RSS: The Social Media Super Power Your Not Using (YET!)

 

Photo credit: Offshoringtbos.com 

Starting a blog is overwhelming.  Keeping up with other creators' blogs is arduous at best.  How can a budding blogger keep up with all of the latest blog feeds and track the usages of their own feed?

Enter in the super power of the blogging world:  RSS

As a part of our blogging journey we were recommended to set up an RSS feed.  I played around with an RSS feed years ago but like all things it got lost in the billions of emails hitting my Gmail account. Recently new platforms have hit the market that allows for one stop shopping for all of the blog feeds that you need to monitor!  Platforms like:

Feedly

Inoreader

Feeder

These platforms are free at the moment but do have the ability for the user to upgrade to paid levels.  So, what then can RSS feeds be used for?

Stay Updated on Niche Topics & Competitors: RSS feeds allow bloggers to subscribe to other blogs, news sites, and industry publications relevant to their niche. This provides a constant stream of information, helping them stay informed about new trends, hot topics, and what their competitors are writing about. This knowledge can then be used to inspire new content ideas and ensure their blog remains relevant.

Efficient Content Curation: Instead of manually visiting multiple websites, RSS consolidates updates from various sources into a single reader. This significantly streamlines the process of finding articles, data, or news snippets that can be incorporated into their own blog posts as references or to support arguments, saving valuable time.

Discover Guest Blogging Opportunities: By following other blogs in their industry, bloggers can identify potential sites that align with their content and audience. This makes it easier to spot opportunities for guest blogging, which can help expand their reach, drive traffic back to their own blog, and build authority.

Monitor Backlinks and Mentions: Some tools allow bloggers to use RSS to track mentions of their blog or specific keywords across the web. This can be invaluable for monitoring backlinks, understanding who is referencing their content, and identifying opportunities to engage with other bloggers or publications.

Track Reader Engagement (via comments/trackbacks): While not its primary function, RSS can be used by some platforms or tools to track comments and trackbacks on a blog. This allows bloggers to easily see new engagement on their posts, facilitating quicker responses and fostering a more active community around their content.