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Benefits to RSS Feeds
By S. Housley
Benefits to RSS
RSS streamlines
communication between publishers and
readers. Since RSS has had a popularity
surge, webmasters
have been experimenting and using RSS feeds to
deliver
content in new and innovative ways. Typically, RSS feeds
contain
news headlines and content summaries. The content
summaries contain just
enough information without overwhelming the reader with superfluous details.
If the
reader is interested and wants additional information they
can
click on the item in the feed, accessing the website
which contains
additional details. RSS readers aggregate
multiple feeds, making it easy for
individuals to quickly
scan information contained within each feed. Feeds
are
generally themed, allowing users to opt-in to feeds that are of
interest.
The big benefit to RSS is that individuals opt-in to
content of interest, totally controlling the flow of information that they
receive. If the quality of the content in the feed declines, users simply
remove the feed from their RSS reader and they will not receive any
additional updates from that source. The RSS reader acts as an aggregator,
allowing users to view and scan multiple content streams in a
timely fashion.
RSS is a great supplemental communication method
that does
not burden the publisher with maintaining lists or
following strict privacy guidelines. RSS feeds are compiled according to
the user's choices, removing any burden that is placed on
publishers of email
newsletters. Publishers no longer need to be concerned with spam, privacy
policies, and age guidelines.
Publishers using RSS as a
communication vehicle are able to
create keyword-rich, themed content,
establishing trust,
reputation, and ongoing communication with current
and
prospective customers.
What Kind of Information Can be
Delivered in RSS Feeds?
Blogs Feed
Many blogs are catalogued in an
RSS feed, with each blog entry summarized as a feed item. This makes it easy
for visitors to scan blog posts for items of interest.
Article
Feed
Articles are often placed into feeds to alert readers when new
articles and content are available. The feed entry is typically an article
summary or introduction. Readers can then ascertain if the article is of
interest and read further.
Forum Feed
Many forums now have add-ons
that allow participants to
receive forum posts via RSS. The RSS feeds often
will show
the latest discussion topics; if users are interested
they simply click to enter the forum to participate in the discussion. As
the topic is updated they will see new entries in the RSS
feed.
Schedule Feed
Schools, clubs and organizations will often use
feeds to
communicate meeting times, places and events that might
be
occurring. The RSS feeds are often used to publicize events,
notify the
community of schedule changes or meeting agendas.
Discounts /
Specials Feed
Retail and online stores have begun using RSS feeds
to deliver their latest specials and discounted offers. Some online
retailers have taken this a step further, allowing users to create their own
feeds based on keywords or phrases.
For example, this service will
generate a URL than can be
entered into a news reader. The feed is updated
each time an
item is added to Amazon that meets the specified criteria
or
keywords - Amazon Search Feed - http://www.oxus.net/amazon/
Ego
/ News Monitoring
Companies or individuals interested in receiving
headline news based on a specific brand or keyword can use RSS feeds to
monitor news sources.
For example, users can use the following tool
to create a feed that will allow them to receive filtered news from Google
News. They will only receive items related to a specific keyword or phrase
they setup -
http://www.justinpfister.com/gnewsfeed.php
Industry-Specific
RSS Feed Uses Include: Technical professionals in specific industries have
also developed RSS feeds as way to market, promote or communicate within
their specific industries. In many cases, this has expanded their reach and
increased communication with current and prospective customers and
clients.
RSS feeds can be used by realtors to communicate the
time
and location for open houses, announce new property listings
or
promote decreased mortgage rates. Content feeds can also
be used by
universities to communicate sports scores or event schedules. Computer
service professionals can create feeds to notify clients of potential
security breaches, virus risks or outbreaks. Ultimately, RSS is molded to
meet the communication needs of many sectors. Consider how RSS can benefit
your business and supplement your communication needs.
RSS feed
creation tool for publishers interested in creating fresh content -
FeedForAll - http://www.feedforall.com
About
the Author:
Sharon Housley manages marketing for NotePage, Inc.
http://www.notepage.net and FeedForAll http://www.feedforall.com .
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