System and method for positioning sponsored content in a social network interface

1. A system comprising:

a computer-readable storage device having computer-executable instructions stored thereon; and

at least one hardware processor in communication with the computer-readable storage device that, when the computer-executable instructions are executed, causes the system to perform operations comprising:

generating a plurality of content positions to be displayed in a newsfeed of a social network interface;

designating at least a first content position from the plurality of content positions to be filled by content selected from a set of sponsored content items;

designating at least a second content position from the plurality of content positions to be filled by content selected from a set of organic content items that are not included in the set of sponsored content items;

assigning, to the plurality of content positions, a maximum number of content positions that can be filled with content items selected from the set of sponsored content items;

receiving, from a client device, a request for a content item to be displayed in the first content position of the plurality of content positions included in the newsfeed of the social network interface;

accessing a network database storing the set of sponsored content items;

selecting a first sponsored content item from the set of sponsored content items to fill the first content position;

determining a number of content positions from the plurality of content positions that are filled with content items selected from the set of sponsored content items;

in response to determining that the number of content positions filled with content items selected from the set of sponsored content items is equal to the maximum number of content positions that can be filled with content items selected from the set of sponsored content items, selecting an organic content item from the set of organic content items to fill the first content position in place of the first sponsored content item; and

transmitting, to the client device, instructions to cause the client device to display the organic content item selected from the set or organic content item in the first content position that is designated to present content items selected from the set of sponsored content item, wherein the first sponsored content item that was selected to fill the first content position is not presented in the first content position.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first sponsored content item is selected based on a scaling factor that was selected by an operator of the social network.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first sponsored content item is selected based on a likelihood of a social activity with the first sponsored content item.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein selecting the first sponsored content items comprises:

calculating a score for the first sponsored content item based on a characteristic of the first sponsored content item, a bid associated with the first sponsored content item, and a scaling factor corresponding to the first sponsored content item; and

determining that the score meets or exceeds a threshold criterion assigned to the first content position.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of content positions are ordered from a high position to a low position and wherein a threshold criterion assigned to each respective content position is based, at least in in part, on an ordered position of the respective content position in relation to the other content positions in the plurality of content positions.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein, if a position criterion assigned to a content position designated to be filled by content selected from the set of sponsored content items is not met by any sponsored content item from the set of sponsored content items, the content position is filled with an organic content item selected from the set of organic content items.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of content positions are organized as an ordered list.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of content positions are organized in a series of pages.

9. A method executed by a computing system comprising one or more computer processors and a memory, the method comprising:

generating, by the one or more computer processors, a plurality of content positions to be displayed in a newsfeed of a social network interface;

designating, by the one or more computer processors, at least a first content position from the plurality of content positions to be filled by content selected from a set of sponsored content items;

designating, by the one or more computer processors, at least a second content position from the plurality of content positions to be filled by content selected from a set of organic content items that are not included in the set of sponsored content items;

assigning, by the one or more computer processors, to the plurality of content positions, a maximum number of content positions that can be filled with content items selected from the set of sponsored content items;

receiving, by the one or more computer processors, from a client device, a request for a content item to be displayed in the first content position of the plurality of content positions included in the newsfeed of the social network interface;

accessing, by the one or more computer processors, a network database storing the set of sponsored content items;

selecting, by the one or more computer processors, a first sponsored content item from the set of sponsored content items to fill the first content position;

determining, by the one or more computer processors, a number of content positions from the plurality of content positions that are filled with content items selected from the set of sponsored content items;

in response to determining that the number of content positions filled with content items selected from the set of sponsored content items is equal to the maximum number of content positions that can be filled with content items selected from the set of sponsored content items, selecting, by the one or more computer processors, an organic content item from the set of organic content items to fill the first content position in place of the first sponsored content item; and

transmitting, by the one or more computer processors, to the client device, instructions to cause the client device to display the organic content item selected from the set or organic content item in the first content position that is designated to present content items selected from the set of sponsored content item, wherein the first sponsored content item that was selected to fill the first content position is not presented in the first content position.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first sponsored content item is selected based on a scaling factor that was selected by an operator of the social network.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first sponsored content item is selected based on a likelihood of a social activity with the first sponsored content item.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein selecting the first sponsored content items comprises:

calculating a score for the first sponsored content item based on a characteristic of the first sponsored content item, a bid associated with the first sponsored content item, and a scaling factor corresponding to the first sponsored content item; and

determining that the score meets or exceeds a threshold criterion assigned to the first content position.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of content positions are ordered from a high position to a low position and wherein a threshold criterion assigned to each respective content position is based, at least in in part, on an ordered position of the respective content position in relation to the other content positions in the plurality of content positions.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein, if a position criterion assigned to a content position designated to be filled by content selected from the set of sponsored content items is not met by any sponsored content item from the set of sponsored content items, the content position is filled with an organic content item selected from the set of organic content items.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more computer processors of one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to perform operations comprising:

generating a plurality of content positions to be displayed in a newsfeed of a social network interface;

designating at least a first content position from the plurality of content positions to be filled by content selected from a set of sponsored content items;

designating at least a second content position from the plurality of content positions to be filled by content selected from a set of organic content items that are not included in the set of sponsored content items;

assigning, to the plurality of content positions, a maximum number of content positions that can be filled with content items selected from the set of sponsored content items;

receiving, from a client device, a request for a content item to be displayed in the first content position of the plurality of content positions included in the newsfeed of the social network interface;

accessing a network database storing the set of sponsored content items;

selecting a first sponsored content item from the set of sponsored content items to fill the first content position;

determining a number of content positions from the plurality of content positions that are filled with content items selected from the set of sponsored content items;

in response to determining that the number of content positions filled with content items selected from the set of sponsored content items is equal to the maximum number of content positions that can be filled with content items selected from the set of sponsored content items, selecting an organic content item from the set of organic content items to fill the first content position in place of the first sponsored content item; and

transmitting, to the client device, instructions to cause the client device to display the organic content item selected from the set or organic content item in the first content position that is designated to present content items selected from the set of sponsored content item, wherein the first sponsored content item that was selected to fill the first content position is not presented in the first content position.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the first sponsored content item is selected based on a scaling factor that was selected by an operator of the social network.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the first sponsored content item is selected based on a likelihood of a social activity with the first sponsored content item.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein selecting the first sponsored content items comprises:

calculating a score for the first sponsored content item based on a characteristic of the first sponsored content item, a bid associated with the first sponsored content item, and a scaling factor corresponding to the first sponsored content item; and

determining that the score meets or exceeds a threshold criterion assigned to the first content position.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of content positions are ordered from a high position to a low position and wherein a threshold criterion assigned to each respective content position is based, at least in in part, on an ordered position of the respective content position in relation to the other content positions in the plurality of content positions.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein, if a position criterion assigned to a content position designated to be filled by content selected from the set of sponsored content items is not met by any sponsored content item from the set of sponsored content items, the content position is filled with an organic content item selected from the set of organic content items.