I recognize that in recent months I have passionate about the subject, I’ve studied and analyzed and seen its advantages and disadvantages.
Something that I went from a few years ago with the discovery of content delivery via email.
With the discovery of the newsletters.
Power to be informed promptly and conveniently, without having to surf the Web, receiving emails previously requested, was (and is) something that consumed much of my time. I remember my inbox full of interesting content that devoured moments after arriving at their destination. Now I see my inbox and is packed.
But spam.
And the problem for the advertiser, content for the diffuser, not the spam itself. Are applications that filter spam and usually put them all in the same boat.
I speak from experience: reviewing any given day, the filter that detects spam in my tray believes that I get about 90% (!!!) of spam, pushing these messages to the Trash.
If I check these messages manually, I see that 20% is requested messages, usually newsletters, which have been mistaken for spam.
It is a topic that is difficult to fight because it requires the user an effort to ensure that our messages are coming correctly and “teach” your filter to detect and identify as e-friend.
So I say that the natural outlet of email marketing, understood as the dissemination of commercial content by direct channels is RSSMarketing.
Through the dissemination of content via RSS (or XML, or RDF, or ATOM) to advertisers is that it opens half has all the advantages of email marketing and avoids many of the drawbacks.
Although it is something to see long-term (ie six months or a year away), because the knowledge of what RSS is and its practical applications is still very small.
Worth the example of a study by the Pew Internet blog about the phenomenon, noting that only 5% of Internet users routinely receive content via RSS.
And RSS is that the concept is definitely linked to the concept Blog. It means a free Blog syndication. Although syndication is not related exclusively to a blog.
A new world of advantages (and disadvantages)
Without doubt, the greatest benefit of sending content via RSS is to avoid anything related to spam. But there are also other advantages:
They are always user-requested content, which is who handles the situation and decide, at any time, when receiving the content or stop receiving it (in a simpler process than the traditional opt-out of email)
There are no user data. What may seem a disadvantage becomes an advantage if looked at from the point of view to avoid problems with maintenance of databases, privacy policies …
The format helps to a better perception of the content. Receiving content via RSS is a format accommodates simple text-based, almost exclusively. This format is designed to receive information in small doses, no pictures or browsing, text only. The user processes quickly what interests you and what does not and, if so, go ahead visit the website. Google Adwords has shown that 1000 words are worth more than an image, we are tuning out and distracts the attention.
And if we look at the drawbacks regarding the use of email, the use of RSS as a communication tool shows us some things (anything that does not fix the time):
Requires an extra initial effort by the user, you need to install an application that can read the contents, an RSS reader. Often, these applications are heavy, if not sufficiently tested. But there are applications, free, light, and that work like a charm. And in the immediate future, new versions of our email clients and RSS readers integrated as standard.
There is a deep knowledge of the recipient. A mailing list is considered as good as it is updated and enriched with key data of the recipient. In the knowledge RSSMarketing user can achieve is limited. I do not even know with certainty how many users receive our content, much less their names.
Measuring results is limited. If one of the keys to email marketing is the measure of effort, from different points of view, the measure of success of our campaign via RSS print is limited to the twin-CTR, without going much further.
The graphic elements are reduced communication. As we saw earlier, RSS format is designed to send information in plain text, so our creativity should focus more on the vocabulary that made the contemplative.
These are just some points, quite simple on the other hand, describing the RSSMarketing as possible new channel of business communication.
But the big question is not whether the RSSMarketing is the natural outlet of email marketing but: this exit leads somewhere?
Towards a new advertising model
It is not yet clear whether RSSMarketing equals profitable advertising business model. Even if a business model that can be sustained.
Already emerging networking initiatives proposed distributed advertising content to users via RSS, although there is nothing serious, mainly because of the small volume of business in sight. Few users generate little interest major advertisers.
If the channel is acceptance, and that’s for sure in the near future we will see the largest advertising market interest in the environment and test business models. And although people think that advertising pollutes the environment, creating a new kind of spam, the widespread use of RSS will bring a new advertising model as a way to fund content creators.
And the advertising model to be successful, should respect the essence of the channel. A channel that was created to complement and enhance other communications channels. And among these channels would emphasize again the Blogs.
As mentioned earlier, Blogs and distribution of content via RSS are strongly linked. If you do not mean a free Blog syndication, advertising model connection also exists.
And this model, in my view, walk to the sponsorship of content, where there is a strong integration between the content of the Blog, the sponsoring brand and distribution channels. For instance: iTunes sponsoring a musical blog via RSS Submit a review every day.
The development of ad networks who distribute ads via RSS is also a possibility. It would be the closest thing to a network of email lists, although in this case not knowing the number of users that make up the universe, plays against a decisive manner.
For now, I am inclined to wait and see and, if possible, assist in the development of this medium fascinating and undiscovered.