Social media merchandising and advertising platform

Abstract

Consistent with embodiments of the present invention, a social media merchandising and advertising platform may be provided. The platform may enable any third party website, page, or entity referred to herein as an “advertiser” to post interactive content on a publisher's website. The interactive content may comprise, for example, a customizable badge. The platform may enable the advertiser to create, customize, and deploy the badge for display and access on the publisher's specified domain. Moreover, the platform may enable the advertiser to provide the publisher with various specifications and elements to be integrated into a customized badge and, in turn, provide the customized badge to a publisher. Either the publisher or advertiser, individually or collectively, may then post the advertiser's badge to a website.

The following is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving a plurality of inputs from a user;   creating a graphical user interface (GUI) element based on the plurality of inputs form the user;   associating a unique identifier with the GUI element; and   causing a display of the GUI element on a website when the unique identifier associated with the GUI element is embedded within a uniform resource locator (URL) used to access the website.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the plurality of inputs comprises receiving at least one of the following inputs:
 a name associated with the user,   a website associated with the user, and   a location of at least one social media platform associated with the user.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein creating the GUI element based on the plurality of inputs from the user comprises retrieving information associated with the user based on the at least one social media platform associated with the user. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein creating the GUI element based on the plurality of inputs from the user comprises including, within the GUI element, at least one hyperlink to the at least one social media platform associated with the user. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising embedding a hyperlink within the GUI element, the hyperlink enabling a visitor of the website to, upon selection, share the website through at least one third party platform. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the visitor of the website, a selection of the hyperlink;   displaying a plurality of sharing options;   receiving a selection of at least one of the sharing options; and   sharing the URL of the website having the unique identifier embedded therein.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the plurality of inputs from the user comprises receiving information associated with an e-commerce platform tied to the user. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 detecting a visitor activity on the website, wherein the visitor activity is associated with the e-commerce platform; and   determining that the visitor has at least one of the following:
 accessed the website through the URL comprising the unique identifier, and 
 a cookie comprising the unique identifier; 
   retrieving the e-commerce platform information tied to the user associated with the unique identifier; and   sharing in a revenue generated by the visitor activity on the e-commerce platform.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the plurality of inputs from the user comprises receiving at least one of the following:
 a textual advertisement to be displayed in conjunction with the GUI element;   a graphical advertisement to be displayed in conjunction with the GUI element; and   a server comprising at least one advertisement to be displayed in conjunction with the GUI element.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 detecting a visitor activity on the website, wherein the visitor activity is associated with advertisement; and   determining that the visitor has at least one of the following:
 accessed the website through the URL comprising the unique identifier, and 
 a cookie comprising the unique identifier; 
   sharing in a revenue generated by the visitor activity associated with the advertisement.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a modification to at least one of the plurality of inputs; and   modifying the GUI element based on the modification to the at least one input of the plurality of inputs used to create the GUI element,   wherein modifying the GUI element based on the modification to the at least one input of the plurality of inputs comprises maintaining the same unique identifier associated with the GUI element.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 determining that at least one additional GUI element has been created for the user; and   modifying the at least one additional GUI element based on the modification to the at least one input of the plurality of inputs used to create the at least one additional GUI element,   wherein modifying the at least one additional GUI element based on the modification to the at least one input of the plurality of inputs comprises maintaining the same unique identifier associated with the at least one additional GUI element.   
     
     
         13 . A computer-readable medium comprising a set of instructions which, when executed by a computer, perform a method, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:
 receiving a badge registration comprising a unique identifier;   generating a snippet of code associated with the badge;   causing a display of the badge when a website comprising the snippet of code is loaded;   facilitating a user interaction with the displayed badge, wherein facilitating the user interaction comprises embedding the unique identifier into a uniform resource locator (URL) used to share the website; and   causing a display of the badge when the website is accessed via the URL comprising the unique identifier.   
     
     
         14 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein causing a display of the badge comprises displaying a plurality of icons associated with social media platforms of an entity associated with the registered badge. 
     
     
         15 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 14 , further comprising enabling, via a selection of at least one of the plurality of icons, a sharing of the website on a social media platform associated with the selected icon. 
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , further comprising tracking data associated with viewers who access the website displaying the badge. 
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein tracking comprising employing an affiliate code for revenue sharing. 
     
     
         18 . A system comprising:
 a memory storage; and   a processing unit couple to the memory storage, wherein the processing unit is configured to:
 receive a plurality of inputs from a user, 
 create a graphical user interface (GUI) element based on the plurality of inputs form the user, 
 associate a unique identifier with the GUI element, and 
   cause a display of the GUI element on a website when the unique identifier associated with the GUI element is embedded within a uniform resource locator (URL) used to access the website.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to embed a hyperlink within the GUI element, the hyperlink enabling a visitor of the website to, upon selection, share the website through at least one third party platform. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to:
 receive, from the visitor of the website, a selection of the hyperlink,   display a plurality of sharing options,   receive a selection of at least one of the sharing options, and   share the URL of the website having the unique identifier embedded therein.