What is an RSS Feed?
The term “RSS” is an acronym for “Really Simple Syndication”, a new method by which web masters are able to pass their content to as many readers as possible and in return receive web content from other webmasters, forming a content distribution syndicate. I am sure that as an internet surfer, you can appreciate how much time and effort it takes to search for what you want on the internet. I am also sure that as a web master you can appreciate the time it takes to research write and post content for your site visitors to read. Feed Syndication has become a very important tool to every online business simply because it can bring in new readers to your content and it reduces the costs traditionally associated with the collection of content.
Any RSS feed allows an RSS reader to receive automatic updates in real time as the publisher creates his/her content. The feed allows the publisher to concentrate on content creation and not on the distribution of the content they wish published. The simple rule of thumb here is to keep the content interesting. It serves no purpose to simply put plenty of uninteresting content on an RSS feed. It simply won’t bring in any new visitors and won’t retain current subscribers.
So why do you need an RSS Feed?
As an individual, RSS feeds will keep you up to date on your favorite news, information from selected blogs, keeping you informed on selected topics that are of importance to your productivity at work or at home. Almost every mainstream media house and information web site is publishing a RSS feed today. If you want to stay on top of current happenings in your field of interest then you definitely need to be subscribed to several RSS feeds.
As a corporate entity, you may use RSS feeds internally to disseminate information, such as internal reports and blogs, to staff members, and externally to disseminate industry news and receive information on your competitors. It is actually cost effective for a business to use an RSS feed rather than sift through websites searching updates or engage in mass mailing through email distribution lists. Information that is crucial to the business can be monitored by executives through RSS e.g. Brand monitoring and intelligence on the performance of competitors.
For purposes of letting people access and view your published content, RSS feeds are a great way to build a website group of subscribers that have instant access to any new content that you release. Your readers get a more personalized experience and you get to strengthen your brand name and expand the potential of making money with your website or blog.
How do I publish my RSS feed?
In order to make best use of an RSS feed in your website, and keep it updated with little or no effort, you need a content management system (CMS) that can work with RSS and one that requires minimal setup. Setting up RSS on an HTML page is complex and beyond the scope of many individual users. However, there are CMS systems such as Wordpress that come with a prebuilt CMS that is capable of publishing RSS in just a few simple steps.
When you publish an RSS document, the feed should have a summary of articles and content that you published recently. The feed will offer readers a headline together with a brief description of the article and of your website.
Simply go to the RSS manger within your CMS
Copy the URL of your RSS feed
Paste these details into the publication manager and adjust the setting according to your choice and your RSS feed is set.
As a website builder you will be at an advantage if you use RSS feeds to update your website and disseminate the information to your readers. Syndication feeds today are a standard tool that you need to keep up with the competition, therefore it is in your best interest to become acclimated with RSS feeds today.
