RSS Feeds filetype:RSS

Q. How Do You Get People To Subscribe To Your RSS Feed?

First and foremost you want to make make sure you are publishing what people want to read. Your content should have purpose that target's your audience. With a business or professional blog you want to avoid publishing information that is only of interest to you. People primarily consume information for two primary reasons:

Education
Entertainment

Step #1: Develop Your Content for RSS

Not matter what the topic, niche or interest we are drawn to the educational or entertainment value of the content we consume. I'm being quite broad here in describing categories that motivate to read online content. But for brevity and simplicity these two broad categories I think work well here. People are drawn in by compelling content within the areas of interest they are already seeking out. Know what your target market wants and write to inform. Focus on being a great resource for your topic and niche. Try exceeding the need to know requirements of your audience and over deliver on what they want to know.

Educate Your Demographic
Your demographic may be a bit behind on the technology curve so you may want to write about the value of RSS with your market. Write a free report for them to download and even offer a video tutorial that shows them how to use RSS after they read about the why of RSS. Making sure that your customers and prospects knows what RSS is and how to use it productively is a next step in increasing subscribers. An important point to realize is that that there is still a learning curve on blogs and more so on RSS. It's getting easier for more and more people to engage and use these tools but you will do much better to take a lead role in educating those within your reach on the merits using RSS.

I suggest that you go the extra mile to promote your RSS feed on your blog or web site in the same manner you would promote your E-mail list sign-up form. How about a link to a RSS basics page the describes the why and how of RSS. Video tutorials that demonstrate the value of RSS are highly recommended. Skip the technical jargon and use the language of your niche market. You don't want to make them feel like the are working on a Masters Degree in Information Technology as the learn about RSS.

Here's a suggestion:

RSS as Really Simple Syndication is just that...simple content and file sharing. RSS allows you to share a file containing your information with your target customer or prospect using special software so that they can get all your content updates conveniently. Adjust the level of difficultly in explaining RSS up or down based on your market adoption of RSS and then marry RSS with the benefits you are offering to your audience.

Again, it's important to help your people along the learning curve. I'm sure you will generate a lot of goodwill by going the extra step of teaching the benefits of RSS. It will help you get subscribers which will help build your business. One compelling reason to be motivated to take on this task is realizing that your true business valuation is tightly associated and in some instances synonymous with your business content stream as it is released into the blogosphere and the Internet.

People will read what you say before they get to know what you do or what you fully have to offer. Your value is in the voice of your blog and the information stream you are releasing. That would be your keywords, opinions, ideas, expertise, etc. RSS is a powerful way to raise the profile on your business value by streaming it via RSS. You want to stay motivated to get users on your feed instead of someone else's feed. You want to be the source that is a part of their reading habits. So don't get discouraged just give it some time and have a plan to promote your RSS feed.

Step #2: Develop Your Market for RSS usage

Reach Them => Teach Them => Keep Them. Encourage those you come in contact with to use your feed. Help them understand the value of RSS and you will gain (keep) subscribers.

Marketing with RSS
You need to get that feed submitted and listed. Use a tool like RSS Submit and get listed. Check out Robin Good - Top 55 (now Top 100+) for a tops list of directories to submit your RSS feed to as your time allows. Submitting your RSS feed to directories is a traffic tactic. In addition to those are within immediate reach of your message and content, there are also those within the reach of content directories/networks like blog and RSS directories. Your can get additional subscribers and traffic from these directories as people who are more familiar with RSS and use it will pick up your RSS feed and subscribe or syndicate your content.

So your marketing effort should include RSS. The more you use RSS to reach your markets the more opportunities you have to gain subscribers. Marketing with RSS is simply linking your product, service, and information to your target audience using RSS. So think about the ways that you can use RSS to connect with your audience. Do plan to deliver product release updates? customer support and product support information? Event calendar information? What exactly can your your business deliver with RSS? Establishing the answer this question will help you target the real value of your RSS feed for your audience and help you communicate the real value for them.

One way to increase your RSS subscriptions is to use RSS subscribe now buttons for major directories like MSN and Yahoo on your blog. Because these directories make it easy for people to subscribe to RSS with point and click ease and because they have a large and growing user community adding RSS-based news to their start pages you have an opportunity to easily get additional readers. You should submit your RSS feed to My Yahoo and MSN (open a free account and add your own RSS feed to your news start page) then use these services to create a subscribe now button to put your blog. Subscribe now buttons for these directories is a great way to easily market your RSS feed to your visitors and make it easy for them to subscribe to your content. Promote your subscribe now buttons on your blog right along with your E-mail newsletter sign up form or any other offering the side margins of your blog. Offer good value in your RSS feed content and let people know that you have an RSS feed.

Step #3: Develop Your Marketing with RSS

Conclusion
To improve subscriptions rates to your RSS feed let's recap the steps.

1. Develop Your Message for RSS
When you publish with your blog, your blog content is your RSS content. Develop and publish content that is on target with your audience and delivers value automatically creates a RSS feed that delivers value. User will subscribe to your RSS feed to keep up with what is happening on your blog. If you want to publish a content stream that is not directly connected to your blog I highly recommend My RSS Creator. It makes RSS creation and publishing point and click simple and you can use your feed to promote any current blog or web site your have as well.

2. Develop Your Market for RSS
Take the time to help develop and mature your target target market understanding of the value of RSS. Establish the value of RSS for yourself and your business first, then educate your stake holders (customers, prospects, partners, etc.). I'm not saying that you should go out and educate your entire market or become and RSS expert. Just start where you are and lead where you live. Again, you don't have to be and RSS guru and you don't have to teach everyone but you will have to teach help your audience along a bit if they need to catch up with what RSS is all about. Help the people that you are already helping with understanding and using RSS.

3. Develop Your Marketing with RSS
Market with and promote your RSS feed. Decide how RSS will will be used to connect your products, services, and information to your audience and then let them know how to get that value through your RSS feed. Use subscribe now buttons, promote your feed emails, provide a FAQ and videos on your blog or web site and highlight that. Submit to directories that have tons and people that search for RSS content to get news and information streams.

As your RSS feed content gets exposure through your own promotion and marketing efforts and as more people find you in RSS and blog directories through keyword searches you will find your traffic and subscriptions growing. Your will begin to see clicks, links, and subscribers organizing around your content eventually.

Thanks to T. L. Pakii Pierce
http://blogforfunandprofit.blogware.com/blog/_archives/2005/4/6/557889.html

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