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Let's face it. Spam is now rampant on the Internet. And spam blockers make it extremely difficult for legitimate publishers to get their newsletters, ezines, or other announcements through to people who have actually requested it!
And because many people have overloaded in boxes, many of them are afraid to sign up for anything else. They just don't know if their address will be kept completely private, or if a newsletter is actually going to be a full fledged sales flyer constantly hounding them. Email addresses have become a lot like phone numbers actually. People guard them zealously because they're afraid of getting slammed with junk.
And it no longer matters much if you offer a free bonus incentive. Those are a dime a dozen these days and unfortunately many of them aren't worth the time it takes to download. So getting loyal subscribers is just not easy to do anymore.
And even when you do get subscribers, you then have to worry about false spam complaints.
But you see, RSS changes that. When a website offers an RSS feed, that means anyone can subscribe to the site anonymously! RSS puts the full power into the hands of your readers. They get to choose which sites they feel are worthy of their time. They get to see your content first, and decide whether it's worth staying up-to-date with. They get to decide when—and how—they'll read your messages.
As the publisher, you also benefit tremendously from RSS feeds. Instead of having to spend several hours each week writing, formatting, publishing and distributing extra content for your subscribers, you can simply do it at your leisure. One article, tidbit, or link at a time. You simply post it on your website whenever you feel like it, and the readers will come back either when they notice there's something new or when their time allows.
Some readers might come back to read your site daily, while others might visit one day each week. It all depends on their lives and schedules.
But you don't have to do the added work that's usually involved with publishing a newsletter. And you don't have to fight with spam filters or complaints either.
And to top it off, you're tackling multiple marketing tasks at once. By publishing individual articles, tips, news, links and advice to your website in the form of a blog with an RSS feed,
- You're creating keyword-rich content for search engines to find
- You're making your website bigger because each post tends to be a separate page of its own
- You're providing valuable content that will entice visitors to subscribe to the RSS feed
- Your valuable content will also entice those visitors and subscribers to come back to your site often
- You're establishing trust, reputation and ongoing relationships.
So, if you haven't looked into blogs with RSS built in yet, it's time!
About the author: Kathy Burns-Millyard is a long-time writer and Internet marketer, who publishes a variety of niche-based affiliate sites designed to generate ongoing income... Hands-free. Get her daily tips, progress, help and advice at The Guru Gazette.
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