Facilitating following a content provider

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, are provided for facilitating a following of a content sponsor in a social network. In one aspect, a method includes the actions of identifying a creative for presentation to users in response to requests for content, and receiving selection criteria from a sponsor associated with the creative, the selection criteria for use in determining when to present the creative. The creative is augmented to include a control that enables a user to follow the content sponsor automatically upon interaction with the control, and the augmented creative is presented in response to received requests for content in accordance with the selection criteria. The sponsor is charged when the creative is presented and a user initiates an action to follow the sponsor in a social network.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 identifying a creative for presentation to users in response to requests for content;   receiving selection criteria and a bid from a sponsor associated with the creative, the selection criteria for use in determining when to present the creative, the bid being of the form of a cost per follower bid, wherein the sponsor is charged when the creative is presented and a user initiates an action to follow the sponsor in a social network;   augmenting the creative to include a control that enables a user to follow the content sponsor automatically upon interaction with the control; and   presenting the augmented creative in response to received requests for content in accordance with the selection criteria.   
     
     
         2 . A method comprising:
 identifying a creative for presentation to users in response to requests for content;   presenting a user interface for managing a campaign by a content sponsor associated with the creative including receiving selection criteria for presentation of the creative and a bid;   presenting a bid interface that includes bid criteria for the campaign, the bid interface including a selectable control for specifying a type of bid wherein bid types include cost per impression bids, cost per action bids and cost per follower bids;   receiving a selection for the campaign indicating a cost per follower bid;   responsive to received requests that satisfy the selection criteria, enabling presentation of the creative along with a control for automatically enabling a user to follow the content sponsor upon interaction with the control;   receiving an indication that the user has interacted with the control and followed the content sponsor; and   charging the content sponsor for presentation of the creative in response to receiving the indication in accordance with the bid.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the user has followed the content sponsor in a social network. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising determining an identity of the user in the social network, and providing to the content sponsor, responsive to the interaction, an identity of the user to enable the user to be included in a follower list associated with the content sponsor in the social network. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising remarketing content to the user based on the user being a follower of the content sponsor. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein remarketing content includes remarketing content of the content sponsor to the user. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising providing return on investment information to the content sponsor based at least in part on content remarketed to the user and a cost associated with initially paying for the user to follow the content sponsor. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the creative is of the form of an advertisement. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 3  wherein following results in a user receiving content directly from the content sponsor in the social network. 
     
     
         10 . A method comprising:
 identifying a creative associated with a campaign, the campaign including selection criteria and a bid, the selection criteria used in determining when to present the creative in response to requests for content, wherein the creative includes a control to enable a user to follow a content sponsor of the creative in a social network;   receiving a request for content from a user device;   determining to present the creative responsive to the received request based at least in part on the selection criteria;   enabling presentation of the creative in response to the received request;   charging the content sponsor an amount in accordance with the bid only upon receiving an indication that the user has interacted with the control and followed the content sponsor in the social network.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising determining an identity of the user in the social network, and providing to the content sponsor, responsive to the interaction, an identity of the user to enable the user to be included in a follower list associated with the content sponsor in the social network. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising remarketing content to the user based on the user being a follower of the content sponsor. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein remarketing content includes remarketing content of the content sponsor to the user. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising providing return on investment information to the content sponsor based at least in part on content remarketed to the user and a cost associated with initially paying for the user to follow the content sponsor. 
     
     
         15 . A method comprising:
 receiving a request for a content item to be presented to a user;   identifying the content item from a plurality of content items, wherein the content item is associated with a content sponsor, and wherein the content item includes a control for receiving an account identifier for a social network associated with a viewer who interacts with the content item;   providing the content item to the user, responsive to the request;   receiving, through the control, the user's account identifier; and   facilitating a following of the content sponsor in the social network by the user.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein identifying the content item is based at least in part on determining that the user is a member of the social network. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein identifying the content item is based at least in part on determining that the user is likely to be interested in the content sponsor. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising charging the content sponsor for facilitating the following of the content sponsor in the social network. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising, during the following, receiving an indication from the social network of user interaction with the content sponsor, and charging the content sponsor for the user interaction. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the user interaction is selected from a group consisting of a user message to the content sponsor, an indication of approval of content posted to the social network by the content sponsor, a reposting or forwarding of content posted to the social network by the content sponsor, or a posting of content related to content posted to the social network by the content sponsor. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the account identifier for the social network is provided by the user. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising providing an incentive to the user for providing the account identifier. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 determining that the user is logged into the social network; and   receiving, through the content item, permission from the user to facilitate a following of the content sponsor in the social network by the user;   wherein the content item further includes a control for automatically entering the account identifier for the social network based on determining that the user is logged into the social network.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the content sponsor is an advertiser, the content item is an advertisement, the advertisement is part of a campaign, and wherein the method further comprises receiving a campaign parameter for pricing distribution of the advertisement based on an amount that will be paid by the advertiser per follower that is signed up responsive to delivery of the advertisement.