RSS confuses many. Could be that the acronym itself makes it appear more complicated than it really is. So the first thing you should know is what RSS really stands for: Real Simple Syndication. Note the word “simple”!
Key benefits:
- 100% deliverability. If you offer your email and newsletter content via RSS, subscribers to your feed enjoy guaranteed delivery of your content.
- Pull, not push. By signing up to receive your feed, your subscriber is actively requesting your content and updates. This tends to indicate a higher level of customer loyalty and differs from the push strategy sometimes associated with email.
RSS is a great compliment to other digital marketing programs. It’s versatile and can be used in many unique ways. How can you apply RSS technology to your business? Check out ten examples of how companies currently use RSS:
- Orbitz.com, a comprehensive travel website, offers an abundance of services via RSS including airport updates, vacation deals, car rentals, and hotel specials.
http://www.orbitz.com/App/ViewRSSHelpPage
- Amplify, a credit union based in Texas, uses a secure RSS feeder connection to keep customers up to date on what’s happening with their accounts.
http://www.goamplify.com/products/services/onlinebanking/rss.cfm - Boston’s Hidden Restaurants, a site showcasing lesser-known restaurants in the New England area, uses RSS feeds to update subscribers on new reviews. Similarly, Creative Loafing – an alternative newspaper and guide to happenings in the metropolitan Atlanta area – uses RSS feeds to update users on various categories including events and restaurants.
http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/Syndication - An Italian restaurant in Red Bank, New Jersey uses an RSS feed to keep patrons updated on specials, menu items, and other promotions.
http://www.2senza.com/rssfeed.xml - Cabela’s, an online retailer of sporting and outdoors goods, hosts an RSS feed that informs customers about new products and specials in its “Bargain Cave.”
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/category/category.jsp?id=cat21404&navAction=jump&cmCat=MainCatcat21404&cm_re=store*topnav*bc - Vinfolio, an online wine retailer based in San Francisco, allow users to create custom feeds or subscribe to existing feeds to find out when new wines come in, or to read wine reviews and scores. http://www.vinfolio.com/customerService-rss.jsp
- Indeed.com, a job search aggregator, allows you to subscribe to custom job feeds and notifies you when new classifieds are added.
http://www.indeed.com - Belief.net, a multi-faith based website, uses RSS to deliver daily inspiration, faith-based news, and other information relevant to cultivating spiritual growth.
http://www.beliefnet.com/services/rss/index.html - UNICEF features RSS feeds to update subscribers on news, current features, and photo essays.
http://www.unicef.org/rss/index.html
Shaneli Ramratan, Marketing Manager