User profile stitching

Abstract

Methods and techniques are disclosed for matching user profiles on distinct social media platforms. A first profile is retrieved from a first social media platform. The first profile is identified by one or more search criteria. Responsive to identifying an instance of the one or more search criteria on a second social media platform, a first probability is determined. A second profile is identified by the one or more search criteria on the second social media platform. The first probability predicts whether the second profile is associated with an entity associated with the first profile. The determining the first probability further comprises comparing an attribute of the first profile to an attribute of the second profile. Responsive to determining that the first probability exceeds a threshold, a match indicating that the second profile is associated with an entity associated with the first profile is recorded.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for determining that multiple social media profiles correspond to a common user, the method comprising:
 identifying, by a social media analysis tool executed by a processor, that each of a first social media profile from a first social media platform, a second social media profile from a second social media platform, and a third social media profile from a third social media platform have common values for one or more attributes;   calculating, by the social media analysis tool executed by the processor, a probability of the first social media profile and the second social media profile being associated with a single user based on the first social media profile and the second social media profile having a first common value for at least a first attribute but a different value for a second attribute;   determining, by the social media analysis tool executed by the processor, that there is a high probability the first social media profile and the third social media profile are associated with the single user and a high probability that the third social media profile and the second social media profile have a second common value for at least the second attribute; and   responsive to said determining, increasing, by the social media analysis tool executed by the processor, the probability of the first social media profile and the second social media profile being associated with the single user.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first social media profile and third social media profile further comprise a common value for a third attribute, and wherein determining that there is a high probability the first social media profile and the third social media profile are associated with the single user further comprises:
 calculating a uniqueness score for a value of the third attribute of the first social media profile;   determining that the uniqueness score exceeds a threshold uniqueness score; and   selecting the third attribute as a basis of comparison between the first social media profile and the third social media profile at least in part based on the uniqueness score exceeding the threshold uniqueness score.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first attribute describes an entity name;   wherein the second attribute describes a geographical location;   wherein calculating the probability of the first social media profile and the second social media profile being associated with the single user further comprises calculating a uniqueness score for a value of the first attribute of the first social media profile; and   wherein calculating the uniqueness score comprises:
 determining a uniqueness of an entity name value being associated with a geographical location, and 
 identifying a frequency of occurrence of the entity name value within the geographic location. 
   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining that there is a high probability the first social media profile and the third social media profile are associated with the single user comprises comparing a first web page attribute for the first social media profile with a second web page attribute for the third social media profile; and
 wherein at least one of the first web page attribute or the second web page attribute describes at least one of:
 a first web page linked by the first social media profile or the third social media profile, the first web page external to each of the first social media platform and the third social media platform, or 
 a second web page linked by a social media thread modified by or accessed by the first social media profile or the third social media profile and external to each of the first social media platform and the third social media platform. 
   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 developing targeted product recommendations based on attributes present in the third social media profile; and   targeting the product recommendations to a user of the first social media profile.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining that there is a high probability that the first social media profile and the third social media profile are associated further comprises comparing a first social media content attribute of the first social media profile with a second social media content attribute of the third social media profile, wherein the first social media content attribute describes a first social media post for the first social media profile and the second social media content attribute describes a second social media post for the third social media profile, and wherein at least one of the first social media post or the second social media post is at least one of:
 authored by the first social media profile or the third social media profile and accessible via the first social media platform or the third social media platform;   rated by the first social media profile or the third social media profile and accessible via the first social media platform or the third social media platform; or   flagged by the first social media profile or the third social media profile and accessible via the first social media platform or the third social media platform.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first social media content attribute describes a word frequency distribution for the first social media post accessible via the first social media platform and the second social media content attribute describes a word frequency distribution for the second social media post accessible via the third social media platform. 
     
     
         8 . A system comprising:
 at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium and computer-executable instructions for determining that multiple social media profiles correspond to a common user; and   a processor communicatively coupled to the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium for executing computer-executable instructions, wherein executing the computer-executable instructions configures the processor to perform operations comprising:
 identifying, by a social media analysis tool, that each of a first social media profile from a first social media platform, a second social media profile from a second social media platform, and a third social media profile from a third social media platform have common values for one or more attributes; 
 calculating, by the social media analysis tool, a probability of the first social media profile and the second social media profile being associated with a single user based on the first social media profile and the second social media profile having a first common value for at least a first attribute but a different value for a second attribute; 
 determining, by the social media analysis tool, that there is a high probability the first social media profile and the third social media profile are associated with the single user and a high probability that the third social media profile and the second social media profile have a second common value for at least the second attribute; and 
 responsive to said determining, increasing, by the social media analysis tool, the probability of the first social media profile and the second social media profile being associated with the single user. 
   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein executing the computer-executable instructions that configure the processor to perform operations for determining that there is a high probability the first social media profile and the third social media profile, the first social media profile and third social media profile comprising a common value for a third attribute are associated with the single user further configures the processor to perform operations comprising:
 calculating a uniqueness score for a value of the third attribute of the first social media profile;   determining that the uniqueness score exceeds a threshold uniqueness score; and   selecting the third attribute as a basis of comparison between the first social media profile and the third social media profile at least in part based on the uniqueness score exceeding the threshold uniqueness score.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 ,
 wherein executing the computer-executable instructions that configure the processor to perform operations for calculating the probability of the first social media profile and the second social media profile being associated with the single user further configures the processor to perform operations comprising calculating a uniqueness score for a value of the first attribute of the first social media profile, the first attribute describing an entity name; and   wherein executing the computer-executable instructions that configure the processor to calculate the uniqueness score further configures the processor to perform operations comprising:
 determining a uniqueness of an entity name value being associated with a geographical location, and 
 identifying a frequency of occurrence of the entity name value within the geographic location. 
   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein executing the computer-executable instructions that configure the processor to perform operations for determining that there is a high probability the first social media profile and the third social media profile are associated with the single user further configures the processor to perform operations comprising comparing a web first page attribute for the first social media profile with a second web page attribute for the third social media profile, wherein at least one of the first web page attribute or the second web page attribute describes at least one of:
 a first web page linked by the first social media profile or the third social media profile and external to each of the first social media platform and the third social media platform; or   a second web page linked by a social media thread modified by or accessed by the first social media profile or the third social media profile and external to each of the first social media platform and the third social media platform.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein executing the computer-executable instructions further configures the processor to perform operations comprising:
 developing targeted product recommendations based on attributes present in the third social media profile; and   targeting the product recommendations to a user of the first social media profile.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein executing the computer-executable instructions that configure the processor to perform operations for determining that there is a high probability that the first social media profile and the third social media profile are associated further configures the processor to perform operations comprising:
 comparing a first social media content attribute of the first social media profile with a second social media content attribute of the third social media profile, wherein the first social media content attribute describes a first social media post for the first social media profile and the second social media content attribute describes a second social media post for the third social media profile, and wherein at least one of the first social media post or the second social media post is at least one of:
 authored by the first social media profile or the third social media profile and accessible via the first social media platform or the third social media platform; 
 rated by the first social media profile or the third social media profile and accessible via the first social media platform or the third social media platform; or 
 flagged by the first social media profile or the third social media profile and accessible via the first social media platform or the third social media platform. 
   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the first social media content attribute describes a word frequency distribution for the first social media post accessible via the first social media platform and the second social media content attribute describes a word frequency distribution for the second social media post accessible via the third social media platform. 
     
     
         15 . A computer-readable storage medium storing non-transitory computer-executable program instructions, wherein when executed by a processor the program instructions cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
 a step for identifying, by a social media analysis tool, that each of a first social media profile from a first social media platform, a second social media profile from a second social media platform, and a third social media profile from a third social media platform have common values for one or more attributes;   a step for calculating, by the social media analysis tool, a probability of the first social media profile and the second social media profile being associated with a single user based on the first social media profile and the second social media profile having a first common value for at least a first attribute but a different value for a second attribute;   a step for determining, by the social media analysis tool, that there is a high probability the first social media profile and the third social media profile are associated with the single user and a high probability that the third social media profile and the second social media profile have a second common value for at least the second attribute; and   a step for responsive to said determining, increasing, by the social media analysis tool, the probability of the first social media profile and the second social media profile being associated with the single user.   
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein when executed by a processor the program instructions that cause the processor to perform a step for determining that there is a high probability the first social media profile and the third social media profile, the first social media profile and third social media profile further comprise a common value for a third attribute, are associated with the single user further cause the processor to perform:
 a step for calculating a uniqueness score for a value of a third attribute of the first social media profile;   a step for determining that the uniqueness score exceeds a threshold uniqueness score; and   a step for selecting the third attribute as a basis of comparison between the first social media profile and the third social media profile at least in part based on the uniqueness score exceeding the threshold uniqueness score.   
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein when executed by a processor the program instructions that cause the processor to perform a step for calculating the probability of the first social media profile and the second social media profile being associated with the single user further cause the processor to perform a step for calculating a uniqueness score for a value of the first attribute of the first social media profile, the first attribute describing an entity name, wherein the program instructions further cause the processor to perform:
 a step for determining a uniqueness of an entity name value being associated with a geographical location, and   a step for identifying a frequency of occurrence of the entity name value within the geographic location.   
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein when executed by a processor the program instructions that cause the processor to perform a step for determining that there is a high probability the first social media profile and the third social media profile are associated with the single user further cause the processor to perform a step for comparing a first web page attribute for the first social media profile with a second web page attribute for the third social media profile, wherein at least one of the first web page attribute for the second web page attribute describes at least one of:
 a first web page linked by the first social media profile or the third social media profile, the first web page external to each of the first social media platform and the third social media platform; or   a second web page linked by a social media thread modified by or accessed by the first social media profile or the third social media profile and external to each of the first social media platform and the third social media platform.   
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein when executed by a processor the program instructions further cause the processor to perform:
 a step for developing targeted product recommendations based on attributes present in the third social media profile; and   a step for targeting the product recommendations to a user of the first social media profile.   
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein when executed by a processor the program instructions that cause the processor to perform a step for determining that there is a high probability that the first social media profile and the third social media profile are associated further cause the processor to perform:
 a step for comparing a first social media content attribute of the first social media profile with a second social media content attribute of the third social media profile, wherein the first social media content attribute describes a first social media post for the first social media profile and the second social media content attribute describes a second social media post for the third social media profile, and wherein at least one of the first social media post or the second social media post is at least one of:
 authored by the first social media profile or the third social media profile and accessible via the first social media platform or the third social media platform; 
 rated by the first social media profile or the third social media profile and accessible via the first social media platform or the third social media platform; or 
 flagged by the first social media profile or the third social media profile and accessible via the first social media platform or the third social media platform.