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What is RSS? Everything About Feed Subscription - Concept and Usage

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When running a blog or news site, you encounter the term RSS feed. It's a technology useful for content distribution and subscriber management. What is RSS?

What is RSS?​

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a standard format that automatically delivers new content from websites to subscribers. Users don't have to visit multiple websites individually; through RSS reader programs, they can check all updates in one place. Provided in XML format, it includes information such as title, summary, and links.

Features of RSS​

  • Automatic Updates: When new posts are uploaded to subscribed sites, they're automatically displayed in the RSS reader.
  • Ad-Free Content: Only pure content is delivered, allowing clean reading without ads or design elements.
  • Privacy Protection: You can subscribe without providing personal information such as email addresses.
  • Standardized Format: Standard formats like RSS 2.0 and Atom are compatible with most RSS readers.
  • Offline Reading: Some RSS readers can download content for offline reading.

RSS Utilization Strategy​

  • Add RSS to Blog: Most blog platforms like WordPress and Tistory automatically generate RSS. Place RSS feed links in prominent locations.
  • Content Marketing: RSS can automatically notify subscribers of new content, increasing return visit rates.
  • Information Gathering: Subscribe to competitor or industry news via RSS to efficiently collect information.
  • Automatic SNS Posting: Tools like IFTTT and Zapier can automatically post RSS feeds to SNS.
  • Specialized Field Curation: Subscribe to multiple blogs in your field of interest via RSS to grasp the latest information at a glance.

RSS Examples​

Here are representative platforms and services that provide RSS.

  1. Blog Platforms - Tistory, WordPress, Brunch
  2. News Sites - BBC, CNN, Chosun Ilbo
  3. Podcasts - Most podcasts are RSS-based
  4. YouTube - Provides RSS feeds per channel
  5. RSS Readers - Feedly, Inoreader, Newsblur

Advantages and Disadvantages of RSS​

Advantages​

  • Time Saving: Check all updates in one place without visiting multiple sites
  • Notification Feature: Can receive immediate notifications when new posts are uploaded
  • Customized Information: Can subscribe to only topics of interest
  • Privacy: Can subscribe without providing personal information

Disadvantages​

  • Decreased Awareness: RSS users are decreasing with the advent of social media
  • Monetization Difficulty: Difficult to generate revenue from the operator's perspective as ads aren't displayed
  • Technical Knowledge Required: RSS reader setup can be somewhat complex for general users
  • Incomplete Content Provision: Often provides only summaries and encourages site visits for full articles

RSS is a powerful tool for efficient information gathering and content distribution. Bloggers can secure loyal readers by providing RSS, and information consumers can save time with RSS readers.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)​

Q: What RSS reader programs are available? A: Feedly and Inoreader are representative, and for mobile apps, Flipboard and Reeder are popular.

Q: How do I find my blog's RSS address? A: For most blogs, add /feed, /rss, or /atom after the blog address. Example: blog.com/feed

Q: Is RSS free? A: Yes, RSS technology itself is free, and most RSS readers provide basic features for free.

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