Social networking system targeted message synchronization

Abstract

Targeted messages are sent to users of social networking system (SNS) based on the detection of airings of advertisements in time-based media. This approach allows advertisers to leverage their investment in, for example, television advertising by sending advertisements to SNS users who have likely seen the advertisements within shows that they have expressed interest in in the context of a SNS. Time-based media streams are analyzed to detect the airings of advertisements within those streams. In one embodiment, SNS content items are received regarding individual users. Based on references in those content items between users and their interests, targeted messages may be sent to users. In another embodiment, targeted messages are sent to SNS users based on the airing of advertisements and targeting criteria provided by advertisers.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method comprising:
 determining that an event was broadcast at a first time that is during a broadcast of time-based media, wherein the event was broadcast as a segment among segments of the time-based media;   identifying content items authored by users of a social networking system, wherein each of the content items was authored (i) after the first time and (ii) within a predetermined period of time after the end of the broadcast of the time-based media, and wherein each of the content items includes a reference that is associated with the time-based media;   identifying users of the social networking system that authored the content items; and   sending at least one message related to the event through the social networking system to one or more users of the identified users.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the reference comprises one or more keywords associated with the time-based media. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the reference comprises a link associated with the time-based media. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , comprising:
 determining which of the identified users match one or more rules indicating when a message is to be provided, wherein each rule has a condition, the condition specifying one or more of how recently a user matching the rule is expected to have seen the event, or an amount of time since a user matching the rule has been sent another message; and   identifying, as the one or more users, users determined to match the rule.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein sending the at least one message to the one or more users comprises:
 filtering the identified users to remove some users and obtain the one or more users based on one or more of:   a demographic criterion,   a content criterion, or   a time criterion;   wherein filtering the identified users based on a demographic criterion comprises comparing the demographic criterion against information about the users of the identified users stored in the social networking system;   wherein filtering the identified users based on a content criterion comprises comparing the content criterion against content items authored by the users of the identified users, wherein the content criterion is whether a content item includes at least one keyword of a plurality of predefined keywords; and   wherein filtering the identified users based on a time criterion comprises removing users from the identified users who have already received one of the messages within a threshold period of time.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the time-based media corresponds to an episode of a television show, the method further comprising:
 broadening the identified users to include additional authors of content items referencing specific broadcasts of other episodes of the television show.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein sending the at least one message comprises sending the at least one message to one or more users within a specified time period after broadcast of the event. 
     
     
         28 . A system comprising:
 one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
 determining that an event was broadcast at a first time that is during a broadcast of time-based media, wherein the event was broadcast as a segment among segments of the time-based media; 
   identifying content items authored by users of a social networking system, wherein each of the content items was authored (i) after the first time and (ii) within a predetermined period of time after the end of the broadcast of the time-based media, and wherein each of the content items includes a reference that is associated with the time-based media;
 identifying users of the social networking system that authored the content items; and 
 sending at least one message related to the event through the social networking system to one or more users of the identified users. 
   
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the reference comprises one or more keywords associated with the time-based media. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the reference comprises a link associated with the time-based media. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 28 , comprising:
 determining which of the identified users match one or more rules indicating when a message is to be provided, wherein each rule has a condition, the condition specifying one or more of how recently a user matching the rule is expected to have seen the event, or an amount of time since a user matching the rule has been sent another message; and   identifying, as the one or more users, users determined to match the rule.   
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein sending the at least one message to the one or more users comprises:
 filtering the identified users to remove some users and obtain the one or more users based on one or more of:   a demographic criterion,   a content criterion, or   a time criterion;   wherein filtering the identified users based on a demographic criterion comprises comparing the demographic criterion against information about the users of the identified users stored in the social networking system;   wherein filtering the identified users based on a content criterion comprises comparing the content criterion against content items authored by the users of the identified users, wherein the content criterion is whether a content item includes at least one keyword of a plurality of predefined keywords; and   wherein filtering the identified users based on a time criterion comprises removing users from the identified users who have already received one of the messages within a threshold period of time.   
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the time-based media corresponds to an episode of a television show, the method further comprising:
 broadening the identified users to include additional authors of content items referencing specific broadcasts of other episodes of the television show.   
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein sending the at least one message comprises sending the at least one message to one or more users within a specified time period after broadcast of the event. 
     
     
         35 . One or more non-transitory computer storage media encoded with computer program instructions that when executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
 determining that an event was broadcast at a first time that is during a broadcast of time-based media, wherein the event was broadcast as a segment among segments of the time-based media;   identifying content items authored by users of a social networking system, wherein each of the content items was authored (i) after the first time and (ii) within a predetermined period of time after the end of the broadcast of the time-based media, and wherein each of the content items includes a reference that is associated with the time-based media;   identifying users of the social networking system that authored the content items; and   sending at least one message related to the event through the social networking system to one or more users of the identified users.   
     
     
         36 . The non-transitory computer storage media of  claim 35 , wherein the reference comprises one or more keywords associated with the time-based media. 
     
     
         37 . The non-transitory computer storage media of  claim 35 , wherein the reference comprises a link associated with the time-based media. 
     
     
         38 . The non-transitory computer storage media of  claim 35 , comprising:
 determining which of the identified users match one or more rules indicating when the message is to be provided, wherein each rule has a condition, the condition specifying one or more of how recently a user matching the rule is expected to have seen the event, or an amount of time since a user matching the rule has been sent another message; and   identifying, as the one or more users, users determined to match the rule.   
     
     
         39 . The non-transitory computer storage media of  claim 35 , wherein sending the at least one message to the one or more users comprises:
 filtering the identified users to remove some users and obtain the one or more users based on one or more of:   a demographic criterion,   a content criterion, or   a time criterion;   wherein filtering the identified users based on a demographic criterion comprises comparing the demographic criterion against information about the users of the identified users stored in the social networking system;   wherein filtering the identified users based on a content criterion comprises comparing the content criterion against content items authored by the users of the identified users, wherein the content criterion is whether a content item includes at least one keyword of a plurality of predefined keywords; and   wherein filtering the identified users based on a time criterion comprises removing users from the identified users who have already received one of the messages within a threshold period of time.   
     
     
         40 . The non-transitory computer storage media of  claim 35 , wherein the time-based media corresponds to an episode of a television show, the method further comprising:
 broadening the identified users to include additional authors of content items referencing specific broadcasts of other episodes of the television show.   
     
     
         41 . The non-transitory computer storage media of  claim 35 , wherein sending the at least one message comprises sending the at least one message to one or more users within a specified time period after broadcast of the event.