Bookmarks vs. Subscriptions: Why RSS Matters

Nick Burns

RSS.  Atom syndication.  XML feeds.

Try locating a straightforward explanation of these terms, and why they are important to Internet users.  I doubt you will succeed.  Most of the RSS information available today is cryptic techno-babble, and unless you are Nick Burns, you may have a hard time making any sense of it.

In this article, I will try to explain RSS in plain English, and to answer these most important questions: so what, and who cares? 

RSS Made Simple

RSS Icon

RSS is a content delivery method.  Simply put, it is an alternative format to the HTML pages that comprise the “classic” Web.

RSS data (a “feed”) is a stream of well-defined chunks, or “posts”.  Each post includes a title, a publication date, and a body with text and links.  A standard web page, by contrast, might include multiple undated and untitled posts mixed in with navigation panes.

Most websites indicate their support for the RSS format with an orange icon, as shown to the right. 

RSS for Readers

Before RSS, tracking updates to your favorite websites was a cumbersome task:

1. Add the website to your browser’s Bookmarks or Favorites list.
2. Remember to check the website a few days or weeks later.
3. Scan through the website manually, looking for recent changes.

With the advent of RSS, this process is faster and easier:

1. Add the website’s feed to your feed reader, or “aggregator”.
2. The aggregator automatically monitors your chosen feeds (“subscriptions”) for updates.
3. When an update is detected, the aggregator shows you exactly what was added or changed.

Feed readers are built into the latest versions of Internet Explorer, Firefox, and other popular web browsers.

RSS for Bloggers and Other Publishers

Blog platforms, such as Wordpress, make it easy to publish an RSS feed alongside your website.  But, why bother?  The disadvantages of RSS publishing, compared to traditional web publishing, include:

• A lack of interactivity, including the ability to add comments and view other readers’ comments;
• A lack of context and supplementary material, normally found in a web page’s sidebar, header and footer;
• Difficulty in tracking user statistics (such as most popular pages).

Despite these shortcomings, it is advantageous to offer your content in RSS format.  The reason is simple: RSS helps turn occasional, unreliable readers into dedicated subscribers.  Readers who subscribe to your RSS feed never miss an update, and rarely ignore it.

RSS for Marketers and Businesses

Quoting Seth Godin:

You’re not paying attention. Nobody is.

It’s not your fault.  It’s just physically impossible for you to pay attention to everything that marketers expect you to–like the 17,000 new grocery store products that were introduced last year or the the $1000 worth of advertising that was directed exclusively at you last year.

Is it any wonder that consumers feel as if the fast-moving world around them is getting blurry?  There’s TV at the airport, advertisements in urinals, newsletters on virtually every topic, and a cellular phone wherever you go.

Smart marketers have discovered that the old way of advertising and selling products isn’t working as well as it used to.

In his book, Seth examines the differences between the old way, which he calls Interruption Marketing, and the new way, Permission Marketing. 

RSS supports Permission Marketing:

• Giving readers an opportunity to opt-in to your message (via RSS) is a no-cost method of distinguishing prospects from mere suspects.  This helps you avoid wasting both your own and other people’s time.
• An RSS subscription can be the start of a long-term relationship, which facilitates communication and builds trust.  As savvy marketers know, nothing is sold without a foundation of trust.

Whether you are buying, selling, learning or just surfing the Net, RSS is a valuable tool.  And, as I have outlined above, you do not need a degree in Computer Science to understand it.