How To Use RSS Feeds In Your Marketing

It was Friday night. I finished reading a book about RSS feeds. Quickly set up one for my site, submitted it on directories and went to bed.

Sunday morning, I noticed a sale. Idly, I scanned my logs to see where the buyer had found me.

It was from Yahoo! Now that may not seem surprising, except... I had not been listed in Yahoo! before.

Curious, I did a Yahoo! Search for my domain name... and almost fainted in shock! There were 123 of my pages listed - many of them in the top 10 ranks on my best keywords.

My RSS feed had been listed within 48 hours - and since my other pages were linked from it, they had all been indexed by Yahoo! just as quickly. And for free!

Since then I have heard many others share similar experiences. It is no fluke. RSS is H-O-T. And search engines LOVE it.

So what is RSS? An acronym for Really Simple Syndication, it is a web language format designed to help syndicate content across different sources.

RSS has been around for more than 10 years but has only recently become popular. RSS feeds provide headlines and summaries of information in a concise and standardized way.

The rise in RSS popularity, specially among marketers, has many reasons. Email filters and new legislation have lowered the effectiveness of email marketing. Content syndication in many different ways is gathering momentum. And fresh, frequently updated content is the very essence of the Web.

How can you use RSS feeds in your marketing? Is there a way to turn RSS feeds into profits?

Absolutely. Here are some ideas:

Beat email filters. Ask your subscribers, prospects and clients to sign up to your RSS feed along with your email newsletter. If the ezine gets blocked, they'll still get your RSS feed.

Spread the word. Offer your new, valuable content to many other 'lazy' website owners - in return for getting extra exposure of your name and brand to their audiences.

Get listed on search engines. No one knows how long this 'honeymoon' will last. But ride the wave - and get into search engines quickly, inexpensively - by submitting your RSS feeds to them.

Use the first-mover advantage. Dedicated RSS directories are mushrooming. Make sure your RSS feed is indexed in them and you could future-proof your business. Imagine if you were one of the first sites to be indexed in Google or Yahoo 5 years ago!

Offer your readers new content. Keep creating your own content - but also use RSS feed syndication to offer other people's content to your list. Less pain, less strain, more gain.

And that's not all. On a bet, I sat down and listed 41 different ideas to profit from RSS feeds. I'm sure you can do it too - and turn the hot new revolution in online communication into a money magnet for your ebusiness.

Happy blogging.

About The Author

Dr.Mani Sivasubramanian has been marketing with blogs for over 3 years. His free 5 day RSS Primer explains the basics of RSS Marketing - sign up here: http://www.RSS-Marketing.com He is also author of 'How To Profit From RSS Feeds - 41 Quick & Easy Ideas For RSS Feed Publishers' - http://www.RSS-Marketing.com/book.htm

In The News:

---

What is a Blog?

Q: Not to ask a ridiculously obvious question, but what... Read More

Blogs As A Marketing Tool

Blogs are the biggest things to happen to the Internet... Read More

Microsoft and Google Show Its Time for RSS Marketing

Many internet marketers are still wondering whether to start marketing... Read More

If an RSS Feed is the Yahoo Backdoor, is a Blog Google?s?

Though the answer is in a book I wrote this... Read More

The Real Bloggers Must Come From Another Planet - I Can?t Find Any Here On Earth

What in the world is up with the world of... Read More

Why You?re Not Blogging - And Why You Should Start Today

Those of you who aren't ready to wade into the... Read More

How to Write A Blog... And Survive

Copyright © 2004 Priya Shah The... Read More

Learn how to Create a RSS Feed

Creating an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed is really quite... Read More

How To Build Traffic To Your Blog

With the growing interest in blogging as... Read More

How to Make Money from Your Blog Content

Writing a blog can be fun and exciting, but it... Read More

Business Blogging: Where Do I Start?

The new hot commodity is a blog for your small... Read More

RSS Feeds Future Revealed

I don't claim to be a futurologist or an RSS... Read More

Marketing With Blogs - Part 4

In the first three parts of this article series on... Read More

Prescription Blogs are Helping to Educate the Consumers on Prescription Consumption

Blogs are being used on a more consistent basis due... Read More

Superbloggers Secrets

Blogs are extremely hot right now. Everyone is starting them,... Read More

10 Reasons to Put RSS on Your Site!

RSS and Blogs are the topics of the moment. Seems... Read More

Small Business: To Blog or Not To Blog

A weblog, or "blog" started out as a personal journal... Read More

Strategies to Make Your Blog More Interesting

Putting up your business blog is an advantageous way of... Read More

Top 10 Tips for Bloggers

Tips for creating a blog.There are no hard and fast... Read More

The Full Circle of RSS Marketing Power

RSS is a many-in-one marketing & publishing tool, although unfortunatelly... Read More

7 Tips for Successful Blogging

So, you have a blog! Do you have traffic? Do... Read More

Blogging for Business

Business blogs are primarily used to improve a company's communication... Read More

To Blog Or Not To Blog - A Laymans View

We have now entered the world of blogs! Sounds kind... Read More

Do Marketers Really Need RSS?

The recent Forrester Research study, which claims that only 2%... Read More

The Power of the BLOG

Can a Blog earn you a prison sentence? Ask Mojtaba... Read More

Marketers Still Dont Get RSS Metrics - How We Really Can Measure RSS

Even after all that's been written and explained, even reputable... Read More

Utilize The Power Of Blogs To Market Your Business On A Budget

Budget marketing with blogs is one of today's top methods... Read More

RSS Feeds Have Revolutionized the Internet

RSS feeds have revolutionized the Internet for one very good... Read More

Tips for a Better RSS Feed

Like anything else, a little work can pay dividends. Well-written... Read More

Top 7 Reasons Why Your Business Should Use RSS

In today's online world of high-speed websites and giant portals,... Read More

Introduction to Really Simple Syndication (RSS)

Really Simple Syndication is exactly what it's name states. A... Read More

How to Use a Blog to Dramatically Improve Your Web Business!

A blog is an online journal in which the author... Read More

Cash In Your Blog - 4 Ways to Profit From The Hidden Revenue In Your Blog

Most webmasters and online business owners know that a blog... Read More