Customizing Third-Party Content using Beacons on Online Social Networks

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes sending, to an online social network, session information between a third-party content provider and a first user of the online social network. The session information includes information referencing an established wireless communication session between a first client system of the first user and a beacon of the third-party content provider. The beacon is physically proximate to the first client system at the time of the wireless communication session, and the wireless communication session allows the online social network to send social-networking information of the first user to the beacon. In response to sending the session information, a first set of social-networking information of the first user is received from the online social network via the beacon. The first set of social-networking information allows the third-party content provider to send, via the beacon, customized third-party content for display on the first client system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising, by one or more computing devices of a third-party content provider:
 sending, to one or more computing systems of an online social network, session information between a first user of the online social network and the third-party content provider, wherein:
 the session information comprises information indicating that a wireless communication session has been established between a first client system of the first user and a beacon associated with the third-party content provider, wherein the wireless communication session allows the online social network to send social-networking information of the first user to the third-party content provider via the beacon; and 
 the beacon is physically proximate to the first client system at the time of the wireless communication session; 
   in response to sending the session information, receiving, from the computing systems of the online social network, a first set of social-networking information of the first user; and   sending, to the first client system, customized third-party content for display on the first client system, wherein the customized third-party content is based on the first set of social-networking information.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first set of social-networking information comprises demographic information of the first user. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first set of social-networking information comprises a purchase history of the first user. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first set of social-networking information comprises payment credentials of the first user. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the third-party content provider is associated with at least one attribute, and the first set of social-networking information is based at least in part on the at least one attribute. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one attribute of the third-party content provider comprises a type of good or service. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first set of social-networking information comprises user preferences associated with the type of good or service. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the customized third-party content comprises a prompt requesting a response by the first user. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the requested response comprises one or more of a binary answer to a question posed by the prompt, an image, or a text message comprising information requested by the prompt, the requested response being inputted by the first user at the first client system. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the customized third-party content comprises a promotional offer, the promotional offer redeemable by the first user while the wireless communication session between the beacon and the first client system remains active. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 detecting, via the beacon, that the wireless communication session between the beacon and the first client system has been terminated, wherein the customized third-party content is sent to the first client system in response to detecting the termination.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the online social network comprises a social graph comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges connecting the nodes, each of the edges between two of the nodes representing a single degree of separation between them, the nodes comprising:
 a first node corresponding to the first user; and   a plurality of second nodes corresponding to a plurality of entities associated with the online social network, respectively.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the first set of social-networking information comprises a connection between the first node and a particular second node of the plurality of second nodes, the particular second node corresponding to the third-party content provider. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 receiving, via the beacon, a second set of social-networking information associated with one or more second users, wherein each of the one or more second user is:
 associated with a respective client system within wireless communication range of the beacon; and 
 connected to the first user in the social graph within a threshold degree of separation. 
   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the customized third-party content comprises one or more identifiers of one or more second users of the online social network, the second users each associated with a respective second client system, and wherein wireless communication sessions have been established between the second client systems and the beacon. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the first set of social-networking information is based on a degree of separation in the social graph between a particular second node corresponding to the third-party content provider and the first node. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein a particular second node corresponds to the third-party content provider, and wherein a social-networking action is performed with respect to the first node and the particular second node in response to the establishment of the wireless communication session between the beacon and the first client system. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first set of social-networking information is further based on a set of permissions specified by the first user. 
     
     
         19 . One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to:
 send, to one or more computing systems of an online social network, session information between a first user of the online social network and the third-party content provider, wherein:
 the session information comprises information indicating that a wireless communication session has been established between a first client system of the first user and a beacon associated with the third-party content provider, wherein the wireless communication session allows the online social network to send social-networking information of the first user to the third-party content provider via the beacon; and 
 the beacon is physically proximate to the first client system at the time of the wireless communication session; 
   in response to sending the session information, receive, from the computing systems of the online social network, a first set of social-networking information of the first user; and   send, to the first client system, customized third-party content for display on the first client system, wherein the customized third-party content is based on the first set of social-networking information.   
     
     
         20 . A system comprising: one or more processors; and a memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors operable when executing the instructions to:
 send, to one or more computing systems of an online social network, session information between a first user of the online social network and the third-party content provider, wherein:
 the session information comprises information indicating that a wireless communication session has been established between a first client system of the first user and a beacon associated with the third-party content provider, wherein the wireless communication session allows the online social network to send social-networking information of the first user to the third-party content provider via the beacon; and 
 the beacon is physically proximate to the first client system at the time of the wireless communication session; 
   in response to sending the session information, receive, from the computing systems of the online social network, a first set of social-networking information of the first user; and   send, to the first client system, customized third-party content for display on the first client system, wherein the customized third-party content is based on the first set of social-networking information.