Abstract: Techniques for determining an advocacy metric for a particular person are described. User generated content (UGC) authored by the particular person may be received. Each of the plurality of UGC items may be associated with the particular person's opinion of a respective particular one of the plurality of goods or services. An advocacy metric, indicative of a degree of advocacy for the particular person, for the plurality of goods or services, may be determined for the particular person based on the plurality of UGC items.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to determining an influence rating for an author of user-generated content (UGC) items. In one embodiment, a computer system analyses consumer behavior of individuals viewing UGC items authored by a particular person about one or more goods or services. Based on the analyzing, the computer system determines an influence rating for the particular person predictive of the particular person's ability to affect the consumer behavior of subsequent viewers of UGC items authored by the particular person. In some embodiments, the analyzing includes determining navigation actions performed by individuals within websites that display UGC items of the particular person. In some embodiments, the computer system also determines an expertise metric for the person indicative of the person's expertise relative to a good or service, and determines the influence rating based on the expertise metric.

Abstract: Techniques for collecting data indicative of one or more browsing behaviors (e.g., completing a transaction on a website) are described. User generated content (UGC) that affects user behavior may be identified, such as product reviews that, if read by a user, are statistically more likely to cause that user to make a purchase. A metric may be assigned to particular user generated content, where the metric indicates an extent to which the particular user generated content is associated with a particular browsing behavior. Based on the assigned metric, particular UGC may be included in a web page. For example, the product review that is most likely to cause a user to make a purchase may be placed in a prominent location on a web page in order to increase sales and revenue. Browsing behaviors may be positive or negatively associated, and metrics assigned to UGC may be based on visibility.

Abstract: A user generated question corresponding to a product may be received at a computer system implementing a smart question routing module. The computer system may determine the product corresponding to the user generated question and select one or more candidates from a set of subscribers to answer the user generated question based on a performance metric relating to the product. The performance metric may be determined based on criteria and/or weighting factors relating to individual ones of the subscribers. In some cases, the selection of one or more candidates may be affected by whether a subscriber is a past contributor to user generated content about the product and/or a past purchaser. The computer system may cause a request to answer the user generated question to be sent to each of the selected one or more candidates.

Abstract: Systems and methods for distributing user-generated content are disclosed. Specifically, embodiments of the present invention may allow content to be generated by a user at a manufacturer's site with respect to a corresponding product and this content distributed to one or more retailers who sell that product such that the user-generated content may be incorporated into the retailer's site or brick and mortar location in conjunction with that product to allow consumers shopping at that retailer to access or view such user-generated content.