Method and system for secure distribution and tracking of information via multiple social networks

Abstract

A method and system for secure distribution and tracking of information and content of a third party via multiple social networks is described. The invention takes information and content marked to be promoted by a third party using an online application, and distributes and promotes the information to the social networks of everyone who is signed up as an ‘ambassador’ for that third party. When published, the information and content includes a personalized link associated with each ambassador to social network combination. Via the nature of social networks, this information is additionally redistributed into the users who are associated with those ambassadors in their social networks. As those users follow the personalized links back to the promoted information and content, the source ambassador to social network combination gets recorded and statistics about that user's viewing of the information and content are recorded. The online application records relevant statistics that the third party requires, and this information is then compiled into real time reports that detail the path that the promoted information and content traveled to drive users to the promoted information and content, as well as any resultant actions such as pages viewed, purchases made or items downloaded.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method for tracking, by a third party, information regarding interactions with content on a social network, the social network having a plurality of connections between a particular user of the social network and a subset of other users of the social network, the method comprising:
 distributing, via a hardware computing device, a link to the content to a first social network via an ambassador, wherein the ambassador is a user of the first social network, wherein the link to the content uniquely identifies the ambassador as a distributor of the link to the content and also identifies the first social network over which the link to the content is distributed; and   receiving, via a hardware computing device, information regarding views of the content by a plurality of users of the first social network, wherein the plurality of users are connections of the ambassador in the first social network.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the distributing a link to the content comprises distributing a link to the content of a third party. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 registering the ambassador as an ambassador of the third party.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the distributing a link to the content comprises distributing the link to the content to the ambassador. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the distributing a link to the content comprises distributing the link to the content to an account of the ambassador with the first social network. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the distributing a link to the content comprises automatically distributing the link to the content to an account of the ambassador with the first social network. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising receiving an authorization from the ambassador to automatically distribute the link to the content over the first social network. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the receiving information regarding views of the content further comprises receiving information relating to a purchase made, an item downloaded or a donation made. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising generating reports detailing a path traveled by the content to the plurality of users of the first social network. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising assigning a unique tracking link to the path traveled by the content. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising generating reports detailing an action taken by a user of the first social network in response to the content. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing a reward to the ambassador in accordance with an action taken by a user of the first social network in response to the content. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein distributing the link to the content to the ambassador comprises:
 communicating a notification to the ambassador indicating that there exists content to be distributed to the first social network.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising distributing a second link to the content to a second social network via the ambassador, wherein the ambassador is also a user of the second social network, wherein the second link to the content uniquely identifies the ambassador as a distributor of the second link to the content and also identifies the second social network over which the second link to the content is distributed. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising receiving information regarding views of the content by a plurality of users of the second social network, wherein the plurality of users of the second social network are connections of the ambassador in the second social network.