When I create a website or blog, it’s second nature to me to add an RSS feed, as with most people. But often I do get the question asked why should I do this?
What ends up happening is some short education for the client. What is a RSS feed? Who uses them? Why should it be on there?
In one of my beginning blogging classes I first tell everyone that they need to make it easy for a visitor to sign up for their feed. Then I ask how many people understand RSS feeds. Normally only one or two raise their hands. This is followed by a short introduction to RSS readers, etc. But in the end my comment is, “You may never choose to sign up for feeds yourself, or implement a reader, or really understand them, but there are a lot of people out there that do.” And that’s why you need it on your blog!
Note on the left upper hand side of this blog, you will find two options. 1) They can sign up for the feed via a reader. Or, 2) they can sign up for the feed via email. Give them both options. A lot of people still want to be notified when you publish a post via email.
So if you don’t have both, go to feedburner.com and burn your feed!
As SEO expert Barry Hurd of 123 Social Media once said to me, “Every time someone signs up for your feed, that is worth it’s weight in gold”. Just think, the person who does sign up for you feed wants to be contacted whenever you do a new post. It doesn’t get better than that!
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