E-Marketing - What's RSS marketing’s future in B2B? from SteveByrneMarketing: MarketingProfs Question 3159

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Topic: E-Marketing

What's Rss Marketing’s Future In B2b?

Posted by SteveByrneMarketing 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.

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Posted by SteveByrneMarketing 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 SteveByrneMarketing on 9/14/2004 at 4:00 PM Author

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

Found this link:

Search Engine Optimization With RSS

https://www.webpronews.com/ebusiness/seo/wpn-4-20040802SearchEngineOptimiza...

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 SteveByrneMarketing 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.

https://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 SteveByrneMarketing on 9/14/2004 at 5:37 PM Author

Thanks Tim
Posted by SteveByrneMarketing 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 SteveByrneMarketing 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 SteveByrneMarketing 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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