RSS – Are We Overlooking The Obvious?

Written on March 17, 2010 by in Blogging, Marketing, Social Media, Technology
42 Comments - Leave a comment!

“RSS” isn’t exactly new technology.  The New York Times began offering its readers the ability to subscribe to RSS news feeds back in November of 2002.  But I regularly encounter people who still – to this day – don’t know what RSS is, or how to use it to their own advantage:  not as marketers, but as consumers of information.

Is RSS toast?In October, 2008 Steve Rubel wrote “RSS Adoption at 11% and it May Be Peaking, Forrester Says” - this, despite the fact that nearly half of “interactive marketers” were using RSS at the time.

For a technology that is in so useful, so widely and so freely available… it seems inconceivable that so few people actually use it.

Are we Overlooking The Obvious?

In the age of Google, “Web2.0″ and “Social Media”, marketers are immersed in information technology.  We have to be.  It’s sink or swim.  But somehow, it would seem, we began taking our knowledge of RSS feeds and readers for granted… assuming that everyone else has kept pace with us. They haven’t.

According to Forrester’s 2008 Executive Summary:

If marketers expect to reach a critical mass of consumers by using content syndication, then they must take on the burden of education.

I think they’re right. Scratch that. After searching for video tutorials I would feel good about sharing… I know they’re right.

So, if anyone has a great video tutorial (or two) to share… I’m looking.

As always, your comments are also appreciated.

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  • http://allenmireles.com/ Allen Mireles

    Excellent reminder, Jon. I think it can be easy to overlook a tool we become accustomed to relying on. It becomes almost part of the woodwork. And yet, every day I talk to people who don’t know what it, how to use it or what a powerful and helpful tool it is.

    So education is essential…for all of us. For some, not to overlook and for others to keep using it and sharing the benefits with our networks.

    RE: the video, have you checked John Haydon’s vast archives? He surely has already done one or will whip one up for you in short order! ;)

    Thanks for this post.

  • http://allenmireles.com Allen Mireles

    Excellent reminder, Jon. I think it can be easy to overlook a tool we become accustomed to relying on. It becomes almost part of the woodwork. And yet, every day I talk to people who don’t know what it, how to use it or what a powerful and helpful tool it is.

    So education is essential…for all of us. For some, not to overlook and for others to keep using it and sharing the benefits with our networks.

    RE: the video, have you checked John Haydon’s vast archives? He surely has already done one or will whip one up for you in short order! ;)

    Thanks for this post.

  • http://www.thebassman.ca/ Tim L. Walker

    This is the best video tutorial on RSS I’ve found – used it several times to educate: http://www.commoncraft.com/rss_plain_english

  • http://www.thebassman.ca Tim L. Walker

    This is the best video tutorial on RSS I’ve found – used it several times to educate: http://www.commoncraft.com/rss_plain_english

  • http://www.obsessedwithconformity.com/ Jim Mitchem

    I don’t know what RSS does. I know it’s useful to some people, but frankly, I don’t troll for information enough. I use a few key sources that are dissimilar to each other and then make my own assessment. Too old school?

  • http://www.mhconnect.com/ Marc Hill

    Kudos for trying to bring the “simple” back in Real Simple Syndication. So often we overlook the simplest and most efficient ways to communicate with our audience. I’ve taken a huge liking to http://www.viigo.com on my blackberry, it is simple to use and delivers just the right amount of information, when I want it.

  • http://www.obsessedwithconformity.com Jim Mitchem

    I don’t know what RSS does. I know it’s useful to some people, but frankly, I don’t troll for information enough. I use a few key sources that are dissimilar to each other and then make my own assessment. Too old school?

  • http://www.mhconnect.com Marc Hill

    Kudos for trying to bring the “simple” back in Real Simple Syndication. So often we overlook the simplest and most efficient ways to communicate with our audience. I’ve taken a huge liking to http://www.viigo.com on my blackberry, it is simple to use and delivers just the right amount of information, when I want it.

  • http://johnhaydon.com/ John Haydon

    Jon – Check out this post by @GrantGriffiths – especially the comments section: http://blogforprofit.com/blogging-tips/is-rss-a-complete-failure/

  • http://johnhaydon.com John Haydon

    Jon – Check out this post by @GrantGriffiths – especially the comments section: http://blogforprofit.com/blogging-tips/is-rss-a-complete-failure/

  • http://www.socialnicole.com/ Nicole Harrison

    Yes, excellent post Jon. I must admit that I did not use an RSS until recently. I could not figure out the best way to manage it and that I would actually be compelled to use it. Now I can’t imagine living without it. I believe that education is a big part of my job on a daily basis as I work to bring nonprofits into the social media world. I will appreciate video tutorials on RSS too, as that is one I don’t like to have to explain to others.

    I hope you pass on any great tutorials via Twitter and perhaps via your blog.

  • http://www.socialnicole.com Nicole Harrison

    Yes, excellent post Jon. I must admit that I did not use an RSS until recently. I could not figure out the best way to manage it and that I would actually be compelled to use it. Now I can’t imagine living without it. I believe that education is a big part of my job on a daily basis as I work to bring nonprofits into the social media world. I will appreciate video tutorials on RSS too, as that is one I don’t like to have to explain to others.

    I hope you pass on any great tutorials via Twitter and perhaps via your blog.

  • http://www.ShannonBoudjema.com/ Shannon Boudjema

    Sometimes its the simplest of things… HAH! You’re absolutely right Jon. RSS is a very cool tool for managing the information overload but it’s way underused. I use the very simple tool to stay on top of market trends and breaking news as well as separate RSS feeds for monitoring brands, their competition and Pondicherry – wha? I want to go there some day.

  • http://www.ShannonBoudjema.com Shannon Boudjema

    Sometimes its the simplest of things… HAH! You’re absolutely right Jon. RSS is a very cool tool for managing the information overload but it’s way underused. I use the very simple tool to stay on top of market trends and breaking news as well as separate RSS feeds for monitoring brands, their competition and Pondicherry – wha? I want to go there some day.

  • http://blogforprofit.com/ Grant Griffiths

    I think John posted a link to one of my post on this. My position is that we have failed as bloggers to make RSS work. Until such time as we can convince our readers that it is useful and important, it will continue to not be the tool it should be and could be.

  • http://blogforprofit.com Grant Griffiths

    I think John posted a link to one of my post on this. My position is that we have failed as bloggers to make RSS work. Until such time as we can convince our readers that it is useful and important, it will continue to not be the tool it should be and could be.

  • Mickey Gomez

    Jon, great post and excellent start to what I hope turns into an ongoing conversation.

    I’ve been into social media for a while and I still struggle with managing RSS feeds. When I first started I signed up for RSS feeds on pretty much every blog I liked, but I found that I didn’t check in regularly and when I did remember to check in I became completely overwhelmed by the backlog of posts.

    I’d love to learn more about what works for people and their strategies for managing feeds without getting overwhelmed. I know that there are a LOT of excellent blogs out there that I’d love to keep up with, and when I happen to spot a link somewhere and check in I always feel silly for letting so much time pass between visits.

    So, yeah, this is sort of a low-key cry for help. ;-)

  • Mickey Gomez

    Jon, great post and excellent start to what I hope turns into an ongoing conversation.

    I’ve been into social media for a while and I still struggle with managing RSS feeds. When I first started I signed up for RSS feeds on pretty much every blog I liked, but I found that I didn’t check in regularly and when I did remember to check in I became completely overwhelmed by the backlog of posts.

    I’d love to learn more about what works for people and their strategies for managing feeds without getting overwhelmed. I know that there are a LOT of excellent blogs out there that I’d love to keep up with, and when I happen to spot a link somewhere and check in I always feel silly for letting so much time pass between visits.

    So, yeah, this is sort of a low-key cry for help. ;-)

  • JonAston

    I love you people. Each and every one of you. Thanks for the comments and tweets.

    I have a few things to add, but want to find and install a plugin for threaded comments first…

    XOJA

  • JonAston

    I love you people. Each and every one of you. Thanks for the comments and tweets.

    I have a few things to add, but want to find and install a plugin for threaded comments first…

    XOJA

  • http://www.abilitysuccessgrowth.com/ Elli St.George Godfrey

    Your post is a little distressing as I got a lot of strong recommendations to make sure my RSS worked on my blog. But I got to thinking…the use of the RSS button isn’t even obvious. My guess is that the average person wouldn’t necessarily know that they could subscribe to a blog.

    A little education could go a long, long way. Thanks for noticing the obvious!

  • http://www.abilitysuccessgrowth.com Elli St.George Godfrey

    Your post is a little distressing as I got a lot of strong recommendations to make sure my RSS worked on my blog. But I got to thinking…the use of the RSS button isn’t even obvious. My guess is that the average person wouldn’t necessarily know that they could subscribe to a blog.

    A little education could go a long, long way. Thanks for noticing the obvious!

  • JonAston

    Thanks Allen.

    You have the distinct honour of being the first ever comment(er) on my new website/blog. You have my undying gratitude. At some point in future, we must meet for a drink. I'm buying!

    And – yes – that @JohnHaydon feller is an amazing man, who does amazing things… including screencasts. I was kind of hoping he might offer,

  • JonAston

    Thanks Tim!

    I should probably just get over it, but the CommonCraft narrator gets on my nerves. Fast. I will go have a look though!

  • JonAston

    I envy your old school, Jim. But I think you are probably the odd man out. And #ILoveYou.

  • JonAston

    Thanks Mark!

    I didn't realize Viigo was an RSS reader. I figured it was something more like HootSuite. If I had a Blackberry, I would be all over that.

  • JonAston

    Thanks Johnny!

    Interesting post and comments. I dunno. Maybe RSS is dead, and I'm flogging a dead horse. I must admit that, for a time, I thought “update” services like twitter would replace RSS. But I found I was missing too many of your posts that way. :)

  • JonAston

    I am desperately hoping that @JohnHaydon will do a screencast (or two) for us all to share. The guy is brilliant.

  • JonAston

    Thanks Boudj. You are adorable. Can I buy you a Bombay Sapphire some time soon? Say, early April?

  • JonAston

    I was tweeting about this with @MissMotorcade and we had an interesting idea. Someboidy should start an RSS Fan Site. Collect tutorials and testimonials and stuff… something we could all point our readers to. You're the man Grant. Do you want to volunteer?

  • JonAston

    Mickster!

    While researching the article, I stumbled across little gem, also from Steve Rubel:
    http://www.micropersuasion.com/2007/12/become-a…

  • JonAston

    For the record, I decided on Disqus – despite some misgivings. Hopefully, it will be trouble free.

  • JonAston

    Thanks Elli! Let's agree to share “educational” resources as we discover them. Alright?

  • Mati

    Looking outside the circle of web savvy people to the average everyday email user and web surfer I have to say RSS gets a big ??? People with specific interests and no patience or web ed tell me they push the email subscription button end of story, but they use it very sparingly. Granted I'm not polling hundreds or even thousands, but there is something to it. If you're subject doesn't target the more slightly savvy tech readers then your RSS button is standing lonely and unused. Is education the answer? For a certain demographic maybe, but for the average user we may need a new tool to bring it to their door step or stick with “old fashion” email.

  • JonAston

    Thanks for your comments, Mati – and you may well be right! But until a better tool comes along, I think a little “education” could go a long way… or, perhaps, a better approach: Too many explanations of RSS explain the tools before explaining the benefits to the audience. So, for example, a post entitled something like “How to receive updates without coughing up your email address”. You get the idea.

    To come back to your point, though: What does this new tool you want look like? How does it work?

  • http://www.wchingya.com wchingya

    This is enlightening. Sometimes it is the simplest thing that people overlooked. :) If only RSS is not made for an 'option' but a 'starred' field to be filled whenever one is setting up a blog, people would be aware of it, forcefully. I admit that may not be the best education for it and you're right, the blog authors would have to take up the responsibility for 2-ways benefits. Just the other day, I have somebody asking 'what is printscreen' and that is no joke. Responsibility is there. :)

    I'm jotting this down as part of the blog optimization project: stop assuming and be more alert on readers' needs. Thanks for the tip! I'll be sharing this on my fan page too, excited for the responses.

    @wchingya
    Social/Blogging Tracker

  • JonAston

    Thanks Ching – Love your enthusiasm!

    Looking forward to hearing more about your blog optimization project.

  • http://freetraffictip.com Tinu

    I have some video tutorials that are part of a guide I made but its for publishers, not consumers.

    I got into a lot of discussions about this a couple of years ago. And I’ve come to conclusion that we’re too close to the technology. Imagine if we all had to know HTML to make a blog post, or write an email. While I agree that many of us as publishers dropped the ball on educating our audience, I think the real disconnect was the way it’s integrated into browsers.

    Starting with the hype around the RSS enabled IE7. Deployed correctly that would have been a win for IE, for our ability as consumers to organize the web (bookmarks? FAIL!), not to mention for anyone who publishes to RSS.

    But so far, with feed readers, even software, the closest thing to a successful, easy to use software for following blogs… is Twitter. And even that doesn’t cut it. How did we get into this alternate universe?

    I don’t know. But I don’t see how to get back either.

  • http://marketingpartners.ca Jon Aston

    Tinu, you’re a peach. And you are no doubt correct. Please share a link to your tuts.

  • http://twitter.com/erejman Liz Rejman

    I’ve presented on the topic of RSS Feeds and RSS Readers to fundraisers over the last couple of years.  It’s a tough topic to explain and the word RSS just isn’t in our vocab in the same way as Twitter or Facebook.  People think of it as a scary foreign object and it perplexes them so they avoid it.

    Have you reviewed the CommonCraft video RSS in Plain English?  That explains RSS Feeds and Google Reader in fairly simple terms.

  • http://twitter.com/erejman Liz Rejman

    I’ve presented on the topic of RSS Feeds and RSS Readers to fundraisers over the last couple of years.  It’s a tough topic to explain and the word RSS just isn’t in our vocab in the same way as Twitter or Facebook.  People think of it as a scary foreign object and it perplexes them so they avoid it.

    Have you reviewed the CommonCraft video RSS in Plain English?  That explains RSS Feeds and Google Reader in fairly simple terms.

  • http://freetraffictip.com Tinu

    It’s not free, that’s why I didn’t share it. I’ll put a clip on YouTube and return with that.