer computer by the third-party content provider, and the advertisement, created by the website generation program, are adjacent to one another;

posting the new webpage to the social network website from the electronic retailer computer;

tracking information about a consumer by the electronic retailer using an electronic retailer computer, the consumer clicking through the link in the advertisement to the webpage of the electronic retailer website; and

generating a commission based on the tracked information about the consumer.

10. A method as defined in claim 9, wherein the advertisement is displayed on the social network website adjacent social network content.

11. A method as defined in claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

generating statistical data for advertisements for an aggregation of tracked information for multiple consumers responsive to the tracked information for a plurality of customers.

12. A system of creating an advertisement on a social network website, the system comprising:

an electronic retailer computer having a processor and a memory;

a website generation program which creates a website advertisement by executing a set of computer readable instructions stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to;

(I) receive social network content, which is published by a social network user on a publicly accessible social network, sent by a social network content provider, (ii) initiate a search of a database for products for sale responsive to receiving the social network content to identify products related to the received social network content and available according to an inventory of items for sale, using the electronic retailer computer, which is configured to access the inventory and automatically make the association with the social network content, and (iii) post a new webpage, created by the website generation program, to the social network website, the new webpage having (a) the social network content, as published by the social network user and provided to the electronic retailer computer by the social network content provider, (b) an advertisement, created by the website generation program, displayed adjacent the social network content so that the consumer can view the advertisement simultaneously with the social network content, and a link to a electronic retailer website featuring a product being affiliated with at least one main subject of the social network content.

13. A system as defined in claim 12, wherein the linked electronic retailer website webpage features a product identified as being used in context within the social network content.

14. A system as defined in claim 12, wherein the link is part of the advertisement.

15. A system as defined in claim 12, wherein the link is a first link, and wherein the set of computer readable instructions further include instructions that cause the processor to provide a second link to another product for inclusion in the advertisement.

16. A website generation computer program stored in a non-transitory tangible computer medium that is readable by a computer, the computer program comprising a set of instruction that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to perform the following operations:

receive social network content, which is published by a social network user on a publicly accessible social network, sent by a third-party content provider;

initiate a search of a database for products for sale responsive to receiving the social network content;

automatically associate the social network content with one or more items for sale;

automatically create an advertisement for the one or more items for sale, the advertisement comprising a link to a webpage of an electronic retailer;

create a new webpage such that the social network content, as published by the social network user and provided to the electronic retailer computer by the third-party content provider, and the advertisement, created by the website generation program, are adjacent to one another; and

post the new webpage with the social network content and the advertisement to a social network website.

17. The computer program of claim 16, wherein the social network content includes one or more of the following:

a video segment with audio, a video segment without audio, an audio segment, a picture, and text.

18. The computer program of claim 16, wherein the computer program further comprises a set of instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to perform the following operation:

track online information about a consumer accessing the webpage of the electronic retailer; and

generate a commission based on the tracked information about the consumer.