If you do a search for RSS and marketing in either Yahoo News or the blog and feed search engine Technorati, you'll very soon realize just how fast the use of RSS is growing, Here are just a few of the comments made recently in the mainstream media and blogs:



30% of marketers surveyed said that they have implemented RSS feeds because of customer demand. Jupiter Research study Feed Marketing: Use of RSS as an Alternate Messaging Medium

"RSS is a brand-new medium, as distinct from the Web as the Web is from newspapers, radio, and TV. Like the Web 10 years ago feeds have reached a tipping point." Business 2.0

"If you are not up on RSS, you aren't paying attention! Content is syndicated and shared all over the web with RSS and it is fast becoming the backbone of the web. As important as html? Soon, very soon." The Friday Traffic Report

So why should you offer your content in feeds?

* RSS feeds syndicate your content and make it available to other news outlets, websites and blogs

* By syndicating your content you can reach a much wider audience

* Feeds are the perfect solution for time-sensitive information - like special travel packages, meeting notices or tech updates

* RSS is a secure channel that can't be spammed

* RSS feeds allow your subscribers to control the flow of information they receive. According to a recent study users trust marketers more when they can control the information they receive.

* RSS feeds are compiled according to the user's choices

* RSS does not involve you in privacy issues- subscription is anonymous

What will this do for your business?

* Syndicating your content builds up inbound links and this positively affects your search engine rankings

* Higher search rankings increase your online visibility

* More visibility will bring new, qualified visitors to your website

* Your visitors build up a relationship with you and they tend to trust you more

* You have direct access to your subscribers and guaranteed delivery of your content

* You can use RSS feeds to streamline and improve your internal content syndication for corporate communications and providing information to remote employees and sales teams

* RSS feed enclosures can be used to provide your listeners and readers a with podcasts and video news

* Keyword search capabilities via RSS provide sales teams with immediate competitive intelligence tracking

* Automatic updates via RSS also serve as a critical public relations function for the latest news on brands, executives and external content.

Creating RSS feeds so you can syndicate your content is no longer some new-fangled idea. Sharing content online is one of the fastest growing trends. Sites like MySpace and YouTube have conclusively shown that there is power in content sharing and syndication. We have reached the tipping point - make RSS a part of your strategy this year.

Next week: How to put together an RSS strategy