LEVERAGING INFORMATION IN A SOCIAL NETWORK FOR INFERENTIAL TARGETING OF ADVERTISEMENTS

摘要

A social network targets advertisements to its members using inferential ad targeting. An inferential ad enables advertisers to reach members that do not meet targeting criteria for lack of information. A member's connections in the social network that satisfy the targeting criteria are leveraged to infer a targeted interest. An inferential ad is selected from a candidate set to be presented to the member. Varying complexities of targeting criteria, secondary inferential targeting criteria, and scopes of inference provide flexibility for inferential ad targeting in a social network.