Optimizing lead generation in an online system environment

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at an online system from a third-party entity a lead generation content item that includes a selectable option;

sending, by the online system, the lead generation content item to a client device associated with a user of the online system;

receiving, from the client device, an interaction with the selectable option of the lead generation content item;

sending, by the online system, an anonymized lead to the third-party entity that the client device interacted with the lead generation content item, wherein the anonymized lead identifies the user by including an anonymized identifier representing the user, the anonymized lead not including the user's personal information;

receiving, by the online system from the third-party entity, a request that specifies the user, identified by the anonymized identifier, as a recipient of a textual lead message and includes the textual lead message;

establishing, by the online system, a communication session via an instant messaging system of the online system between the third-party entity and the client device, wherein the user is identified to the third-party entity by the anonymized identifier; and

sending, by the online system to the client device, the textual lead message in the communication session via the instant messaging system.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

recording, by the online system, for each of a plurality of users, a respective set of data comprising a respective plurality of characteristics, a set of lead generation content items with which the user interacted, and a set of lead generation content items with which the user did not interact; and

training, by the online system, a lead message interaction model for predicting a likelihood of a subsequent user's interaction with a subsequent lead message sent from the third-party entity after the subsequent user interacts with a respective subsequent lead generation content item, using one or more of the recorded sets of data.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

using, by the online system, the trained lead message interaction model to predict a second user's interaction with a second lead message; and

using, by the online system, the prediction in a process for selecting the lead generation content item for the second user.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the online system, a request from the user of the online system to block communication with the third-party entity;

terminating, by the online system, the communication session;

receiving, by the online system, from the third-party entity, a request to open a new communication channel with the user; and

denying, by the online system, the request to open the new communication channel.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the anonymized lead further comprises generalized information of a plurality of users that interacted with the lead generation content item.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer program instructions executable by a processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving, at an online system from a third-party entity a lead generation content item that includes a selectable option;

sending, by the online system, the lead generation content item to a client device associated with a user of the online system;

receiving, from the client device, an interaction with the selectable option of the lead generation content item;

sending, by the online system, an anonymized lead to the third-party entity that the client device interacted with the lead generation content item, wherein the anonymized lead identifies the user by including an anonymized identifier representing the user, the anonymized lead not including the user's personal information;

receiving, by the online system from the third-party entity, a request that specifies the user, identified by the anonymized identifier, as a recipient of a textual lead message and includes the textual lead message;

establishing, by the online system, a communication session via an instant messaging system of the online system between the third-party entity and the client device, wherein the user is identified to the third-party entity by the anonymized identifier; and

sending, by the online system to the client device, the textual lead message in the communication session via the instant messaging system.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 6 , the operations further comprising:

recording, by the online system, for each of a plurality of users, a respective set of data comprising a respective plurality of characteristics, a set of lead generation content items with which the user interacted, and a set of lead generation content items with which the user did not interact; and

training, by the online system, a lead message interaction model for predicting a likelihood of a subsequent user's interaction with a subsequent lead message sent from the third-party entity after the subsequent user interacts with a respective subsequent lead generation content item, using one or more of the recorded sets of data.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , the operations further comprising:

using, by the online system, the trained lead message interaction model to predict a second user's interaction with a second lead message; and

using, by the online system, the prediction in a process for selecting the lead generation content item for the second user.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 6 , the operations further comprising:

receiving, by the online system, a request from the user of the online system to block communication with the third-party entity;

terminating, by the online system, the communication session;

receiving, by the online system, from the third-party entity, a request to open a new communication channel with the user; and

denying, by the online system, the request to open the new communication channel.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the anonymized lead further comprises generalized information of a plurality of users that interacted with the lead generation content item.

11. A system comprising:

a processor for executing computer program instructions; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer program instructions executable by the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving, at an online system from a third-party entity a lead generation content item that includes a selectable option;

sending, by the online system, the lead generation content item to a client device associated with a user of the online system;

receiving, from the client device, an interaction with the selectable option of the lead generation content item;

sending, by the online system, an anonymized lead to the third-party entity that the client device interacted with the lead generation content item, wherein the anonymized lead identifies the user by including an anonymized identifier representing the user, the anonymized lead not including the user's personal information;

receiving, by the online system from the third-party entity, a request that specifies the user, identified by the anonymized identifier, as a recipient of a textual lead message and includes the textual lead message;

establishing, by the online system, a communication session via an instant messaging system of the online system between the third-party entity and the client device, wherein the user is identified to the third-party entity by the anonymized identifier; and

sending, by the online system to the client device, the textual lead message in the communication session via the instant messaging system.

12. The system of claim 11 , the operations further comprising:

recording, by the online system, for each of a plurality of users, a respective set of data comprising a respective plurality of characteristics, a set of lead generation content items with which the user interacted, and a set of lead generation content items with which the user did not interact; and

training, by the online system, a lead message interaction model for predicting a likelihood of a subsequent user's interaction with a subsequent lead message sent from the third-party entity after the subsequent user interacts with a respective subsequent lead generation content item, using one or more of the recorded sets of data.

13. The system of claim 12 , the operations further comprising:

using, by the online system, the trained lead message interaction model to predict a second user's interaction with a second lead message; and

using, by the online system, the prediction in a process for selecting the lead generation content item for the second user.

14. The system of claim 11 , the operations further comprising:

receiving, by the online system, a request from the user of the online system to block communication with the third-party entity;

terminating, by the online system, the communication session;

receiving, by the online system, from the third-party entity, a request to open a new communication channel with the user; and

denying, by the online system, the request to open the new communication channel.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the anonymized lead further comprises generalized information of a plurality of users that interacted with the lead generation content item.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, at the online system from the third-party entity, a second lead generation content item;

determining, by the online system, whether user interaction with the second lead generation content item would share personal contact information of the user with the third-party entity; and

responsive to determining that user interaction with the second lead generation content item would not share personal contact information of the user with the third-party entity, sending the second lead generation content item to the client device for presentation.

17. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

responsive to receiving the request from the user of the online system to block communication with the third-party entity, removing, by the online system, data recorded for the user from a particular data store of the online system, wherein the third-party entity has access to view the particular data store.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 6 , the operations further comprising:

receiving, at the online system from the third-party entity, a second lead generation content item;

determining, by the online system, whether user interaction with the second lead generation content item would share personal contact information of the user with the third-party entity; and

responsive to determining that user interaction with the second lead generation content item would not share personal contact information of the user with the third-party entity, sending the second lead generation content item to the client device for presentation.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 6 , the operations further comprising:

responsive to receiving the request from the user of the online system to block communication with the third-party entity, removing, by the online system, data recorded for the user from a particular data store of the online system, wherein the third-party entity has access to view the particular data store.

20. The system of claim 11 , the operations further comprising:

receiving, at the online system from the third-party entity, a second lead generation content item;

determining, by the online system, whether user interaction with the second lead generation content item would share personal contact information of the user with the third-party entity; and

responsive to determining that user interaction with the second lead generation content item would not share personal contact information of the user with the third-party entity, sending the second lead generation content item to the client device for presentation.