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What's Rss Marketing’s Future In B2b?

Posted by Steve Byrne on 9/14/2004 at 2:54 PM ET 750 Points

Enter “rss marketing” in “google news” search and the first link is the marketingprofs article: RSS: Marketing’s Next Big Thing – by Tom Barnes.

“RSS is in its infancy. But the velocity of its adoption confirms that it is one of the most important media developments in recent years. As consumers take more active control of the messaging and content they consume, reaching them gets tougher. RSS will aid in the active, real-time, automated filtering of an ever-growing supply of content.”

Obviously RSS is a hot topic. Some marketers are calling it a fad and relate it to blogs, others call it a trend and see more creative uses in it’s future.

My question is how do you see RSS technology evolving in the "B2B" marketing world? Both practical/logical, and creatively pushing the envelope? Any examples?

Thanks to all for pondering this question.

Posted by Steve Byrne on 9/14/2004 at 3:22 PM Author

Thanks for the input mateosquared,

Regarding e-mail marketing, I read an article that suggested RSS might be a solution to the high “no read” rates associated with e-mail filters and blocks. Has anybody seen studies on this subject?

Besides news and the like, what other content might help customers? Can rss be have a better look?
Posted by MONMARK GROUP on 9/14/2004 at 3:44 PM Member

Try this:

http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss#comments

Scroll down.

Good Question.
Randall
WMMA
Posted by MONMARK GROUP on 9/14/2004 at 3:51 PM Accepted

You may also enjoy:
http://myst-technology.com/mysmartchannels/public/blog/11678?model=user/rss...

I agree w/mateosquared...it is going to be developed in every avenue of communications, from catalogs to conferencing.

Randall
WMMA
Posted by Steve Byrne on 9/14/2004 at 4:00 PM Author

Thanks for the links Randall, good stuff.
Posted by Steve Byrne on 9/14/2004 at 4:17 PM Author

Found this link:

Search Engine Optimization With RSS

http://www.webpronews.com/ebusiness/seo/wpn-4-20040802SearchEngineOptimizat...

Does anybody have B2B “Search Engine Optimization With RSS “ experience or examples?
Posted by Pepper Blue on 9/14/2004 at 4:27 PM Accepted

Hi Steve,

I've been asking your same question for the last year, and I still don't see a clear answer or future.

Those that have used RSS know the value in it, however I do believe that until Microsoft includes a news/feed reader into Outlook or OE that there is going to continue to be an adoption issue.

The news/feed reader issue is a huge obstacle, and then once this is crossed, there has to be enough feeds available for the common user to subscribe to them and become comfortable with this medium.

I think this applies to B-to-B as well as B-to-C, however you will see quicker adoption in the former because it is such an excellent way to send information to a group of people who need and anticipate it.

Distributer and reseller channels and large sales organizations are good examples of whom could benefit immediately from a RSS feed such as updates on new or changed product information, pricing, etc.

If I was in charge of a large sales organization, this is how I would communicate to my troops. A huge benefit is that nobody could claim "they didn't get it" or that it got "filtered or blocked". If you have a reader that's working, you got it.

I have not seen any info on RSS effects on high “no read” rates associated with e-mail filters and blocks, but I know myself that I currently have about 380 unread feeds in my various folders in NewsGator and less than 20 in Outlook.

The reaons is that all those unread feeds are "recreational" and not business related or from an individual from whom I am expecting or need to receive a message, for example Marketingprofs feed and, Seth's Blog, Search Engine Watch etc., although all those unread feeds are "recreational" and not business related, so, if I am like the rest of the majority of the population, I don't think RSS is the cure for this.

It is a cure for getting through blocks, filters, blacklists and the other traps in the email gauntlet, but the getting people to read issue I think will still always remain conditional on time an importance.

Just a few thoughts, Steve, good questions!
Posted by Steve Byrne on 9/14/2004 at 4:39 PM Author

Thanks for the insights Tim, very helpful. Like the “communicating to the troops” idea.

Why wouldn’t Microsoft includes a news/feed reader into Outlook (other than they’re Microsoft)?
Posted by Pepper Blue on 9/14/2004 at 4:58 PM Accepted

Steve,

I have heard that it is in the next version of O/OE. I don't know if they bought somebody or developed in house.

NewsGator sure would be a natural, although they just received a new round of funding so they might be too expensive - developing a reader can't be that hard to do.

I just saw this in a NewsGator feed, very interesting, they are working the educational market, you can get there from the above link.

http://www.newsgator.com/news/archive.aspx?post=43

You might also want to check out their NewsGator Online Services to see how they are "pushing the envelope".

TP
Posted by Steve Byrne on 9/14/2004 at 5:37 PM Author

Thanks Tim
Posted by MRowland on 9/15/2004 at 4:15 PM Accepted

Steve,

I have a slightly different use for RSS feeds in the b2b world. Instead of using it to communicate outwardly, I've gotten a couple of my clients to use RSS feeds to:

1. Stay abreast of competitor communications
2. Learn what corporate bloggers are saying about your products and services as well as your competitors' offerings
3. Mine information for consistent feedback on customer wants/needs/desires

The main problem is that there is not a really good reader out there with a filtering capability that truly works for b2b needs. We don't care if an individual is blogging about how the company's stock is falling due to whatever. We care if an individual mentions a product or service of ours and its limitations/defects/positives etc.

Until blogging really is adopted by more business types, RSS feeds will be hit or miss. For now, getting competitor information is the best use. This will also train users to get comfortable with the tool as it evolves.

Regards,

Mike
Impact Interactions
Building Strategic Interactions Online for Business
Posted by Steve Byrne on 9/15/2004 at 4:36 PM Author

Very creative Mike, I hadn’t thought of the competitor info potential. You and Tim have definitely identified the reader standards problem as the current limitation -- there are sooooo many great rss based opportunities for marketers. Hope to hear of some others …
Posted by mbarber on 9/16/2004 at 12:15 AM Accepted

Gidday Steve. I concur with most of what has been posted back so far.

There are some critical themes that are emerging in the RSS world.

First - can it make money? (No)
2nd - Should it make money? (no)
3rd - What's driving the take up?

This is the question that is going to get to your 'future' orientation.

What is driving the take up is things like the Digital Millenium Copyright Act and the restrictive publishing practises of the major media companies that also have a 'line to tow' to please their major owners.

These two factors have restricted the number of alternative voices being heard and quite frankly, the masses are sick of it.

So RSS that started out as a simple and effective tool for the academics and specific interest invididuals has enabled alternative voices to be heard.

Over time, the quality RSS feeds gain more awareness and more and more newscasters tag their feeds to the output of bloggers and other sites.

As success and critical mass of some of these sites built, the eye of the corporate world and its hunt for new revenue streams, turned to the blogging community and their RSS feeds.

Enter the big boys.

The critical thing for the future of RSS is in the INTENTION of the application by those who use it. If the user tries to create an revenue stream they will ultimately fail. BUT if they try and create an information stream, THAT information stream can then be used as leverage toward other income streams.

So for businesses using RSS, the key is to be willing to SHARE FOR FREE, useful information that will specifically target an interested party. You also need to be willing to make that content available REGISTRATION FREE! That is something the big media boys don't yet understand. The access must be quick AND simple or your feed will be taken of the list of 'things to watch'.

Keeping it simple and free over time will build a relationship with a party EVEN IF your business does not currently know who they are.

Hint - if you track your prospects for where they heard about you (and we all do don't we?) then add 'RSS Feed' as one of the tracking options because more and more we will see customisable content as being the driver for how people gather and sort available information.

Now as for examples - check out www.downes.ca for one writer, check out www.anse.de for a free to use shareware RSS harvester and take a look at Robin Good's site (Luigi Canali De Rossi) and also check out this link found at the Robin Good site for suggestions for 'newsmasters' of the future using RSS - http://tinyurl.com/4baut
Posted by Steve Byrne on 9/16/2004 at 3:04 PM Author

Thanks for the great input Marcus.

What I like about the (free) information stream concept is it’s credibility with readers – markets, particularly tech markets, sometimes require education before sales/marketing activity can occur. RSS is an ideal platform for distributed education.

“So RSS that started out as a simple and effective tool for the academics and specific interest invididuals has enabled alternative voices to be heard.” -- This comment of yours had a familiar ring, say early 90’s about the internet itself. It’s all quite though provoking and capitalistic.
Posted by Steve Byrne on 9/20/2004 at 5:40 PM Author

Thanks to everyone, helpful input by all. I'm sure we'll see more questions about RSS and marketing.

I'm looking forward to them.

- Steve

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