RSS Feeds - some frequently asked questions
What is RSS?
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) lets you publish your news and corporate information in a format that can be accessed by anyone over the Internet. RSS is published in feeds or channels, and is read using a new category of software called news aggregators. RSS is a reusable, secure, timely technology that empowers users and ensures that companies can effectively communicate.
How is RSS related to weblogs?
RSS has gained visibility with the exploding popularity of weblogs. A weblog, or blog, is a frequently updated website run by a company or individual consisting of dated entries arranged in reverse chronological order so the most recent post appears first. Because weblogs are frequently updated, RSS works as a natural complementary technology.
How is RSS published?
RSS is typically published in channels (sometimes called feeds), which are comparable to television channels. That is, each RSS channel is dedicated to a particular company or area of interest. For the average company, their RSS channel represents their public relations activity, including press releases, product announcements, upcoming events, and so on.
What is a news aggregator?
News aggregators (sometimes called RSS aggregators or news readers) are a new category of software that enables users to view RSS channels quickly and easily. A free news aggregator, often hidden in your Windows taskbar, periodically checks each RSS channel to which you are subscribed to see if new news items have been published, and displays the results. Typically a news aggregator only shows the title and synopsis of a news item. By clicking on the item in your aggregator, you can then view the complete item in your Internet browser.
For the user, the main advantage is that instead of visiting every website they wish to monitor, the news aggregator does it for them.
Some popular news aggregators include:
- FeedDemon
- Bloglines
- NewsGator
- Yahoo!
Why RSS?
"If you do a marketing site and you don't have an RSS feed today you should be fired."
Robert Scoble, Microsoft
"RSS: why it's important. Finding it hard to stay abreast of the latest news and conversations on the Web?"
CNet
"RSS feeds offer info warriors a way to take the pulse of hundreds of sites."
Online Journalism Review (0JR)
"Press Releases by RSS? Why not? I could choose which ones to receive, and to read, a hell of a lot more easily."
Charles Arthur, Independent
"Getting away from the drawbacks of e-mail - that it's too imposing - and yet the drawbacks of the Web site - that you don't know if there's something new and interesting there - [RSS] is about solving that."
Bill Gates, CEO Microsoft
"The best PR people have their heads to the ground in many ways, and RSS is a great way to monitor what's being said in the news ... it automates the ability to stay on top of what journalists are writing."
Steve Rubel, VP of client services at CooperKatz
RSS "brings websites to the user, who would otherwise have to chase the website."
Keith O'Brien, PR Week
"Sending marketing messages and newsletters via email has become a fool's errand; the obvious work-around is RSS. I'd much prefer to get public relations materials this way."
Dan Gillmor, Computerworld
"The day will come when the online location of a company's RSS feed will be just as much of a PR pro's email signature file as his or her email address, home page and phone number."
PR Guru Phil Gomes
"If [public-relations people] would start creating RSS feeds of releases, journalists and the public at large could see the material they want, and the PR industry would be able to stop blasting huge amounts of e-mail."
Technology journalist Dan Gillmor
"I've been looking at the future of information, and part of it is spelled R-S-S."
Noted technology journalist Dan Gillmor
"If PR companies were to develop RSS feeds, they would stand out from the crowd, if for no other reason than email inboxes of journalists are increasingly difficult places to navigate for relevant information."
Ralph Averbuch, Director of ElectricNews.net
"I wish public-relations people would get with the program. If they's only start creating RSS feeds of releases, journalists and the public at large could see the material they want, and the PR industry would be able to stop blasting huge amounts of email to people whose inboxes are already over-cluttered."
Dan Gillmor, SiliconValley.com
"From an end-user perspective, RSS fits unobtrusively into the mix of information services available. As with all advancements, public relations professionals need to stay abreast of changes, embrace them, and use them to their benefit."
Steve Rubel, VP of client services at CooperKatz
"PR folks - let me know if you're developing technology-focused RSS feeds. It's time to leave the email pitching mess behind."
Mark Jones, InfoWorld
Think your business would benefit from an RSS feed? All you need to do is contact us now and we will help guide you through the world of RSS!
