Mainstream RSS: Coming Soon To A Screen Near You
By the end of the 1990s, when the Internet population in the U.S. was reaching critical numbers, AOL represented the average user - the inexperienced, not-so-savvy consumer who was interested in going online and who appreciated the ease of using AOL features. Now, the company’s access to millions of subscribers has turned it into the big “equalizer” on the Net. While many companies are trying to figure out RSS (Really Simple Syndication), looking to build business models around it or weave it into their work, AOL is bringing RSS to the average users’ home.
In his July 28th MediaPost article, Gavin O’Malley notes that AOL is partnering with the RSS search engine Feedster to provide its customers with a more customized and visually rich online experience. Surely, there will be an adoption curve among the AOL users. But at last the consumer will gain more control over content choice and the power of online syndication will be unleashed. AOL users who want more from their Web experience and want to select who reaches them will follow the early adopters and soon enough, RSS will become a mainstream application.
You may ask, “What’s the big deal with RSS? Why is a simple syndication tool so intriguing all of a sudden?” In reality, the demand for RSS was brewing at an increasingly higher temperature as marketers were pushing – and almost force feeding – content to their online audiences. The flood of pop-up offerings, e-newsletters and new-feature announcements eroded the end user’s control over a customized online experience. RSS changes all that and could even be considered the TiVo of online media. The difference between the impact of selective viewing on TV and the Internet is that smart online marketers are open to letting their audiences mix their own media. When visitors participate in creating their own content, they are more satisfied with their online experience and stay loyal to the sources that provide them with the flexibility. Imagine your favorite news sources bundled together and delivered to your desktop at a frequency of your choice, solely because you selected them and clicked “yes” to receive them. If you have a Web site or a blog, think of inching up on Google listings as the network of visitors who link to your area and receive updates grows.
Finally, freedom and democracy! The Internet experience is turning from what’s out there to what we make of it. For end users, whose inboxes are saturated with irrelevant messages, RSS helps manage the information overload. For marketers and content providers, RSS means more work to earn the respect of their audiences and hook them in. But there is also the promise of deeper and more solid, steady relationships once they get in front of their key targets. The rewards will not be limited to higher returns on marketing dollars. Analyses of RSS feeds/links and search-engine listings will provide marketers with tangible insights about audience preferences. Content providers will have more direction in producing “hit” pieces that will generate buzz through conversations, email messages and blogs. The transformation of RSS from a high-tech into a mainstream function will benefit consumers and marketers alike.
--Idil Cakim
Director, Knowledge Development
Burson-Marsteller
Posted by Idil Cakim at August 1, 2005 07:58 AM
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