Web 2.0 has opened up a number of interesting new options for internet marketers, especially in the area of content syndication.
RSS, which stands for Really Simple Syndication, is a web content syndication format that allows you to publish and distribute a variety of content across the web.
You may have noticed RSS buttons on many websites. A user simply clicks on an RSS button and has content and updates from the website delivered directly to their desktop. Of course, your content has to be interesting enough to warrant a click.
If you have a product or service you want to promote on the internet, RSS can be an invaluable marketing tool. If you can produce good quality content you can keep customers coming back to your website for news, updates, and special offers.
One of the main reasons that RSS is popular among consumers is that they can receive your news while remaining anonymous. Many users that would be reluctant to subscribe to an e-zine are happy to subscribe to RSS feeds.
RSS is also instant. If you add or change content your potential customer will know about it immediately.
When you create an RSS feed for the first time, try to keep it as simple as possible. How about writing a weekly news article about your products and related topics? Try to keep the content interesting, well written and entertaining.
Later you can look at more advanced options like tailoring content for different subscribers and building a database.
To create your RSS feed you can use a desktop feed generation tool and upload the feeds to your own server. However, a simpler option is to use basic online RSS publishing tools.
Once you've created your feed, just like any other content, you need to promote it. Dedicate a page on your website or blog to helping people subscribe to your feed. Explain how they can do it and what the benefits are. If you have an e-zine, let your readers know about your RSS feed and place links to it in your signature block, on email and otherwise.
You can also make your feeds available to other websites. If they publish your news, it will increase your exposure and create backlinks to your site, which will increase your search engine optimization.
While it may take a little time to learn the necessary skills involved, all the tools are available to allow you to cheaply and easily set up RSS feeds. This is one Web 2.0 marketing opportunity that should not be ignored.
