Let me ask you a question: Do you think it is easier to sell your product or services to a complete stranger or to a person you have had contact with before; whether it’s an email conversation, forum participation or even an existing customer relationship (i.e. already bought something from you). Without a doubt, it would be harder to sell to a total stranger who has no prior experience with you and/or your products or services.  First time buyers, who haven’t been referred by a family member or friend, still have to go through a process of: 

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Lots has been happening since my last post just 8 days ago and this month as a whole has been a little unusual for me.  I totally lost focus of my goals and priorities and immeresed myself in my online education to the point of information overload.  And I’m not downplaying education and learning all you can about your business.  However, this month alone I probably listened to more teleseminars, webinars, and conference calls than I did in the total 6 months I’ve been online.  

There were times when I had 2 and 3 calls going on at once switching ears and phones and listening with the computer.  Looking back at my behavior, it was totally insane.  Did I get some good information?  Sure I did.  But was I productive in my online business?  Not really.  

What pulled my head out of the clouds was when I heard not 1, not 2, but 3 very successful gurus say that too much input can actually decrease output.  And everytime I heard about why people fail, it always came back to “moi.”  So with that being said, Let the games begin because I’m back and I’m moving on up!

And just so you know, my information overload detour wasn’t a total lost.  I got to hear Frank Kern, Eben Pagan, Dan Kennedy, David Garfinkel, Rich Schefren, John Carlton, Brad Fallon, Charlie Page, and Alex Mandossian, just to name a few.  

Part 3 will bring to a conclusion, “Learning The Basics Of RSS.”  So let’s get you started.

How do I start using RSS?

There are two things needed to get started, an RSS feed and an RSS aggregator or reader. The RSS feed comes from an RSS-supported website. There are also websites that provide a list of RSS feeds of different websites. An RSS aggregator is used to read the RSS feed from the source website. It scans and collects data on latest RSS feeds from the worldwide web.

An aggregator comes in two forms: a downloadable program also known as desktop aggregator and an online or web-based aggregator. Downloadable aggregators may require payment before they can be acquired, while internet-based aggregators are usually free of charge. All you need to do is to register an account then you are ready to use their services. Both versions allow you to customize or choose which RSS feeds to enter. Paid aggregators are usually chosen by more experienced users and they usually allow more freedom in customizing feeds.

 So to get you started:

1. Choose an RSS aggregator to use. For beginners, web-based aggregators are recommended since they are usually user-friendly

2. Scan the homepage of your target website for the RSS or XML button. It contains the RSS code you need to enter in the aggregator. Copy this code. Syndic8 provides a directory of websites that support RSS.

3. Paste the code (which contains the URL of the website) in your aggregator. There is a space provided for pasting the code.

After you have done these three easy steps, you can start reading the RSS feeds coming from the website. New postings appear as they are published real time at the source website.

RSS and Internet Marketing

The original idea of RSS came from Netscape, where their intention was to provide a means for users to customize their personal homepage to contain links to websites that interest them, similar to bookmarking websites.

The application of RSS to internet marketing was an unforeseen development to RSS technology developers. Since users are given the freedom to add RSS feeds to their aggregators, those who are interested in particular products and services available in the internet can now be notified real time. Marketing becomes more specific to interested people and not a hit-and-miss operation.

Those who intend to use RSS for marketing their products and services should consider linking up with different providers from various areas such as, email account providers, social networking websites, news and television network websites, and of course, blogs.

Clearly, RSS is an innovation in information management in the worldwide web as well as online marketing. We can expect improvements in RSS technology as its popularity increases among users and website owners alike.

What are the drawbacks of RSS?

• The disadvantages of RSS use are brought about by its being a new technology and some user-preference concerns.
• Some users prefer receiving email updates over an RSS feed.
• Graphics and photos do not appear in all RSS feeds. For conciseness and ease of publication, RSS feeds do not display the photos from the original site in announcing the update except for some web-based aggregators
• The identity of the source website can be confusing. Since RSS feeds do not display the actual URL or name of the website, it can sometimes get confusing on what feed a user is actually reading.
• Publishers cannot determine how many users are subscribed to their feed and the frequency of their visits. Moreover, they would not know the reasons why users unsubscribe which could be important in improving their advertising.
• RSS feeds create higher traffic and demands on the server. Most readers still prefer the whole update over a brief summary of the entry, thus they still access the site.
• Since it is a new technology, some sites may not support RSS.

Stay Tuned For Part 3 - How To Start Using RSS

As an internet marketing newbie, when the names of the so called gurus are thrown your way, they really don’t mean a thing.  You really don’t know at that point in time whether they are really established and successful or just saying so.  And of course, you hear some names more than others.  Which by the way, is NO indication of their success but rather a guage on the amount of promotion being done for that particular person. 

After a while, you’ll start to learn the names and soon be able to match a name with a face and even the area of expertise.  If you’re like me, you’ll start to sign up for information from all over the internet and find yourself overwhelmed with a ton of information.  Some useful and most garbage.  It is through this process, that the “real” gurus will outshine the “posers” and “wanna be” which should then signficantly reduce the number of lists you signed up with to a managable number.

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What is RSS?

You probably have seen this three-letter acronym in the course of your internet surfing. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary. Syndicating means, republishing an article that comes from another source such as a website.

An RSS is a means of publicizing updates about websites. It may or may not include a summary and photos of the latest posting. But those that provide summaries (thus Rich Site Summary) allow users to skim through the article so that they could decide later on if they want to access the website source. The RSS feed usually contains the title of the update originating from the website and is also usually the link to the website source. 

What are the benefits of RSS?

RSS gives benefits to both readers (users) and web publishers.

~It gives you the latest updates.

Whether it is about the weather, new music, software upgrades, local news, or a new posting from a rarely updated sites, learn about the latest happenings as soon as it comes out.

~It saves on surfing time.

Since an RSS feed provides a summary of the related article, it saves the user’s time by helping s/he decide on which items to prioritize when reading or browsing the net.

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Do you put off your work for later, only to find your deadlines steadily approaching and your stress mounting? Then you, my friend, are one of the millions of people, like me, afflicted by the procrastination syndrome. Procrastination is the biggest reason for loss of productivity and late output. Though many would not admit it, they would benefit greatly if they would just stop procrastinating and take action – Overcome Procrastination That’s Stealing Your Life’s Potential …

I’ve fallen behind on my posts and general marketing because I’ve allowed myself to get distracted by information overload.  I’ve tried multi task thinking I’ll get more accomplished, only to find out at the end of the day I’m rather unproductive. What I’ve realized over the last few weeks is that losing focus and falling prey to everyday distractions is procrastination in disguise and that sticking to a plan always proves to be more productive.  Avoid and Overcome Procrastination

For many people, putting off their work for later is more habit than desire. It can be so hard to get into a groove where starting your tasks in a timely fashion is a priority; especially if the consequences for being late are things that one can easily bear.  Two main reasons we procrastinate . . .

If you are one of these people, yet you desire to shake off your propensity for procrastination, then you have come to the right place. Here are a few tips to help you overcome this dilemma and become a more productive and reliable person.  Read the rest of this entry