Pricing deals for a user based on social information

Abstract

Social networking systems determine price of a deal for a user based on social information associated with the user. For example, multiple users connected via the social networking system may participate in a deal. The price of a deal for a particular user may be determined based on the actions of that user to promote the deal and/or the deal's provider. A user may promote the deal or its provider, for example, by sending explicit messages describing the deal to the user's connections or by posting to a newsfeed that is sent by the social networking system on behalf of the user to the user's connections. Factors considered in determining a price of a deal may include information describing the connections of the user, the actions associated with the deal performed by the user, the connections of the user participating in the deal, and the locations of the user's connections.

1 . A computer implemented method for determining a price of a deal, the method comprising:
 receiving a request to determine a price of a deal for a target user of a social networking system, the deal available to a plurality of users of the social networking system;   identifying from the plurality of users a set of user connected to the target user in the social networking system;   determining the price of the deal for the target user based on information about the identified set of users connected to the target user; and   sending information indicating the price of the deal to the target user.   
     
     
         2 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the price of the deal is determined based on actions associated with the deal performed by users from the set of users connected to the target user. 
     
     
         3 . The computer implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein the actions include purchasing the deal, checking in to a location associated with a provider of the deal, recommending the deal, and initiating a proposal for the deal. 
     
     
         4 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the price of the deal is determined based on the number of users from the set of users connected to the target user. 
     
     
         5 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the price of the deal comprises:
 determining whether a user from the set of users connected to the target user is an existing customer of a provider of the deal.   
     
     
         6 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the price of the deal with respect to the target user comprises:
 determining a score for each user from the set of users connected to the target user; and   determining the price of the deal based on an aggregate of the score of each user from the set of users connected to the target user.   
     
     
         7 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the price of the deal is determined based on actions associated with the deal performed by the target user. 
     
     
         8 . The computer implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein the actions associated with the deal performed by the target user include purchasing the deal, checking in to a location associated with a provider of the deal, recommending the deal, and initiating a proposal for the deal. 
     
     
         9 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the price of the deal is determined based on one or more prices of previous deals associated with the set of users connected to the target user. 
     
     
         10 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the factors considered for determining the price of the deal comprise prices of the past deals associated with the target user. 
     
     
         11 . A computer implemented method for determining a price of a deal associated with users of a social networking system, the method comprising:
 receiving a request to determine a price of a deal for a target user of a social networking system;   determining the price of the deal with respect to the target user based on information about a set of connections with whom the target user has established a connection in the social networking system; and   sending information indicating the price of the deal for display to the target user.   
     
     
         12 . The computer implemented method of  claim 11 , wherein each of the set of connections performed an action associated with deals belonging to a category associated with the deal. 
     
     
         13 . The computer implemented method of  claim 11 , wherein each of the set of connections performed an action associated with deals offered by a provider of the deal. 
     
     
         14 . The computer implemented method of  claim 11 , wherein the information about the connections comprises the number of connections of each connection. 
     
     
         15 . The computer implemented method of  claim 11 , wherein the information about the connections comprises information describing connections of each connection. 
     
     
         16 . The computer implemented method of  claim 11 , wherein the price of the deal is based on one or more interests of the connections. 
     
     
         17 . The computer implemented method of  claim 11 , wherein the price of the deal is based on a location associated with each connection belonging to the set of connections. 
     
     
         18 . The computer implemented method of  claim 17 , wherein the location associated with each connection is determined based on at least one of: demographic information provided by the user, a location of a device associated with the connection, and a temporary location provided by the connection. 
     
     
         19 . The computer implemented method of  claim 11 , wherein the price of the deal is based on a number of connections of the user determined to be present simultaneously within a threshold distance of each other. 
     
     
         20 . The computer implemented method of  claim 11 , wherein the price of the deal is based on a rate at which each connection performed actions associated with the deal. 
     
     
         21 . The computer implemented method of  claim 11 , wherein the price of the deal is based on one or more actions performed by the connections, the actions associated with other deals matching the deal. 
     
     
         22 . The computer implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the actions associated with the matching deals include purchasing the deal, checking in to a location associated with a provider of the deal, recommending the deal, and initiating a proposal for the deal. 
     
     
         23 . The computer implemented method of  claim 11 , wherein the price of the deal is based on a time of execution of actions associated with the matching deals. 
     
     
         24 . The computer implemented method of  claim 11 , wherein determining the price of the deal with respect to the target user comprises:
 determining a score for each connection in the set of connections; and   determining the price of the deal based on an aggregate of the score of each connection in the set of connections.   
     
     
         25 . A computer program product having a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable code for determining a price of a deal in a social networking system, the system comprising:
 a dashboard manager configured to:
 receive a request to determine a price of a deal with respect to a target user of a social networking system, the deal associated with a plurality of users of the social networking system; 
   a deal price manager configured to:
 identify from the plurality of users a set of user connected to the target user in the social networking system; 
 determine the price of the deal for the target user based on information about the identified set of users connected to the target user; and 
   the dashboard manager further configured to:
 send information indicating the price of the deal.