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Monday, December 10, 2012

How to Kick-Start Your RSS Subscriber Count

One the most common questions I'm asked is how I built-up so many RSS subscribers to my blogs.

Most bloggers report back numbers of around 10-50% of their overall traffic. So if they get 100 visitors to their blog each day they often only have about 10-50 who subscribe with RSS.

In my case I have nearly as many RSS subscribers as I have daily readers. In fact I'd say I convert about 90% of my visitors into RSS readers.

WHY IS RSS IMPORTANT?

Before I tell you how I do it, let's look at why you should care.

RSS is a relatively new technology to subscribe to content. People generally use email as a means to maintain a subscription. RSS isn't a replacement for email, and you should offer both an email and an RSS subscription option on your blog, but RSS definitely has some clear advantages.

1. RSS is "pull" technology. This means that people who subscribe with RSS explicitly ask for it because they pull the content down into their RSS feed-reading service.

Email on the other hand is "push" technology because it's pushed out to people. While you may choose to sign-up to an email newsletter you don't determine when you receive the emails and most people have to place filters so they don't get overrun with junk mail. You don't want your messages to be filtered away and this can't happen with RSS.

With RSS the reader is in complete control and can unsubscribe any time with ease. As a publisher (a blogger) this is a good thing because it means you can be certain that your RSS readers are really reading your content because they are requesting it, there is no risk of spam blockers killing it.

2. Your RSS readers are usually a very targeted audience since they choose to read your feed. You would have already read my previous article about selecting a target audience so you understand why this is important.

3. RSS distributes every blog post you make. While some bloggers complain that people reading their blogs through RSS is not a good thing I completely disagree. People reading what you write, regardless of whether it's on your actual blog or through an RSS feedreader, is the important thing. RSS gives your audience another way to become a fan of YOU, and the more fans you have the better.

4. RSS is efficient. The simple fact is RSS is used because it makes Internet users lives easier. It's a tool for bringing together content for quick consumption and if you want to make sure your content is read you have to make this option available.

RSS is only going to become more and more popular and you don't want to be left behind.

HOW TO GET MORE RSS SUBSCRIBERS

It's great to have RSS readers, but how can you boost your RSS readership?

It's not easy and in fact I'd be lying if I guaranteed you the same results I have had. The problem is largely a knowledge gap. I'd wager that the majority of people reading this article don't have a good grasp of RSS. That's okay, you can learn, and it's important you do because then you will be well equipped to teach your readers.

I didn't understand RSS 12 months ago. I tried it out and learned how it worked. Then I wrote an article to teach my readers how to use it. Then I made some clear links available on my blog that pointed people to RSS subscription options. Now whenever I write an article or email about RSS I make sure I provide links to teach people how to use RSS. All of this helps to increase my RSS readership.

Depending on your target audience you will face different levels of resistance to the technology. In my case I've had traffic coming to my blog from a technically savvy demographic. If they don't know how to use RSS upon arriving at my blog it's usually not long until they do.

In your case your blog may have a less savvy audience so it's your responsibility to bring them up to speed. Write an introductory article on RSS designed for your audience written in a language they will understand. Make sure RSS links are prominent on your blog and talk about RSS whenever you can.

What is RSS and How Can it Help Your Marketing? What is RDF & How RSS Changed How Important is the Use of RSS Feeds to Online Marketing The Work at Home Women RSS Feed - What is it, What Does it Do, and Why Do I Need it?

RSS 1.0 Has 3 Standard Modules

Welcome back to our short series on RSS Submission and Syndication. Today I am going to briefly talk about RSS 1.0. The reason I'm covering it is because RSS 1.0 is still a widely used format to this day. If you have read my other articles than you already know that RSS had gone through a series of changes before landing in it's current 2.0 format, but the 1.0 format had a couple of unique aspects to it.

In late 2000 a group of developers lead by Rael Dornfest had worked on and finished RSS version 1.0. This version of RSS went back to the RDF format that RSS previously used. In version 1.0 the extended functionality was needed and added to allow developers to write the code to suit their needs. There were 3 basic modules included in RSS 1.0. They were:

The Dublin Core Module: It includes specific data - creator, title, creation time, publisher, and so forth.

The Syndication Module: It gave hints for content syndication in relation to how often it was updated.

The Content Module: This allowed for sending the actual text of an item.

Now while all of those sound complicated, don't worry - they are. The complication of RSS Version 1.0 is one of the major reasons for the revision to 2.0 at a later date. However, a lot of feed directories till accept submissions from RSS 1.0 feeds and they still syndicate a lot of material based off of the version 1 format. And now you know what sets version 1.0 apart from the others between the complication and the 3 main modules.

Google Reader Allows You to Stay on Top of Change

Google is a leader in internet technology and well known for providing products that makes the experience for users better. Recently Google introduced a new Reader update that takes the Google Reader application from a simple RSS feed reader to a super tool that can help you stay on top of changes on all your favorite websites even if they do not have an RSS feed.

Not every website owner is on board with RSS feeds. That doesn't make their website useless, but it used to make it much more difficult to stay current with what was happening on the site without a feed. That can make your job harder if you use RSS feeds to stay up with trends for your business needs. With the Google Reader update, the days of having to manually go to sites without feeds on a regular basis to check in on changes are over.

Amazing Potential for Internet Marketers

While the update is fairly new, it has a lot of potential. You can create your own feeds to watch the websites you follow that do not have feeds. You also may be able to follow your SERPs in real time, too with this particular technology. There are a lot of possibilities for this new Reader design to be used to benefit internet marketers.

With the known applications for the current version of Google Reader, you can follow trends more easily. You are able to actually follow the content on a website verses through a blog, so there is the ability to catch trends sooner. This means a lot when you are trying to stay on top in the marketing game. We all know that internet marketing is all about staying current and being right up on the latest trends. If you use the Reader to help you do that then you will find it makes your job much easier.

Get It Now Before It is Too Late

The Google Reader is a top tool for internet marketers. Google products are trusted and well known. They are also easily accessible. It will take no time at all for internet marketers to start talking about the changes in Reader and to start telling others about how the Reader is helping them with their marketing efforts.

Once the word gets out about how useful the updated Reader is, everyone will be using it. While that is great that so many people will get the perks of the Reader, it also means that those perks will be less valuable. With everyone using the Reader, everyone will be on top of trends and able to track, monitor and move quicker than before. The edge will be gone. So, for you to really get the most out of the updated Reader, you need to get in on it now.

Get you Reader updated and start using it to help you become a top internet marketer. You will get all the great benefits before the crowd. Being one step ahead is always a good thing when it comes to internet business.

Why RSS Directories Vary in the Number of Feeds Each Has Listed

Welcome back to our series on RSS Feed Submission and Syndication for the newbie. In this article I'm going to briefly talk about why each RSS Feed Directory varies in the number of feeds they list compared to the other directories out there. The reasoning behind why each directory lists such a different number of feeds is really pretty simple.

*Some directories do a better job of attracting people looking to submit RSS Feed Syndication to their sites. Typically directories require feed submitters to sign up to their sites, and the mechanism they do this by can be made to be more attractive.

*Not all directories have the same inclusion standards and rules. For this reason some directories are going to have feeds that might be more suitable for certain information, while rejecting other feeds that don't fit into their theme.

*Some directories do what's known as "Scraping." What that is is when they take HTML documents that they find online and turn them into RSS Feeds that they then feature in their lists. They do this scraping by using software that automates the process entirely, making for a constant stream of good unique content. It's almost similar to how a search engine's bots will operate when looking for new pages on the web.

It doesn't matter what the exact numbers are, almost all feed directories are a good place to submit information for inclusion. The number of feeds available online is constantly expanding and always growing rapidly. It is very easy to harness this type of system for new information to include on your websites or syndicate your information to other sites.

Discover How RSS Distribution Can Help You Earn Cash Online

Apparently, RSS feed distribution is catching up to other marketing trends these days. RSS, which means Really Simple Syndication is a way to collect or distribute information from a blog or website, so that a reader can gather the exact information he or she needs without going out to search for it manually. It has to be set up, but you can do this once and forget it. If you use Microsoft Outlook, you'll find that it is built right into the software too.

There are two sides to this RSS distribution model. You may the a researcher or reader who wants constant fresh information on a particular topic. This is a good way to get the information without the fluff of fillers, etc. Readers in this sense are the ones being advertised to, not the advertiser. The people who stand to earn cash from this business however, are on the other side of the distribution spectrum.

The biggest "hoorah" about RSS distribution is being fermented on the other side of the RSS divide. The people who create RSS feeds want to distribute their information, and in the process earn money for their efforts. If you are a marketer, this is where it gets exciting. There are services which will allow you to distribute your RSS information automatically, as you create them. The up-side is worth the efforts. Here are two obvious benefits to this.

One benefit to sending out a list of RSS feeds to a distribution list, is the back-links that are created from this. By having a large number of relevant back-links coming back to your website, search engines will rank your website or blog better and help you get targeted traffic later on.

What is RSS & Why Should I Care?

These days, many folks are carefully trying their hand at web 2.0 marketing strategies such as social - from Facebook and Twitter, all the way to the wonderful world of blogging.

This new world of marketing also brings a new world of terms and concepts that are not easily grasped by the average business owner or salesperson. Not because they are complicated, rather because they are new.

One big term and concept that I get asked about is RSS.

=> What's the bid deal with RSS anyway?

=> Well, it's not a big deal. It's HUGE!

RSS stands for Real Simple Syndication but don't let the name fool ya, it's not all that simple, even to most smart folks. Here's the quick glimpse into the mighty power of RSS.

The blog has truly revolutionized the web. One of the main reasons is that blogs are updated so often with new content. The web loves new content so that's part of what makes them so popular with surfers and search engines alike. Fresh content on the web is like fresh water to a thirsty farmer.

Because blogs are updated so often, it became necessary for viewers to visit these sites more often so as not to miss the great fresh content.

=> To sold that time consuming problem, along came RSS...

RSS is a tool that allows for visitors who enjoy your site to essentially bookmark your site... only better. Instead of having to visit your site on a regular basis, RSS will send any updated content right to your subscribers - the moment it is posted.

The RSS feed as it's called, sends the information to special RSS Reader that can neatly organize and display all of the subscriber's chosen feeds (your's & others). The most popular of these (and my RSS Reader of choice) is Google Reader. It's free and like everything Google, it integrates with other Google tools as well.

The big deal...

The golden ticket for all small businesses and sales pros is to gain the trust of our target market. This is why we blog, it builds massive trust fast. RSS allows for your content to be followed and read quickly, keeping you in front of your audience every time you post with no extra effort on their part. As long as you are delivering valuable content, this will translate to sales for your business.

Another big benefit...

As a blog owner you are constantly looking for fresh content that will dazzle your target market. Personally using RSS to bring the best content to you will offer a constant flow of great ideas. Now, use these ideas to springboard fresh and useful content that will make your subscribers and viewers love you like a high school sweetheart.

RSS is a critical blogging tool, both for syndicating your voice to the world and aggregating ideas that inspire you and bring value to those you want to please the most.

The best place to start using RSS is to subscribe to my blog by clicking the RSS or Follow Me links that can be found at the link below.

What is RSS and How Can it Help Your Marketing? What is RDF & How RSS Changed How Important is the Use of RSS Feeds to Online Marketing All About RSS - Rich Site Summary