| To many of you, this article will be preaching to the | | | | There are a couple of major advantages to adding an |
| choir. In fact, quite a few people already read these | | | | RSS feed to your content: |
| articles via an RSS feed in a newsreader, browser, or | | | | 1. Changes to your site or content will be instantly |
| on their Google, Yahoo or MSN personalized | | | | "published" and available to your readers—nothing |
| homepage. If you haven't already done so, you can | | | | required by you, the publisher. |
| subscribe to my articles simply by clicking on one of | | | | 2. The RSS formatted content will appear instantly |
| the icons on the right side of the Morettini on | | | | without any action required by your readers—on |
| Management Blog, just below "Google News" link. | | | | their preferred personal page, or in their favorite |
| There is an icon for a generic XML feed, and also | | | | newsreader or browser. |
| simple icons for adding my feed to your Newsgator | | | | 3. Completely eliminates delivery issues (Spam Filters, |
| Reader, or your MSN or Yahoo personalized page. | | | | etc.) that have become a major problem with content |
| There's even a way to have the feed sent to you | | | | delivery via email |
| instantly via email as soon as it's published, via the | | | | I now want to recommend a great way to get around |
| email subscription box provided by Feedblitz. So you | | | | the "alphabet soup" of emerging RSS standards. I use |
| can play around with receiving an RSS feed, right here | | | | a service called Feedburner to publish my RSS feed. |
| on my site. | | | | Feedburner is a great service which takes the |
| However, RSS is still an emerging opportunity which | | | | guesswork out of deciding what format to publish in. It |
| many companies haven't yet exploited. So for those | | | | serves as an intermediary, converting your feed into |
| of you not already using RSS in your business, here's | | | | any of the major standards that a reader might require |
| a brief tutorial: | | | | to read a feed in his particular software solution. So |
| The origin of the term RSS is a bit hazy, and it has | | | | while the native feed of Morettini on (High Tech) |
| several different definitions. But to most people, it | | | | Management is in an ATOM format, it doesn't matter. |
| means "Real Simple Syndication". RSS is an | | | | Feedburner will convert it to whatever major standard |
| XML-formatted method of publishing a variety of | | | | is required by the subscriber. |
| documents. There are a number of different RSS | | | | Feedburner also provides the publisher with a nice set |
| formats, which can be a bit confusing. But there is an | | | | of statistics about what content is being viewed, what |
| easy way of getting around that, which I'll discuss later. | | | | readers are being used to view the content, etc. There |
| The important thing is that it's another simple, free way | | | | are also diagnostic tools available to make sure you |
| of promoting your content, whether it's a Blog, Press | | | | feed is valid and conforming. It's a great service, and |
| Release, Newsletter, or any other document published | | | | it's FREE—I highly recommend it. |
| on the Web. | | | | |