SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IDENTIFYING POLITICALLY INFLUENTIAL USERS

1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining, by a computing system, a plurality of politically engaged users based on political engagement criteria;

determining, by the computing system, a plurality of influential users based on shared content influence criteria;

determining, by the computing system, a plurality of politically influential users by determining users that are in both the plurality of politically engaged users and the plurality of influential users; and

providing, by the computing system, an advertisement to at least a portion of the plurality of politically influential users.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the shared content influence criteria comprise sharing frequency criteria and user engagement criteria.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the determining the plurality of influential users comprises:

ranking a plurality of users based on a number of shared content items posted in a period of time to create a sharing frequency ranking, wherein

the sharing frequency criteria comprise a sharing frequency ranking threshold.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the determining the plurality of influential users comprises:

for each user of a social networking system,

calculating, for each shared content item posted by the user within a period of time, a z-score based on a number of engagements received by the user for the shared content item and an average number of engagements received by other users on the social networking system for the shared content item.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the determining the plurality of influential users further comprises:

for each user of the social networking system,

calculating a user engagement score based on z-scores for all shared content items posted by the user within the period of time, and further wherein

the user engagement criteria comprise a user engagement score ranking threshold.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising associating each of the plurality of politically influential users with a political ideology based on a political ideology machine learning model.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , further comprising receiving a selection of a first political ideology from an advertiser, wherein

the providing the advertisement to at least a portion of the plurality of politically influential users comprises providing the advertisement to politically influential users associated with the first political ideology.

8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of politically engaged users are determined based on a political engagement machine learning model.

9 . The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the determining the plurality of politically engaged users based on political engagement criteria comprises:

for each user of a social networking system,

making a political engagement determination based on pages followed by the user.

10 . The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the determining the plurality of politically engaged users based on political engagement criteria comprises:

for each user of a social networking system,

making a political engagement determination based on content posts posted and/or engaged by the user.

11 . A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to perform a method comprising:

determining a plurality of politically engaged users based on political engagement criteria;

determining a plurality of influential users based on shared content influence criteria;

determining a plurality of politically influential users by determining users that are in both the plurality of politically engaged users and the plurality of influential users; and

providing an advertisement to at least a portion of the plurality of politically influential users.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the shared content influence criteria comprise sharing frequency criteria and user engagement criteria.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the determining the plurality of influential users comprises:

ranking a plurality of users based on a number of shared content items posted in a period of time to create a sharing frequency ranking, wherein

the sharing frequency criteria comprise a sharing frequency ranking threshold.

14 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the determining the plurality of influential users comprises:

for each user of a social networking system,

calculating, for each shared content item posted by the user within a period of time, a z-score based on a number of engagements received by the user for the shared content item and an average number of engagements received by other users on the social networking system for the shared content item.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the determining the plurality of influential users further comprises:

for each user of the social networking system,

calculating a user engagement score based on z-scores for all shared content items posted by the user within the period of time, and further wherein

the user engagement criteria comprise a user engagement score ranking threshold.

16 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform a method comprising:

determining a plurality of politically engaged users based on political engagement criteria;

determining a plurality of influential users based on shared content influence criteria;

determining a plurality of politically influential users by determining users that are in both the plurality of politically engaged users and the plurality of influential users; and

providing an advertisement to at least a portion of the plurality of politically influential users.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the shared content influence criteria comprise sharing frequency criteria and user engagement criteria.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the determining the plurality of influential users comprises:

ranking a plurality of users based on a number of shared content items posted in a period of time to create a sharing frequency ranking, wherein

the sharing frequency criteria comprise a sharing frequency ranking threshold.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the determining the plurality of influential users comprises:

for each user of a social networking system,

calculating, for each shared content item posted by the user within a period of time, a z-score based on a number of engagements received by the user for the shared content item and an average number of engagements received by other users on the social networking system for the shared content item.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 , wherein the determining the plurality of influential users further comprises:

for each user of the social networking system,

calculating a user engagement score based on z-scores for all shared content items posted by the user within the period of time, and further wherein

the user engagement criteria comprise a user engagement score ranking threshold.