WO2021096345A1

WO2021096345A1 - An online engagement platform

Info

Publication number: WO2021096345A1
Application number: PCT/MY2020/050091
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ling Ting HAN
Original assignee: Umeigo Sdn. Bhd.
Priority date: 2019-11-13
Filing date: 2020-09-24
Publication date: 2021-05-20

Abstract

The present invention provides a platform for managing online engagement, comprising a profile module (100) for storing and communicating information of a plurality of users to a plurality of followers, and an incentive management module (300) for tracking a content engagement made from at least one content submitted by the user (110) at the profile module (100). The incentive management module (300) receives at least one transaction from the content which is performed by at least one buyer from the plurality of followers, in which the content has embedded a promotional link provided by at least one merchant (120) through the platform, such that at least one engagement report is established using a content management module based on the content engagement to identify the buyer and other followers engaging the content.

Description

AN ONLINE ENGAGEMENT PLATFORM

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a computer-related platform for performing and managing online engagements.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present engagement and transaction platforms for e-commerce and social media sites linked to e-commerce requires active posting and management of contents and promotional materials by merchants or retailers who are promoting and selling the products and services. The involvement of users other than merchants in the dissemination of promotional materials is limited to circulating advertising materials created by merchants, but not the creation of promotions and advertisements by such users themselves. This is because many of the existing engagement platforms do not allow users, such as influencers, product ambassadors or key opinion leaders, to post contents on products and services having promotional items proposed by an influencer, and approved and provided by a relevant merchant on the engagement platforms.

Besides, existing engagement platforms do not perform calculation and distribution of incentives in the form of coins, points or other means to merchants as one group of users of such platforms and enable the utilization of such incentives to further produce advertising or promotional materials on the platform. There is a need to create an engagement platform for addressing the shortage of influencer participation in creating promotional items which are approved and provided by merchants, and incentivising users of the engagement platform, including influencers and merchants in addition to consumers. SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention features a platform for managing online engagement, comprising a profile module for storing and communicating information of a plurality of users to a plurality of followers, and an incentive management module for tracking a content engagement made from at least one content submitted by the user at the profile module.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the incentive management module receives at least one transaction from the content which is performed by at least one buyer from the plurality of followers, in which the content has embedded a promotional link provided by at least one merchant through the platform, such that at least one engagement report is established using a content management module based on the content engagement to identify the buyer and other followers who engaged the content for the user to identify the followers activity and engage the identified follower to perform further transaction, in which at least one incentive is provided to the user based on the transaction, and at least one sales amount from the transaction is provided to the merchant.

Preferably, the content is an interactive media, in which the promotional link is displayed at one point of time when the interactive media is engaged by the follower.

Preferably, the promotional link is generated for a specific product or service to be embedded for a specific user for tracking the transaction performed through the promotional link.

Further, the promotional link communicates a commission rate and product or service price to the user to be used for incentive calculation.

Further, the user is able to view a plurality of followers and buyers engaging the content using the promotional link. Further, the promotional link enables the merchant to track the transaction performed through the content.

Preferably, the content comprises a text, a photograph, a video, a graphical picture, a design, an animation, other multimedia file, a document or any combination thereof.

Preferably, the promotional link is a voucher, a coupon, a link or a code to retrieve an information, a discount or a gift, and the incentive is in the form of a voucher, a coupon, a discount, a coin, a point or a money.

Further, the sales amount of the user is an income generated from the transaction performed based on the content linked to the user profile. Preferably, the content is able to be re-posted, linked to or embedded in another website or application.

The present invention consists of features and a combination of parts hereinafter fully described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that various changes in the details may be made without departing from the scope of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To further clarify various aspects of some embodiments of the present invention, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by references to specific embodiments thereof, which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an illustration showing a profile module, a content management module and an incentive management module of a platform for managing online engagement of the present invention. Figure 2 illustrates an example of operational flow involving a content management module of a platform for managing online engagement of the present invention.

Figure 3 illustrates an example of method of operation of a platform for managing online engagement of the present invention.

Figure 4 illustrates an influencer viewing of transactions, activities and earnings of consumers who performed transactions through a promotional link of the influencer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The general principles of the present invention relate to a platform for performing and managing online engagements, typically purchases, rentals, exchanges and/or information transfer. The platform is suited for a variety of users. Specifically, three (3) groups of users are the main users of this platform. The first group of users are typically, but not limited to, influencer, celebrity, key opinion leader (KOL), and ambassador of product or services. The second group of users are typically, but not limited to, merchant, retailer, seller, businessman and service provider. The third group of users are typically, but not limited to consumer, customer, buyer, purchaser involved in such engagements.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention as illustrated in Figure 1 , the platform for performing and managing online engagement comprises a profile module (100) for storing and communicating information of a plurality of users to a plurality of other users and followers. The profile module (100) enables signing up and submission of user information in order to create user account, or linking to other social media account for the purpose of signing up or logging in. Personal and contact information, billing and shipping addresses, business location, current location, consumer preferences, payment methods, promotion and selling criteria, ratings, reviews, rankings, online and offline statuses of users are managed by the profile module (100). The stored information of users is used for subsequent communications between users, tracking of contents, content management and incentive management. The profile module (100) also ranks users based on, for example influence rating for influencer and KOLs, sales / income for merchants, and buyer credibility or financial / payment rating for consumers.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention also comprises a content management module (200) for storing of contents (240) submitted by users to the platform through their profile module (100) for performing and managing online engagement of the present invention (as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2). Contents (240) may be submitted as contents in the form of texts, photographs, videos, graphical pictures, designs, animations, other multimedia files, documents or any combination thereof. The content management module (200) has features to generate, edit and embed promotional links (250), such as coupons, vouchers, codes, banners, links and other information linked to the content (240) submitted by a user, for example, an influencer (110), celebrity or merchant. The content management module (200) enables such promotional links to be communicated to another website, social media platform (210, 220), web application or other electronic and mobile application. The promotional link (250) may be a general banner or link related to the content (240) or product of interest by a merchant to direct interested users who are viewers, followers or potential buyers to the platform of the present invention for viewing, querying and performing transactions, such as purchase, discount and gift voucher or coupon acquisition, and product exchange or return. More specifically, the promotional link (250) may be a specific banner or link related to a content (240) or product of interest that is specifically connected to a particular user, such as influencer (110). This enables clicks, engagement or transactions that are performed through the specific promotional link (250) to be tracked to the connected user for incentive distribution. A preferred embodiment of the content (240) is that the content (240) is an interactive media, in which the promotional link (250) is displayed at one point of time when the interactive media is engaged, clicked or played by the follower or viewers from among other users.

In a preferred embodiment of the content management module (200), there is a transaction manager like payment gateway to enable credit card, debit card and electronic payment. Transactions may also be performed using an e-wallet utilizing money, coins or points system provided by and held in the records of the profile module (100) of the platform of the present invention. From engagement and transaction information, such as but not limited to the total sales generated from the content (240), banner or link, the number of buyers transacted through the content (240), the order price, the volume of acquisition of promotional links, the number of views or likes on the content (240), the content management module (200) calculates a score or rating of users (for example, influence score), which is updated regularly and stored by the profile module (100). From the records of transaction, views, clicks or likes, the content management module (200) of the platform of the present invention reports potential buyers or consumers from other followers or viewers to the user who submitted the content (240). Reporting or alerting of potential buyers or consumers is performed by means of statistical data, listing and ranking of such potential buyers or consumers based on certain criteria, such as buyer preferences, products of interest, number of views, expenditure, and/or other criteria. Reporting or alerting may also be performed by means of organized or random pop-ups of profiles of potential buyers or consumers based on the aforementioned criteria. The content management module (200) also displays related contents of other users to potential buyers, viewers or followers of a particular content.

Referring to Figures 1 and 3, the preferred embodiment of the present invention also comprises an incentive management module (300) for tracking at least one transaction made through at least one content submitted by the user at the profile module (100). The transaction manager distributes a share of sales or income (hereinafter referred as “sales amount”) generated from a content to the incentive management module (300) after a transaction has been made using the platform of the present invention. The incentive management module (300) receives and tracks at least one such transaction performed by at least one consumer or buyer from the plurality of followers or viewers through a promotional link (250) linked to the content. The promotional link (250), such as coupons, vouchers, codes, banners and other information, is provided or approved by a merchant through the platform. The promotional link (250) communicates a commission rate and product or service price to the user or influencer (110) to be used for incentive calculation. After receiving a share of sales amount, the incentive management module (300) then in turn distributes the share of sales amount in the form of monetary commission, coins or points to the related users based on the quantity (amount) and quality of the transaction. The quantity of transaction may be determined based on the order quantity, order price and transaction volume as examples, while the quality of transaction may be determines based on reviews and ratings by the users involved in a particular transaction. Users who receive the commission, coins or points are, for example, the influencer who posted the content, the merchant provided or approved the promotional link (250), and the consumer who purchased or performed the transaction.

In a preferred method of operation of the present information (as illustrated in Figure 3), an influencer (110) produces and post a content on the platform of the present invention after communicating and agreeing on a promotional link provided by a merchant (120). The platform requires information related to the content (240), such as the information of the influencer and the information of the merchant (120), all of which are communicated with the profile module (100). The merchant (120) approves the promotional link linked to the content (240) and the influencer profile. The content management module (200) of the platform of the present invention stores and displays the content (240) to viewers and followers of the influencer profile. The content (240) may be re-posted, linked to or embedded in another website or application, preferably social media sites (210, 220) having high user traffic. Clicks or selection of the promotional link would direct the viewer or follower (also consumer 130) to the platform of the present invention to view, query and/or perform transaction. Thereafter, the transaction manager of the content management module (200) manages the transaction performed by the consumer (130), in which the income or sales amount obtained from the transaction is distributed to the incentive management module (300) (300) for further incentive generation and distribution to the influencer (110), merchant (120) and consumer (130). The incentive obtained may be used to produce advertising and promotional links, and to perform other transactions.

Referring to Figure 4, the profile module (100) in communication with the transaction manager (230) linked to the content management module (200) enables the first group of users (for example, influencer or KOL 110) to view transactions, activities and earnings performed by the third group of users (for example, followers or consumers 130) who viewed and followed them or who performed transactions through promotional links linked to their user profile.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes, which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims, are to be embraced within their scope.

Claims

1 . A platform for managing online engagement, comprising: a profile module (100) for storing and communicating information of a plurality of users (110) to a plurality of followers; and an incentive management module (300) for tracking a content engagement made from at least one content (240) submitted by a user (110) at the profile module (100), characterized in that, the incentive management module (300) receives at least one transaction from the content (240) which is performed by at least one buyer from the plurality of followers, in which the content (240) has embedded a promotional link provided by at least one merchant through the platform, such that at least one engagement report is established using a content management module based on the content engagement to identify the buyer and other followers engaging the content for the user (110) to identify the followers activity and engage the identified follower to perform further transaction, in which at least one incentive is provided to the user (110) based on the transaction, and at least one sales amount from the transaction is provided to the merchant.

2. The platform for managing online engagement according to claim 1 , wherein the content (240) is an interactive media, in which the promotional link (250) is displayed at one point of time when the interactive media is engaged by the follower.

3. The platform for managing online engagement according to claim 1 , wherein the promotional link (250) is generated for a specific product or service to be embedded for a specific user for tracking the transaction performed through the promotional link (250).

4. The platform for managing online engagement according to claim 1 , wherein the promotional link (250) communicates a commission rate and product or service price to the user (110) to be used for incentive calculation.

5. The platform for managing online engagement according to claim 1, wherein the user (110) is able to view a plurality of followers and buyers engaging the content using the promotional link (250).

6. The platform for managing online engagement according to claim 1, wherein the promotional link (250) enables the merchant to track the transaction performed through the content (240).

7. The platform for managing online engagement according to claim 1, wherein the content (240) comprises a text, a photograph, a video, a graphical picture, a design, an animation, other multimedia file, a document or any combination thereof.

8. The platform for managing online engagement according to claim 1, wherein the promotional link (250) is a voucher, a coupon, a link or a code to retrieve an information, a discount or a gift, and the incentive is in the form of a voucher, a coupon, a discount, a coin, a point or a money.

9. The platform for managing online engagement according to claim 1, wherein the sales amount of the user is an income generated from the transaction performed based on the content (240) linked to the user profile.

10. The platform for managing online engagement according to claim 1 , wherein the content (240) is able to be re-posted, linked to or embedded in another website or application.