RSS a Change Agent

To better understand how RSS changing way companies individuals deliver consume content macro scale, let us first remember how content traditionally delivered consumed.

People subscribe e-mail newsletters or e-mail update services get content delivered directly their inboxes. It's (or better yet, was) convenient, easy simple.

But, order get content delivered their inboxes, they must first reveal their e-mail addresses, which are basically ID numbers allow anyone who knows them send whatever they like these ID numbers.

In a perfect world people would only receive content they requested only from people they wanted hear from --> people can provide them with relevant information, specific their interests current situation.

But this not a perfect world.

Since "ID number" allows anyone contact anyone, people have very little control over who actually does contact them what information they send them.

In a way, it's a "perfect democracy" just doesn't work. Because, reality, we don't want hear from everyone that thinks they have something say us. In reality, we only want hear from a very limited circle people receive very limited types content categories.

But, sake argument, let's presume that we are actually getting information only from people that we want hear from. Unfortunately these people still have power send us whatever information they like, not just information we want receive from them. Basically, they have power push any kind content our e-mail inboxes.

We can either unsubscribe, if they give us this opportunity, from their e-mail service or continue receive their content is. One problems with this that unsubscribing can be a rather tedious process, definitely not a two-click affair, some people even doubt that unsubscribe feature will actually work.

This our reality.

We are, more or less, forced receive content we mostly don't want receive, content that we do want receive, we also have put up with much information we don't want get.

This "democratic" nature e-mail many marketers publishers have been abusing a long time. It's not medium's fault course; it's just that people are who we are.

And now enter RSS picture, a "new" channel that users need proactively add their content consumption mix, including proactively adding content publishers they want hear from, thus eliminating "democracy" e-mail, conversely, limiting our "content diet" only publishers we actually want hear from.

But there's more.

One this channel's characteristics that it's extremely easy remove content publishers you don't want hear from.

Now, all us have very limited time online content consumption. It's always been this way, but with e-mail content consumption we usually don't even bother ourselves with unsubscribing from content we don't want receive, since we already receive hundreds SPAM e-mails per day anyway, so why bother with unsubscribing from a few e-mail lists few additional e-mails we receive per week. Most people don't even know anymore what they subscribe since they have no unified view all their e-mail subscriptions.

However, this new channel, RSS, quite different. Here you have an exact view what you subscribe to. You see exactly which content publishers are your list you can remove any them immediately, without even a second thought. It's quick, easy comfortable.

Compare this with relative difficulty unsubscribing from e-mail lists, even with e-mail mindset where you just don't care be bothered anymore with unsubscribing, since you don't have a view what you subscribe anyway.

This new channel takes democracy right out content delivery publishers brings back end-users.

If RSS content publishers want keep grow their readership, they cannot afford do things they could have easily been doing with e-mail.

Instantly, all content needs be highly relevant. You can no longer afford send out blatant advertising messages or too much content that little interest your target audience. If you want survive you need tailor all your content specifically needs your target audience.

RSS content delivery must nature be more relevant than content delivered by e-mail.

RSS content publishers know this most are providing exactly this, very relevant content, usually more relevant than what most e-mail publishers are doing, since they are taking consideration specific characteristics channel.

And there are more publishers like this every day. And eventually, even those that use both e-mail RSS deliver content, change way they are delivering content using e-mail. Their entire content production becomes more relevant user's needs.

It's quite easy imagine larger-scale implications this.

Since more more publishers are starting offer more relevant content, that also raises bar other content publishers, even those not using RSS.

Our expectations are increasing every day. We are no longer content with mediocre content, we actually expect even demand more relevancy.

And so circle completed.

Early RSS publishers have started raising our expectations what expect from internet content have thus affected our internet content consumption habits. Users, affect, are starting demand more, which turn forces other publishers comply with increased demands.

This process has just begun still has a long way go, but has begun will not stop.

Copyright 2005 Rok Hrastnik

Rok Hrastnik author »Unleash Marketing & Publishing Power RSS«, acclaimed best most comprehensive guide RSS marketers by leading RSS experts. The complete guide RSS marketers: http://rss.marketingstudies.net/index.html?src=sa12

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