Methods and apparatus for targeting communications using social network metrics

A system comprising:

• a network interface;
• a memory device;
• and
• a processor communicatively coupled to the memory device, wherein the processor, the memory device, and the network interface cooperate such that the system performs operations comprising:
• receiving, on the network interface, an electronic communication directed to a first user of a social network from a second user of the social network, the social network including affinity groups configured within the social network;
• determining, by the processor, a user network of the first user within the social network, the user network of the first user including users and affinity groups that are within a predetermined social distance from the first user;
• determining if the second user is within the user network of the first user;
• and
• prioritizing presentation of the electronic communication, relative to a plurality of other electronic communications for the first user, based at least in part on the determining if the second user is within the user network of the first user.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions for automated prioritization of electronic communications transmitted over a network that, when executed on a computing device including one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

• receiving, on a server using an interface communicatively coupled to the network, an electronic communication directed to a first user of a social network from a second user of the social network, the social network including affinity groups configured within the social network;
• determining, using one or more processors within the server, a user network of the first user within the social network, the user network of the first user including users and affinity groups that are within a predetermined social distance from the first user;
• determining if the second user is within the user network of the first user;
• and
• prioritizing presentation of the electronic communication, relative to a plurality of other electronic communications for the first user, based at least in part on the determining if the second user is within the user network of the first user.