PRESENTING SOCIAL INFORMATION RELEVANT TO A DEAL TO A USER
A social networking system suggests deals relevant to a user. The deals are selected for suggestion based on social information associated with the user. Deals presented to the user are categorized based on social information associated with the user including actions taken by connections of the user. Deals that are closely associated with each other based on social information are presented together via a user interface. For a particular deal, social information relevant to that deal is presented, including connections associated with the deal, social groups, social events, images, as well as other deals. Presentation of deals and information associated with the deals in a social context increases the likelihood of the user getting interested in the deal and performing actions related to the deal, for example, purchasing the deal or recommending the deal.
1 . A computer-implemented method for suggesting connections of a user of a social networking system for a deal presented to the user, the method comprising:
identifying a user of a social networking system for sending information about a deal;
identifying a set of connections of the user, each connection comprising another user with whom the user has established a connection in the social networking system;
determining a measure of relevance of the deal to each connection;
selecting one or more connections based on the determined measure of relevance for each selected connection; and
sending information describing the selected connections to the user for display as a suggestion in connection with the displayed information about the deal.
2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein measure of relevance of the deal to each connection is determined based on actions performed by the connection in association with the deals.
3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the actions performed by the connection are associated with deals belonging to a category of the deal.
4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the actions performed by the connection are associated with deals from a provider of the deal.
5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the actions performed by the connection comprise purchasing the deal, liking the deal, commenting on the deal, checking in to a location associated with the deal, or recommending the deal.
6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the measure of relevance is determined by weighing an action based on a type of the action.
7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein a type of action comprising purchase of a particular deals is considered more significant than commenting on that particular deal.
8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein a type of action comprising checking in to a location associated with a particular deal is considered more significant than commenting on the particular deal.
9 . The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein a type of action comprising commenting on a particular deal is considered more significant compared to liking the particular deal.
10 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the measure of relevance for a connection is based at least in part on an affinity between the connection and the user.
11 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the measure of relevance for a connection is based at least in part on a rate at which the connection performs actions associated with deals.
12 . The A computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the information describing an association between the entity and the deal comprises a comparison between the interests of the connection and a category associated with the deal.
13 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the measure of relevance is based at least in part on information describing an association between the connection and the user.
14 . The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein the information describing an association between the connection and the user comprises communications between the connection and the user associated with the deal.
15 . The computer-implemented method of claim 14 , wherein determining the measure of relevance comprises weighting the communications based on recency.
16 . A computer-implemented method for determining information relevant to a deal for presentation to a user of a social networking system, the method comprising:
identifying a deal associated with a user of a social networking system;
selecting a set of entities associated with the deal, the entities represented in the social networking system;
determining a measure of relevance of each entity with respect to the deal based on at least one of:
information describing an association between the entity and the user, and
information describing an association between the entity and the deal;
selecting one or more entities based on the measure of relevance of each entity with respect to the user; and
sending for display to the user information describing the deal and the selected entities.
17 . The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , wherein the deal is a first deal and an entity represented in the social networking system is a second deal.
18 . The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , wherein the first deal is for products or services related to the product or services offered by the second deal.
19 . The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , wherein an entity is a social group comprising people with potential interest in the deal.
20 . The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , wherein an entity is an image associated with the deal, the image posted on the social networking system by a connection of the user.
21 . The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , wherein the image is determined to be captured at a location associated with the deal.