1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to advertising, and more particularly to systems and methods for advertising in an authenticated web-based social network.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional Internet advertising suffers from several drawbacks. First, advertisers are typically unverified as to their identity, reputation and/or association. Even if an advertiser is purportedly verified, the verification or the integrity of the verification process may be questionable. Second, an advertiser, the advertised product, or the advertised service may be geographically distant from an Internet user seeking to inspect and/or purchase the product and/or service. Third, information about an advertised product or service may be lacking from an advertisement, which often requires a potential purchaser using the Internet to spend time sending inquiries to an advertiser, and waiting for responses from the advertiser. Fourth, there is no way of sharing information with friends of a particular Internet user about a recent purchase or sale of a particular good or service. Thus, there is a need for systems and methods for advertising in an authenticated web-based social network.
Exemplary systems and methods are provided for advertising in an authenticated web-based social network. Such methods include providing a screen for creation of a classified advertisement, receiving the classified advertisement from an advertising member, and displaying the classified advertisement on a user network in the authenticated web-based social network with information about a relationship between the advertising member and a member of the authenticated web-based social network viewing the classified advertisement.
Exemplary systems include an advertising engine configured to generate a screen for creation of a classified advertisement, a communications module configured to receive the classified advertisement from an advertising member, a distributed database configured with a user network and relationship information, and a display module configured to display the classified advertisement on the user network with the relationship information.
Provided herein are exemplary systems and methods for classified advertising (e.g. advertising) in an authenticated web-based social network. Such systems and methods may verify advertisers as to their identity, reputation, and/or association. Additionally, such systems and methods may facilitate the sharing and display of information about an advertised product or service over a social network. Further, advertised products or services may be targeted to members of the social network who have an affiliation with a particular school, workplace and/or geographic region.
According to one exemplary embodiment, the authenticated social network members 115 are users of computing devices communicating over an electronic network. The network 110 may comprise any electronic network, including the Internet. The server(s) 102 may be associated with the social network. Alternatively, the server(s) 102 may be associated with some other entity, in addition to or in place of the social network.
Certain authentication, verification and/or karma-based technologies may be used to verify or authenticate identity, reputation, and/or association of the users of computing devices as authenticated members of the web-based social network. Such technologies may be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/701,744 filed on Feb. 2, 2007, titled, “System and Method for Curtailing Objectionable Behavior in a Web-Based Social Network,” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/701,595 filed on Feb. 20, 2007, titled “System and Method for Determining a Trust Level in a Social Network,” and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/726,962 filed on Mar. 23, 2007, titled “System and Method for Confirming an Association in a Web-Based Social Network,” all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The advertising engine 120, in various exemplary embodiments, may be configured to generate a screen for creation of a classified advertisement. Such screens may include the various classified advertisement creation screens and data entry screens described and shown herein. The communications module 105, is in communication with the advertising engine 120, and may be configured to receive a classified advertisement created by a member of the authenticated web-based social network. The member creating the classified advertisement is sometimes referred to as an advertising member.
According to one exemplary embodiment, the distributed database for the authenticated social network 125, is in communication with the advertising engine 120 and the communications module 105. The distributed database for the authenticated social network 125 may be configured with one or more user networks and relationship information for the social network. User networks may include members of the web-based social network with an affiliation such as a particular school, employer, and/or geographic region and the like. Relationship information may include friends, colleagues, and/or classmates, etc. in common among the various members of the authenticated web-based social network. Relationship information may also include degrees of separation among various members of the authenticated web-based social network.
The display module 130, according to various embodiments, is in communication with the advertising engine 120, the communications module 105, and the distributed database for the authenticated social network 125, and may be configured to display a classified advertisement on a user network with relationship information.
The embodiments discussed herein are illustrative. As these embodiments are described with reference to illustrations, various modifications or adaptations of the methods and/or specific structures described may become apparent to those skilled in the art. The above-described components and functions can be comprised of instructions that are stored on a computer-readable storage medium. The instructions can be retrieved and executed by a processor. Some examples of instructions are software, program code, and firmware. Some examples of storage medium are memory devices, tape, disks, integrated circuits, and servers. The instructions are operational when executed by the processor to direct the processor to operate in accord with the invention. Those skilled in the art are familiar with instructions, processor(s), and storage medium.
According to various exemplary embodiments, the search selection 205 allows a member of a web-based social network to enter a name of a product or service they wish to find. The member may also select a category of item that corresponds to the entry. Alternatively, the member may perform a search based on category without entering the name of a product or service.
The network selection 210 may include networks for which a member of a web-based social network has an authenticated affiliation, such as a school, a geographic region, and/or a particular workplace. By activating a particular network selection, a member may view items or services being offered by other members of that particular network. As a result, within an authenticated social network, members may interact with a high level of confidence about the nature of the product or service, as well as the party offering that product or service.
Further, the network selection 210 may allow a member of a web-based social network to query and/or view the classified advertisements on other user networks comprising the web-based social network. For example, a member of the University of California at Los Angeles (“UCLA”) user network may be interested in renting an apartment in New York City and may query the listings of the New York City geographic user network for available apartments.
The share selection 215, according to one exemplary embodiment, allows a member to share a particular classified advertisement with one or more other members of the web-based social network. For example, a member may use the share selection 215 to display a particular classified advertisement on their profile or may send the classified advertisement to another member or group of members. Classified advertisements may also be shared on a news feed displayed to other members of the web-based social network. Screenshot 200 also shows exemplary classified advertisements 220. Classified advertisements may be for products and/or services. Classified advertisements may also include postings, listings, announcements, polls, pools, surveys, and/or news items of a commercial or non-commercial nature.
Page view information 310 displays how many times a particular classified advertisement has been viewed. This information may be displayed selectively such as to the advertising member and/or to an administrator of the web-based social network. Alternatively, this information may be displayed to anyone viewing the classified advertisement. FAQ 320 may display whether there are questions/answers with respect to the classified advertisement, and assuming the existence of questions/answers, FAQ 320 may be clicked, highlighted and/or otherwise activated by anyone viewing the classified advertisement in order to view the questions and/or answers about the advertised subject matter.
In one embodiment, a member viewing a classified advertisement such as the classified advertisement shown in screenshot 300 (
In a further embodiment as illustrated in screenshot 500, a question is displayed for response by an advertising member. After the advertising member enters a response to the question, the advertising member may use the send answer selection 520 to send the response. The advertising member may use the add question/answer to classified advertisement selection 510 to display a question and/or an answer about a classified advertisement to other members of the web-based social network viewing the classified advertisement. Additionally, each displayed question and/or answer may result in an indicator such as FAQ 320 (
Additionally, certain authentication, verification, and/or karma-based technologies may be used with some or all of the herein described systems and methods of advertising. Such technologies may be employed to reduce or eliminate spam within a social network. Further, non-members of a web-based social network may be authenticated and/or verified at least in part by being required to pay for a posting or a listing of a classified advertisement. Payment may include the use of a credit card or other means that may be tracked. Further, some or all of the advertisers may be limited in the number of classified advertisements they may post at a particular time. Internet users or viewing members that improperly and/or inaccurately flag or report advertisers or classified advertisements may have their credit rating, karma, authentication, and/or verification scores reduced, which may impact their ability to post and/or view future classified advertisements. It will readily be appreciated that many variations of authentication, verification and/or karma-based technologies may be used and still fall within the scope of the various systems and methods contemplated herein.
At step 1310, one or more screens for the creation of a classified advertisement are provided. According to one system and method, after an advertising member is provided with a screen having a choice of one or more categories and/or subcategories of a product and/or service they wish to advertise as shown and described in connection with
At step 1320, a classified advertisement from an advertising member is received. For example, after the advertising member has entered data in the exemplary data entry screen 1100 as described in connection with step 1310, a corresponding classified advertisement may be received by the web-based social network.
At step 1330, the classified advertisement is displayed on a user network in the authenticated web-based social network with information about a relationship between the advertising member and a member of the social network who is viewing the advertisement.
While various systems and methods have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. Thus, the breadth and scope of a preferred embodiment should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary systems and methods.
The present application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/928,313 filed on May 8, 2007, titled “Systems and Methods for Classified Advertising in an Authenticated Web-Based Social Network,” which is hereby incorporated by reference. The present application incorporates herein by reference the following applications: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/701,744 filed on Feb. 2, 2007, titled, “System and Method for Curtailing Objectionable Behavior in a Web-Based Social Network,” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/701,595 filed on Feb. 20, 2007, titled “System and Method for Determining a Trust Level in a Social Network,” and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/726,962 filed on Mar. 23, 2007, titled “System and Method for Confirming an Association in a Web-Based Social Network.”
Number | Date | Country | |
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60928313 | May 2007 | US |