If you’ve heard the term “blog,” then you’ve probably also heard the abbreviation “RSS.” As usual, with a new technology comes lots of new acronyms and terms to learn. But not to worry. RSS is something that’s — well, simple.

RSS stands for “Real Simple Syndication,” or as some define it “Rich Site Summary.”

Here’s how it works.

To use RSS you first have to convert your content into what’s called a “feed.” This is simply a file that usually ends with .rss, .rdf, or .xml. Your RSS file must contain the headlines, links, summaries/or complete posts of what you want your feed to made from.

You can create this file by hand. But there’s no need to do that. The good news is that just about every blog software option available automatically creates an RSS feed for your content delivery.

For the blog options that don’t, you can use a service called “Feed Burner” which will create an intelligent RSS feed for you. There are even programs that allow you to turn regular html pages into RSS feeds. The technology may seem a little confusing at first, but the concept is not.

Think of it this way. You know what a broadcast fax is, right? You create a document you want to fax, you load the document along with all the numbers you’d like to send the document to, click a button, and boom — away it goes. Your document is broadcast to all the fax numbers that you entered.

Your RSS feed works in a similar way to that except in a geometrically larger scale, and an infinitely easier manner. When your feed is created and syndicated you can instantly update dozens of the top RSS search directories in a matter of seconds. And your content is automatically “pulled” by subscribers to your feed.

RSS subscription works like this.

Once a feed has been created, others can subscribe to your feed “channel” using what’s called a “news reader” or an “aggregator.” With this special software, people who subscribe to your feed are automatically updated as their aggregator pulls your new content into one convenient location for them.

Pretty powerful stuff when you think about it. Automated delivery, specific content selection, tightly grouped target markets … there’s a lot for the 21st-century consumer and business owner to be excited about. Blogs and RSS are a truly client-centric technology that has the potential to create lasting win-win relationships.

In my next article on RSS,I’ll be sharing the top three reasons why RSS can transform your small business into a Click-and-Mortar powerhouse.

About the Author: John-Paul Micek and his partner Deborah Cole Micek are Business Growth Coaches. They help small business owners like you, achieve profit-doubling growth in one-third the time it would take to do on your own.

In just 12-months with your membership in the www.BusinessOwnersCoachingClub.com you can bridge the digital divide and transform your small business into a click-and-mortar powerhouse that delivers the profits, personal fulfillment, and free time you want.

John-Paul Micek
Click-and-Mortar Coach
Business Owners Coaching Club
http:/www.AdvancedBusinessBlogging.com

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General Posts
Blogging Basics
RSS - Basic Education