Content distribution system including cost-per-engagement based advertising

A system for conducting an online marketing campaign, comprising:

• a server connected to a network;
• and
• a plurality of user devices connected to the network;
• wherein the server is configured to host an interactive web site that enables the uploading of pieces of content in response to the online marketing campaign and the distribution or pieces of uploaded content;
• wherein each user device is configured to interact with the interactive web site;
• wherein the server is configured to track the number of pieces of content uploaded to the interactive web site in response to the online marketing campaign, the number of pieces of uploaded content distributed to user devices and the number of other interactions between the user devices and the interactive web site;
• wherein the number of other interactions that user devices have with the web site are selected from the group consisting of uploading a piece of content, voting for a piece of content, commenting on a piece of content, reviewing a piece of content, sharing a piece of content with a user device, and propagating a piece of content to a second web site distinct from the interactive web site;
• and
• wherein the server is configured to determine a cost to charge for hosting the marketing campaign based upon at least the number of pieces of content uploaded to the interactive web site in response to the online marketing campaign, the number of pieces of uploaded content distributed to user devices and the number of other interactions between the user devices and the website;
• wherein the web site enables a user device to automatically propagate a piece of content to another web site;
• and
• wherein the interactions tracked by the server include tracking the number of times the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is propagated to another web site.

A method of determining the cost of conducting an online marketing campaign, comprising:

• providing an interactive website that enables the uploading of pieces of content in response to the online marketing campaign and the distribution of pieces of uploaded content using a server system;
• uploading content to the interactive website using a user device;
• tracking a plurality of categories of user interactions with the interactive website and the uploaded content using the server system where the number of other interactions that use devices have with the interactive website are selected from the group consisting of uploading a piece of content, voting for a niece of content, commenting on a piece of content, reviewing a piece of content, sharing a piece of content with a user device, and propagating a piece of content to a second website distinct from the interactive website;
• and
• calculating a cost for conducting the online marketing campaign based upon the different categories of tracked interactions using the server system;
• the web site enables a user device to automatically propagate a piece of content to another web site;
• and
• the interactions tracked by the server include tracking the number of times the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is propagated to another web site.

An online content distribution system that hosts an online marketing campaign, comprising:

• a serve;
• connected to a network;
• and
• a plurality of user devices connected to the network;
• wherein the server is configured to host an interactive web site that provides access to at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign;
• wherein the interactive web site enables the uploading of pieces of content in response to the online marketing campaign and the distribution of pieces of uploaded content;
• wherein that at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is a piece of uploaded content;
• wherein each user device is configured to interact with the interactive web site;
• wherein the server is configured to track the number of times the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is accessed and the number of other interactions that user devices have with the interactive web site;
• wherein the number of other interactions that user devices have with the web site are selected from the group consisting of uploading a piece of content, voting for a piece of content, commenting on a piece of content, reviewing a piece of content, sharing a piece of content with a user device, viewing a shared piece of content, and propagating a piece of content to a second web site distinct from the interactive web site;
• wherein the server is configured to determine a cost to charge for hosting the marketing campaign based upon at least the number of times that at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is accessed and the number of other interactions that user devices have with the web site;
• the web site enables a user device to automatically propagate a piece of content to another web site;
• and
• the interactions tracked by the server include tracking the number of times the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is propagated to another web site.