With the advances of Internet technologies, Internet users can not only deliver instant text message through the Instant Messenger (IM), but enhance the effect of messages delivered with showing lively mood symbols or other pictures on IM. Moreover, Internet users can deliver their looks and voice to other users through webcam and microphone with IM, and IM business also provides convenient daily information through it. At present, Internet users haven¡¦t been charged with IM service yet, but IM business has used the popular software on business, including Internet advertisement and the information service of strategy cooperation. IM plays several roles as a product, information service plat, and marketing channel. It becomes a new commercial tool. The study takes Microsoft MSN Messenger as an applied empirical example. The purpose of this study is to analyze the MSN Messenger marketing strategy with the theory structure of IMC to construct the integrated marketing plan model of MSN Messenger; through the questionnaire survey for MSN Messenger users, the study approves the marketing strategy effect of ¡§MSN Messenger club¡¨ website, and provides the workable suggestions of marketing strategy for MSN business. The study finds that the MSN business unit is highly aware of IMC, and it takes integrated and multi marketing communication plans on MSN Messenger. According to the result of the analysis, the suggestions of marketing strategy includes to enhance the long-term interactive relationship with the resources and stakeholders, and explore more originally interactive advertisements and activities to gather the loyalty of MSN Messenger users. As for the website promotion of ¡§MSN Messenger Club¡¨, this study also suggests to develop more creative Internet suggestions advertisements with instant messenger, add the website¡¦s hyperlink on MSN Messenger or add the information tab service to enhance the relationship connection between website and software, and MSN can actively converge another related pictures resources to enrich the club website.

Although a substantial body of research exists on gender differences in Computer Mediated Communication, relatively little empirical attention has been directed toward the special case of CMC - Instant Messenger (IM) and the area of self-disclosure. This study analyzes gender differences and relationships in self-disclosure in the away message of MSN of 329 male and female Taiwanese university students. Applying the five subscales of self-disclosure by Wheeless and Grotz (Wheeless, 1978; Wheeless & Grotz, 1976) and the six topic areas of self-disclosure by Jourard and Lasakow (1958) revealed the following results: Findings show that males and females often do not show the gender differences anymore, which were previously found in face-to-face communication on certain aspects of self-disclosure e.g. frequency, depth, breadth, honesty or accuracy and valence of self-disclosure. However, findings pointing out the different motives and the use of self-disclosure on IM are similar to face-to-face communication, such as females prefer discussing their “personality” while male MSN users prefer “work or studies” especially the more buddies they have. Also males disclose with awareness and intention suggesting the make use of selective self-presentation (Walther, 1996) for rather males than females. Female MSN users write more impulsively in their away message, however they are found to be more selective than males in to whom they chose to disclose or not by blocking buddies. The number of buddies on the buddy list seems to have hardly any effect on males’ and females’ self-disclosure. The gender of buddies on the buddy list as a moderating factor showed that males feel more comfortable (honest and less understated) when disclosing to females. Extra findings include that for both gender self-disclosures on IM is not less honest and not exaggerated, rather understated. Previous findings in face-to-face communication on preferred topics of self-disclosure of both genders of Asian background were confirmed on IM. On IM, self-disclosure by males and females seem to be free of the importance of the degree of social distance within Chinese society as hardly any primary groups and secondary groups but almost only mixed groups of buddies on buddy lists were found.