SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING CONTENT

1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:

initiating, by a computing system, an auction to provide content to a user;

receiving, by the computing system, one or more bids from one or more bidders;

determining, by the computing system, based on the one or more bids, a winning bid associated with a winning bidder;

providing, by the computing system, the winning bidder with an electronic token authorizing the winning bidder to provide content to the user;

receiving, by the computing system, from the winning bidder, the electronic token and content associated with the electronic token;

verifying, by the computing system, the electronic token; and

providing, by the computing system, the content associated with the electronic token to the user.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein

the one or more bids comprise a dummy bid generated by a dummy bidder that does not have content to provide to the user.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein if the winning bidder is the dummy bidder, the user is not provided with content as a result of the auction.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein a value of the dummy bid is automatically determined based on how many content items the user has received in a defined time period.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the value of the dummy bid is automatically determined based further on how much time remains in the defined time period.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the user is associated with a maximum number of content items that the user is permitted to receive within the defined time period.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the electronic token is associated with a time-to-live.

8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising deducting a final bid value from a budget associated with the winning bidder.

9 . The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the final bid value is deducted from the budget associated with the winning bidder based on a determination that the winning bidder has utilized the electronic token to provide a content item to the user.

10 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the one or more bids are determined based on at least one of a predicted click-through rate or a predicted conversion rate for 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:

initiating an auction to provide content to a user;

receiving one or more bids from one or more bidders;

determining, based on the one or more bids, a winning bid associated with a winning bidder;

providing the winning bidder with an electronic token authorizing the winning bidder to provide content to the user;

receiving, from the winning bidder, the electronic token and content associated with the electronic token;

verifying the electronic token; and

providing the content associated with the electronic token to the user.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the auction is initiated based on a request from a first bidder of the one or more bidders.

13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the auction is initiated based on a scheduled start time.

14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the content is a notification.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more bidders comprise a plurality of entities, and each entity has a respective notification to provide to the user.

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:

initiating an auction to provide content to a user;

receiving one or more bids from one or more bidders;

determining, based on the one or more bids, a winning bid associated with a winning bidder; and

providing the winning bidder with an electronic token authorizing the winning bidder to provide content to the user;

receiving, from the winning bidder, the electronic token and content associated with the electronic token;

verifying the electronic token; and

providing the content associated with the electronic token to the user.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein

the content associated with the electronic token is a first content item to provide to the user.

18 . (canceled)

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein

the first content item is provided to the user based on the determining that the electronic token is valid.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor of the computing system, further cause the computing system to perform:

modifying at least some of the one or more bids based on budget pace values associated with each of the one or more bidders.