# US 2014/0156761 A1 · Methods and apparatus to monitor impressions of social media messages

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- Number: US 2014/0156761 A1
- Document ID: US20140156761A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/691,371
- Filed: 2012-11-30
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30
- Assignees: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
- Inventors: Ronan Heffernan; Stanley Woodruff; Steven Splaine; Alexandros Deliyannis
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140156761A1

## CPC

- G06Q 30/0246: {Traffic}
- G06Q 10/40: Business processes related to social networking or social networking services
- H04L 51/08: Annexed information, e.g. attachments
- H04L 51/52: for supporting social networking services
- H04L 67/02: based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
- H04L 67/535: {Tracking the activity of the user (network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34)}
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

Methods and apparatus are disclosed to monitor impressions of social media messages. An example method includes receiving at a server a first request for first media, the first request addressed to a first uniform resource locator (URL), and the first request corresponding to a first social media message to be presented with the first media. The method also includes receiving at the server a second request for the first media, the second request addressed to a second URL different from the first URL, and the second request corresponding to a second social media message to be presented with the first media. The method also includes crediting the first social media message with a first impression based on the first request being addressed to the first URL, and crediting the second social media message with a second impression based on the second request being addressed to the second URL.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method to log impressions of social media messages comprising:
receiving at a server a first request for first media, the first request addressed to a first uniform resource locator, and the first request corresponding to a first social media message to be presented with the first media;
receiving at the server a second request for the first media, the second request addressed to a second uniform resource locator different from the first uniform resource locator, and the second request corresponding to a second social media message to be presented with the first media;
crediting the first social media message with a first impression based on the first request being addressed to the first uniform resource locator; and
crediting the second social media message with a second impression based on the second request being addressed to the second uniform resource locator.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the second social media message is different from the first social media message.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising, after receiving the first request, sending the first media to a requesting first device having the first social media message.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

A method as defined in claim 3, further comprising, after receiving the second request, sending the first media to the requesting first device or a requesting second device having the second social media message.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

A method as defined in claim 4, further comprising loading a first cookie into the first device.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

A method as defined in claim 5, further comprising loading a second cookie into the second device.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

A method as defined in claim 6, further comprising determining demographic information based on the first cookie or the second cookie.

### Claim 8 (depends on 3)

A method as defined in claim 3, wherein sending the first media further comprises identifying the first media based on the first uniform resource locator.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A method as defined in claim 1, wherein a first sponsor of the first social media message provides the first uniform resource locator to a first party for transmitting in the first social media message by the first party.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

A method as defined in claim 1, wherein a plurality of uniform resource locators correspond to the first media.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

A method as defined in claim 10, wherein the plurality of uniform resource locators corresponding to the first media are assigned to a first sponsor of the first social media message.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

A method as defined in claim 10, wherein the first sponsor provides the plurality of uniform resource locators to a first party that sends the first message.

### Claim 13

An apparatus to log impressions of social media messages comprising:
an interface to receive a first request for first media, the first request addressed to a first uniform resource locator, and the first request issued in response to a first social media message associated with the first media, the external interface to receive a second request for the first media, the second request addressed to a second uniform resource locator different from the first uniform resource locator, and the second request issued in response to a second social media message associated with the first media; and
an impression logger to log an impression for the first social media message based on the first uniform resource locator, the impression logger to log an impression for the second social media message based on the second uniform resource locator.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

An apparatus as defined in claim 13, further comprising:
a uniform resource locator analyzer to select the first media based on the first uniform resource locator.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the interface is to send the first media to a requesting first device.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the interface is to send the first media to the requesting first device or a requesting second device.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

An apparatus as defined in claim 16, further comprising a media provider to provide the first media.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the impression logger is to record a timestamp with the impression.

### Claim 19

A tangible computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:
receive a first request for first media, the first request addressed to a first uniform resource locator, and the first request corresponding to a first social media message to be presented with the first media;
receive a second request for the first media, the second request addressed to a second uniform resource locator different from the first uniform resource locator, and the second request corresponding to a second social media message to be presented with the first media;
credit the first social media message with a first impression based on the first request being addressed to the first uniform resource locator; and
credit the second social media message with a second impression based on the second request being addressed to the second uniform resource locator.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

A tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 19, the instructions to cause the machine to, when the first request is received:
send the first media to a requesting first device having the first social media message.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

A tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 20, the instructions to cause the machine to send the first media to the requesting first device or a requesting second device when the second request is received.

### Claim 22 (depends on 19)

A tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 19, the instructions to cause the machine to select the first media based on the first uniform resource locator.

### Claim 23 (depends on 19)

A tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 19, the instructions to cause the machine to:
record timestamps with the first and second impressions, the timestamps representative of when the first and second requests were received.

### Claim 24

A method to log impressions of social media messages comprising:
generating at a server a first uniform resource locator associated with a first media to present with a first social media message;
generating at the server a second uniform resource locator associated with the first media to present with a second social media message;
providing the first uniform resource locator for sending in the first social media message by a first message sender;
providing the second uniform resource locator for sending the second social media message by a second message sender;
receiving at the server a first request for the first media, the first request addressed to the first uniform resource locator;
receiving at the server a second request for the first media, the second request addressed to the second uniform resource locator;
crediting the first social media message with a first impression based on the first request being addressed to the first uniform resource locator; and
crediting the second social media message with a second impression based on the second request being addressed to the second uniform resource locator.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

A method as defined in claim 24, further comprising locating the first uniform resource locator in the first social media message, and locating the second uniform resource locator in the second social media message.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

A method as defined in claim 25, wherein providing the first uniform resource locator and the second uniform resource locator comprises providing the first social media message including the first uniform resource locator, and providing the second social media message including the second uniform resource locator.

### Claim 27 (depends on 24)

A method as defined in claim 24, wherein the first message sender locates the first uniform resource locator in the first social media message.

### Claim 28 (depends on 24)

A method as defined in claim 24, further comprising providing the first uniform resource locator to a sponsor, and instructing the sponsor to provide the first uniform resource locator to the first message sender.

### Claim 29 (depends on 24)

A method as defined in claim 24, wherein the second social media message is different from the first social media message.