Blog Reading
Americans are becoming avid blog readers，with 32million getting hooked in 2004，according to new research.
The survey，conductedconduct by the Pew Internet and American Life Project，showed that blog readership has shot up by 58%in the last year.
Some of this growth is attributableattributable to political blogs written and read during the U.S.presidential campaign.
Despite the explosive growth，more than 60%of online Americans have still never heard of blogs，the survey found.
Blogs，or web logs，are online spaces in which people can publish their thoughts，opinions or spread news events in their own words.
网络日志
一项新的研究结果表明，美国人逐渐热衷于阅读网络日志，2004年共有3200万人沉迷于此。
佩尤研究中心“网络与美国生活项目”的调查结果显示，去年网络日志的阅读人数激增了58%。
这样（迅速）增长的原因部分应归功于美国总统大选期间，许多人在网上发表或阅读讨论政治的文章。
调查发现，尽管网络日志迅速走红，仍然有超过60%的美国网民从未听说过blogs（博客，网络日志）这个词。
Blogs又称web logs，是一个在线的虚拟空间，人们可以在这里发表自己的想法和主张，或者用自己的话传播新闻信息。
Cyberpromotion
Until the late 1940s，when television began finding its way into American homes，companies relied mainly on print and radio to promote their products and services.The adventadvent of television brought about a revolution in product and service.Between 1949and 1951，advertising on television grew 960percent.Today the Internet is once again transforming promotion.By going online，companies can communicate instantly and directly with prospectiveprospective customers.Promotion on the World Wide Web includes advertising （usually in the form of bannersbanner across the top of Web sites），sponsorshipssponsorship，and sales promotions like sweepstakessweepstakes，contests，couponscoupon，and rebatesrebate.In 1996，World Wide Web advertising revenues topped 300million.
Effective online marketers don’t merely transfer hardcopy ads to cyberspace.Successful sites blend promotional and nonpromotional information indirectly delivering the advertising messages.To encourage visits to their sites and to create and cultivate customer loyalty，companies change information frequently and provide many opportunities for interaction.
A prototypeprototype for excellent online promotion is the Ragu Web site.Here visitors can find thirtysix pasta recipes，take Italian lessons，and view an Italian film festival，but they will find no traditional ads.So subtle is the mix of product and promotion，visitors hardly know an advertising message has been delivered.
Sega of America，maker of computer games and hardwarehardware ，uses its Web site for a variety of different promotions，such as introducing new game characters to the public and supplying Web surfers the opportunity to download games.Sega’s home page averages 250，000visits a day.To heighten interest in the site，Sega bought an advertising banner on Netscape，thereby increasing site visits by 15percent.Online participantsparticipant in Quaker Oats Gatorade promotion received a free Tshirt in exchange for answering a few questions.Quaker Oats reports that the online promotion created product loyalty and helped the company know its customers better.
Yoyodyne Entertainment，creator of Internet promotions，develops online game shows for customers like Internet MCI，AT&T，and NBC.One of its most successful games is the “Get a Little Closer”promotion for Arrid XX deodorantdeodorant.After they input their email addresses，contestants receive two triviatrivia questions，each accompanied by advertising，once a week.Later in the week，they receive a hint and more information about the product.Correct answers earn them points，and winners are chosen from top scorers.Prizes include weekend gatewaysgateway，CD collections，and Ticketmaster gift certificates.Because the game lasts eight weeks，participantsparticipant receive twentyfour different email messages about Arrid during the game.The game appears to be working.Of the 45，000participants，25percent purchased Arrid XX during the game，and brand recognition doubled.
To target specific Internet users，an increasing number of companies are using “push”technology，which automatically delivers customized news and other information to users computers when they log onto the Internet.Although organizations like Nielsen Media Research are developing technologies to enhance audience measurement and tracking，it remains difficult to assess how many times the same person looks at an ad and who that person is.Although online promotions can be glamorousglamorous and sophisticatedsophisticated，they are not perfect.For a welldesigned marketing mix，industry experts advise companies to use the Internet as a supplement to other advertising media.
网上促销
二十世纪四十年代在电视进入美国千家万户以前，企业主要是通过报纸杂志与广播对其产品及服务进行宣传。电视的出现为产品与服务的促销方式带来了一场革命，1949至1951年间，电视广告业务增长了960%。如今兴起了互联网，再次使促销宣传改头换面。通过电脑网络，企业可以迅速而直接地与潜在的顾客进行沟通。互联网促销宣传方式包括广告（通常为网站标题广告）、具名赞助以及各种促销活动，如有奖销售、竞赛、优惠券、回馈等。1996年万维网的广告收入高达3亿美元。
讲求实效的网络营销者们绝不是简单地把平面广告抄送到网页上。成功运作的网站把促销宣传与其他内容融为一体，巧妙地把广告信息传递给受众。为了提高网站访问率、培养顾客对产品的忠诚度，各企业不断更换产品信息并提供许多互动机会。
网上促销宣传的典范当属瑞谷网。该网站的访问者能够看到36种意大利面食的制作方法，参加意大利语课程或观摩意大利电影节，但这些都不是传统意义上的广告。产品与促销结合得如此巧妙以至于网页浏览者们浑然不觉传递给他们的是广告信息。电脑游戏与硬件的生产商——美国世嘉公司利用网站进行各种不同的促销宣传，如向公众推出新的游戏角色并为上网者提供下载游戏的机会。因此世嘉主页的访问率平均每天达250，000人次。为提高人们对其网页的兴趣，世嘉在网景公司的网页上买下了一条标题广告，因而访问率提高了15%。桂格公司的佳得乐网上促销活动的参加者回答几个问题即可获赠一件T恤衫。桂格公司说网上宣传提高了顾客对其产品的忠诚度并增进了企业对顾客的了解。
网上促销宣传的创立者Yoyodyne娱乐公司为MCI、AT&T和NBC等客户推出网上竞赛活动。其中最成功的比赛是为Arrid XX除味剂策划的“靠近我一点儿”的促销宣传活动。参赛者输入自己的email地址之后每周会收到两个很平常的问题，每个问题都附带着广告信息。而每周的后几天，参赛者会得到一个答题提示以及该产品的更多信息。答对题目即可得分，获奖者将从高分得主中抽出。奖品包括周末出游、CD集以及Ticketmaster的赠票。由于该比赛为期八周，参赛者在此期间收到24条有关Arrid XX的电子邮件信息。比赛效果显然不错：45，000名参赛者有25%在比赛期间购买了Arrid XX的产品，同时对该品牌的认同成倍增加。
为了赢得某些网民，越来越多的公司在运用“主动出击”战术，网民们一上网，这些公司就把特定的资讯及其他信息自动地发送到他们的电脑中。虽然有Nielsen传媒研究这样的机构正在开发对观众群体进行衡量与跟踪的技术，但是对于某一个广告什么人在看及每个人看了几次仍很难估计。虽然网上促销宣传颇具诱惑力也很精致，但并非完美无缺。行业专家们建议，一个精心策划的营销组合应把网上促销作为其他媒体宣传方式的补充。
Shopping Around the Web
