You really need marketing RSS?

A recent study by Forrester Research, which states that only 2% of online households in North America use RSS, took the marketing world of the Internet by storm. Is this really means, marketing data, which can afford to ignore this channel?

Shortly after Forrrester study was published, I received a press query whether marketers should be interested in RSS now that so few online adults use.

Is this the right question? Let’s look at the bigger picture …

1st Search for feasibility study

Forrester study is just one of those that are available and can not be considered as the only study but on a sample of 68,000 households.

Jupiter Research estimates RSS penetration at 12% of American Internet population, while the latest report from Pew shows that 9% of the population of America Online has a good idea of what RSS is. October 2004 Pew study actually estimated RSS penetration at 5%.

It is also important to understand that Forrester data does not include those who may not even be conscious they are using RSS, especially through services like My.Yahoo, which is actually the most popular RSS Reader.

In addition, at the same time, Forrester Vice President Henry Harteveldt said that “RSS is key to any company that wants to reach people under the age of 30 years.”

2nd in the future growth of RSS

Regardless of the numbers that we have confidence in the future growth of RSS, without a doubt. Microsoft recently announced full support for RSS to read Internet Explorer browser and full integration of RSS into the next edition of its operating system Windows Vista.

After the RSS is available to most Internet users out of the box and as widely as bookmarks, its adoption would be an incredible price. Microsoft provided that this is actually happening.

Thus, the term for marketing is not only interested in RSS, but also masters now. Those who try and find the best ways to use RSS to market before their competition begins each time by using RSS.

Furthermore, since RSS implementation can actually be totally free, there is no reason not to start offering their content in RSS Feeds now.

3rd Google shows the way

Microsoft and Yahoo! Not only the big players show support for RSS. Google recently launched RSS advertising in the program Google AdSense, so publishers reason to start their own RSS-feeds to receive direct income.

Those who are in the Google AdSense for part or all of their income on the line really need RSS-feeds, or they may lose part of their income due to change of visitors to sites and feeds from their competitors.

Honestly, today, many users are already available on request publishers provide them with RSS to subscribe to their content would be reviewed. This trend will only continue, and many users selecting RSS as the main channel for obtaining and reading the contents of the network.

4th questionable reliability of E-MAIL

All the traders today are experiencing e-mail problems, constantly asking whether their message is always or not. In short, e-mail and can not be claimed.

On the one hand, to offer its content via RSS as a complement to e-mail will help to ensure that at least some of his visitors, who at the possibility of RSS, all content without any doubt.

Lockergnome.com decided to insist RSS instead of e-mails for some time, and as a result saw that their RSS feeds to go beyond e-mail when it comes to click-through rate of nearly 500%. Also interesting is that today is 5 times more RSS subscribers via e-mail subscribers.

And second, because of its most important content updates, RSS really always necessary, especially if you have to be in touch with their existing customers, partners and other key audiences. If you want to be 100% sure that their messages reach the audience, RSS is the way.

5th Other benefits RSS

But all this does not even touch all the reasons why marketers should use RSS today …

a) RSS helps to additional traffic and reach new audiences. Given the low cost of implementation of RSS, this is sufficient reason to start working with RSS today.

b) RSS, you can easily publish content on other sites so that more credibility and visitors.

C) As a publisher, you can RSS, the content from other sources so that your site is relevant and interesting to your existing visitors.

And the list goes on.

May RSS is not the main, but it provides enough benefits, even today, should be the choice for advertisers.