Press release distribution system

Abstract

A press release distribution system provides press release and other news to forum sites as posts. The forum software that runs at forum sites includes press release interface software or is adapted to receive press release interface plug-in modules for interfacing with the press release distribution system. The press release interface software or plug-in module may also monitor and/or analyze user data of forum members and/or forum activities of the users. The monitored user data and forum activities may be provided to the press release distribution system for analysis and generation of user profiles. Using the result of the analysis (e.g., user profiles), the press release distribution system can target particular users or forums to direct the press releases, news, or advertisements for most effective advertising campaign.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A content distribution system comprising:
 one or more server computers, wherein the one or more of the server computers receive sponsored product listings from one or more advertisers over a communications network and distribute the sponsored product listings including code for a plurality of web sites having one or more web pages over the communications network;   wherein the code allows the sponsored product listing to post among the non-sponsored content at the web sites, and allows monitoring of user data or user activity at the web sites,   wherein the code further allows displaying of the sponsored product listings separately from any banner advertisement or static header, embedding of the sponsored product listing contiguously together with at least some of the non-sponsored content, scrolling the sponsored product listing together with the at least some of the non-sponsored content, and placing the sponsored product listing in a fixed position relative to the contiguous non-sponsored content,   wherein a plurality of features of the sponsored product listing are substantially the same as a corresponding plurality of features of the contiguous non-sponsored content, and at least one feature of the sponsored product listing differs from or is in addition to the corresponding feature of the non-sponsored content in order to distinguish the sponsored product listing from the non-sponsored content, and   wherein the code further allows limiting of a time period during which the sponsored product listing is posted, and allows limiting of a frequency at which the sponsored product listing is displayed for each user.