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March 15, 2006 |
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By: Louise Rijk - Bio - Blog |
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RSS Marketing:
Moving From Frontier into Mainstream
 RSS (which stands for really simple syndication) content is delivered right to a recipient's desktop or handheld device via an electronic feed in XML file format that contains news stories, marketing messages, coupons, press releases, and links. The file also includes some basic information about the RSS feed such as RSS feed title, logo, and description. RSS makes it easy for publishers and other content providers to publish content for wide distribution without using HTML and it consolidates valuable opt-in information for the user, thus minimizing Web browsing time.
RSS was originally developed and established by Netscape to organize and format Web-based content in a standard way to distribute news updates to individuals and is now becoming a way for marketers to distribute product alerts and other messages.
Using a RSS reader software (sometimes called news aggregators), recipients can opt-in for information at a Web site that publishes content through RSS. The reader checks RSS-enabled Web pages at specific time-intervals and displays any updated content that it finds.
RSS As a Sales & Marketing Tool
While currently not achieving more than a marginal penetration of 9 percent, the adoption of RSS is accelerating fast powered by activities from Internet portals and news media. Not only is RSS used by Web portals such as Yahoo, AOL, and traditional mainstream news media and bloggers as a means to syndicate content, it is now increasingly used as an advertising and marketing tool.
RSS could eventually rival email as a communication tool primarily because content is delivered based on user choice; it can eliminate publisher burdens such as maintaining email lists, avoiding spam filters and establishing privacy policies.
How RSS Works
RSS is 100 percent opt-in. A recipient must proactively choose to receive a feed. RSS is an excellent medium for sales and marketing professionals, as there are no issues with blacklists, spam complaints, and other nuisances even the most scrupulously ethical marketers deal with.
RSS feeds are comprised of a headline, a brief article summary and link to the online article. Sometimes the entire article is included in the feed.
To subscribe to an RSS feed recipients must install RSS reader software on their computer or use a Web-based reader through Web sites that provide that service free of charge to automatically download content periodically. Content appears in graphical format with pictures and fonts, just like HTML. Readers click links to visit landing pages or reply.
More and more RSS readers are integrated into software applications and operating systems. Firefox (the number two Web browser), Apple's most recent OS release, and the Vista (Microsoft's next desktop PC operating system) all come with a built-in RSS reader.
The Benefits of RSS
- RSS allows dynamic Web content to be streamed into one location on a computer or handheld device, thereby eliminating the time-consuming need to visit multiple Web sites
- RSS allows marketers to reach customers and suppliers with targeted information and facilitates corporate communications without having to worry about spam filters
- RSS shelters users from email spam
- A significant benefit of RSS is its opt-in "nature," which gives users control over the information they receive
- RSS enables content publishers to reach niche markets
RSS Feed Applications
E-commerce - From Amazon.com to Burpee.com and other smaller online merchants, a one-click RSS feeds gets you all the new and special offers, updates, and products that may interest you. Any number of online providers have made coupons available through feeds. Coupon aggregators, including CouponShack, DealCatcher, CouponBar and many others have also jumped on the bandwagon.
Classified job listings - Simply Hired, a job search engine that aggregates nearly 4 million job listings from other job and corporate sites are available as feeds, almost eliminating the need to visit or subscribe to mailings from HotJobs, Monster, and other job boards. Subscribers receive an RSS feed when a job that meets their parameters is recognized by the search engine.
Travel - Continental and Delta airlines, as well as the major travel sites Travelocity and Orbitz feed vacation and travel deals and offer destination suggestions using RSS feeds.
Public Relations - Tech giants like Apple, Google, IBM, and Microsoft, as well as smaller companies, are making their press releases available via RSS.
News services - The online news wire services, PRNewswire, Business Wire, PRWeb now provide journalists with feeds.
Will RSS Overtake Email?
Rather than be seen as a replacement for email marketing, RSS should be considered as an additional content delivery channel. Email is still the number one activity on the Internet and email marketing is far from dead as an online marketing tool. Compared to email marketing, RSS currently has a low (4 to 9 percent), albeit growing, adoption rate. Also, email marketing currently has a lower barrier of entry since RSS in most cases still requires the installation of a RSS reader.
The analytics email marketing provides still make it preferred vehicle for marketers. Email broadcasts can be triggered based on click-stream analysis, which marries email marketing campaigns to actionable analytics. In this case a customer or potential customer may receive a promotional email based on the past interest and behavior on the Web site.
While spam control and email delivery pose major problems to email marketing, email service providers, ISPs and email networks are vigorously working on new technologies, such as email authentication and certification that is going to reduce spam significantly in the near future.
How to Get Started With RSS
You don't have to be a techie to create a RSS feed from your Web site. Creating RSS feed involves adding some additional coding to a Web page with your HTML content. There are many online tutorials that provide comprehensive, easy-to-follow instructions on how to set up an RSS feed. "The ultimate low-tech guide to creating your own RSS feed" from Stephen Downes is a good place to start. For more in-depth information about RSS, RSS Specifications is an excellent source.
When you want to subscribe to RSS feeds you must download RSS reader software and install this on your computer, unless you use a Firefox browser, email client or operating system that has a RSS reader built-in. There are numerous shareware programs, and the ones you pay for typically run a around $25.00.
RSS, while gaining slowly in popularity, is an excellent way for Web users to stay updated on news, product offers, or information from their favorite Web sites without having to visit multiple sites each day and for marketers to easily reach their target audience without fear that their message will be filtered. The technology behind RSS is simple enough to be used by the mainstream, and according to all indications, the future of RSS looks bright. Although RSS won't totally eclipse email marketing, RSS feed subscriptions are poised to skyrocket in the future.
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