Marketers Still Dont Get RSS Metrics - How We Really Can Measure RSS

Even after all that's been written explained, even reputable online marketing publications such ClickZ still don't get RSS metrics.

In an otherwise good RSS marketing article, Add RSS Your Marketing Mix, Heidi Cohen has this say about RSS metrics:

"From a marketing perspective, RSS's measurability still evolving therefore limited. You can't tell who has received your feeds you can with e-mail."

Yes, RSS's measurability still evolving probably will evolve beyond e-mail metrics. In some ways already has ...

And it's also true that you can't tell who has received your feeds ... if you're using most established RSS approaches just basic technologies.

However, once you connect your feeds with your existing user databases, you can fact go beyond what e-mail metrics offer.

Here are some possibilities ...

a] Use "unique feed URL" approach, where each subscriber receives a feed with a unique identifier, based which you can track precisely what feeds are being requested ... namely what annonymous user requesting what feed.

b] If you'd like integrate annonymous feed subscriber data with named (registered) user data, you can easily provide feeds only upon registration or only logged-in users, actually connect each unique feed URL with a named user. Especially if you provide feed customization this won't be a problem at all. Once you've integrated this data you can measure every any iteraction your user has with your feed.

c] If you don't want force your visitors register order subscribe your feed, you can still use unique feed URL approach, which you connect with a user session, cookie or other identifiable information. Once your RSS feed subscriber registers you can integrate data you already collected based existing feed interaction website interaction with his new user account.

d] The other approach you can use user authentication, where you limit access your feeds with a username/password combination. If each unique users receives a unique combination, you can track everything based this information.

There are other possibilities well, actual implementation those above somewhat more complicated than seems at first sight. It does example also require a more complex internet marketing strategy. It does require using more complex tools than simplest RSS publishing solutions available market. It does require integration with your user database internet platform.

But point that it's not only theoretically possible, but also praxis. And fact simple companies with their own advanced internet platforms.

Just a quick disclaimer ...

a] If your feed gets widely syndicated you can fact lose view who's receiving your feed, even if you're using unique feed URLs (you can course measure this well, by analyzing user agent data). Using user authentication model solves this problem well.

b] Even if your feed does get widely syndicated, that's still comparable your e-mail messages being passed around by users. And if we take account that measuring open-rates getting increasingly difficult due users blocking images, e-mail metrics don't look that shiny anymore.

If you'd like find out more about RSS metrics, simply start by reading our collection RSS metrics articles, reports, interviews news at http://rssdiary.marketingstudies.net/content/cat_rss_metrics.php

I'm also hoping that there'll soon come a time when responses like this will no longer be needed, because marketers will finally understand power RSS metrics.

Copyright 2005 Rok Hrastnik

Rok Hrastnik author ğUnleash 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=sa16