Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is a simple format that can be used either to receive updated content or to send content from one’s website or blog. It’s simple to use, and various free resources are available on the Net. Simply put, RSS is just like newspapers receiving content from news agencies like AP, Reuters, UNI, etc. If you have an RSS feed on your webpage, you continue to get the latest content automatically, provided it is updated by the provider or source.

To use RSS feeds, you must use a feed reader or aggregator. One free and easy to use resource is RSS-to-JavaScript. The following steps need to be followed:

1. Select the RSS feed you want to place on your webpage. You can simply type “RSS [subject]” in any search box like Google, Yahoo, MSN, etc. In place of “[subject]“ enter the the topic you want. Let us say, you typed “rss news”. The search engine will display results for this keyword phrase. Select any result and look for the “red” button with the words “RSS” or “xml”. Click on any red button of your choice. A page in “xml” script will open up. Do not bother with the page — simply copy the page’s URL. That is the RSS feed. EF NOTE: Simply look for links to RSS and XML feeds; sometimes they’re red buttons as described here, or some other colored buttons, or even plain text links.
   
2. The RSS feed has to be “read.” Go to RSS-to-JavaScript or some other feed reader and paste the feed’s URL in the appropriate place. Set you font setting preferences, etc., or choose default settings. The feed reader will generate JavaScript code.
   
3. Copy and paste the JavaScript code where you want it to appear on your site (it’s your site, so the assumption is that you know how to do this).
   
4. View your site and verify the feed’s content and appearance, etc.

Some more tips:

You may want to consider setting the “Link Target” specification to ”_blank” so that when the visitor clicks on any RSS feed link, the destination appears in new window.

Before using any free feed reader, ensure that the feed isn’t just for a limited period, otherwise, the feed will eventually terminate (unless you pay for continued service).

One main disadvantage of JavaScript-based feed readers is that search engine spiders or crawlers won’t read the RSS content on your pages. So, it is essential you use this feature merely as an information supplement and service to your visitors. Do not tamper with the JavaScript code.

If you have a blog on Blogger, there is usually a sidebar you can use for RSS feeds. Here are the steps for incorporating RSS feeds there:

1. Go to: Posting > Create > Edit Html
2. Paste the JavaScript code into the main body.
3. Enter a suitable title in the “Title” box.
4. Add any content, if you wish.
5. Click on “Publish Post”.
6. View your blog and modify settings, if you like.

CAUTION: Please do not include RSS feeds (other than those provided by the webhost) on free Web hosting pages like GeoCities, etc., since it violates the terms of service.

Mohan Potukuchi is a chemical engineer who writes on a diverse range of subjects. He helps newbies by recommending free resources for website development. Check out his As It Strikes Me blog.

RSS has been used for more than a decade, but has only recently become commonly used. It is used to provide headlines and summaries of information in a concise and standardized way in one place, without the inconvenience of visiting separate sites on the Internet.

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication (although versions before RSS 2.0 were often recognized under various names). RSS feeds are written in a computer language called XML. This technology is what makes big news websites possible: RSS files are used to create a data feed which will transmit headlines, links or virtually any other piece of information to a channel viewer application, which is sometimes called a news reader.

Simply, a real simple syndication feed is a method that allows Web content to be formed into a recognizable form for viewing through a feed reader. It allows the user to save time and effort by viewing recent content from many different websites, without having to visit the sites individually.

RSS feeds (or news feeds) are growing quickly in usage and popularity and have become an integral part of the Internet, but many users don’t understand what they are. They allow people to see when their favorite websites have added new content without actually having to go to that website.

You can use RSS feeds to keep up to date with the latest posts from your favorite blogs and websites. Feeds can easily be used to get the latest news, weather, or movies, and be able to read them all in one place. This technology also gives you the ability to have other websites have up to date, accurate online information from your site(s) in seconds. Headline and sports news, informative articles, website updates, or your favorite food recipes are just a few of the things that you can syndicate!

Many people set up the feeds to update on their My Yahoo!, or Google page. You can also use them to keep informed with any groups that you belong to.

For example, YahooGroups is a free online community and discussion group service. YahooGroups can be monitored using RSS feeds. In order to keep in touch with a particular newsgroup, simply add /feed/msgs.xml to the end of the YahooGroup URL. Add the new URL to your RSS reader and receive updates every time a new post is added to the newsgroup.

RSS feeds can be used for online marketing very effectively.

If you want to promote your website, using Real Simple Syndication can get your URL listed with all search engines very quickly. This is a good choice for new webpages that need to have increased traffic. Marketing with feeds can help your URL achieve excellent results and ranking well in searches for your webpage’s main keywords.

Internet marketers can use the technology for contacting their mailing lists of subscribers. Many emailed newsletters are deleted without being read. RSS feeds are a more effective way of communicating, and will avoid the challenge of an email not getting through the spam filters.

Webmasters can use RSS feeds to place different types of content on their site. Valuable content can be in the form of articles, stories, press releases, announcements, updated info, company details, products and marketing. Creating feeds on your site gives webpages an ever changing source of syndicated content, and they need very little maintenance once you have set them up.

There are several advantages to using RSS as a source of Web content for your site. Quality content keeps your site visitors coming back and continually adds value to your website. It helps to perpetuate you as an expert in your niche and makes people more confident in purchasing from your site. Content syndication greatly facilitates your site in obtaining higher rankings in the search engines.

Barbara White writes for Send RSS Feeds where you can learn more about RSS feeds, content syndication and RSS feed submissions.

Blogging is a cheap and simple way to make money on the Internet. But, you have to know what you are doing or you’ll make very little money, or worse, you won’t make any money at all. If you’re like most people, you want to start making money and profits as soon as you can.

Why is blogging such a good idea?

Because you can communicate with people all over the world about your product or opinions. Because it’s such an easy, fast way to communicate with these people. Because it’s much easier to set up and maintain compared to a regular website. Because you can build a reputation and a loyal group of followers to buy your product. Because once you know how to drive traffic to your blog and get some top search engine rankings you can almost be an autopilot money making machine.

Learning the right techniques and following a structure that works and doesn’t get you bogged down in time wasting effort is key. Following the wrong strategy will sabotage your efforts every time. And, there is so much advice on the Internet today that it is easy to get lost. You can run around here and there and get nowhere very fast.

Spend some time thinking about your interests or products you really love. Find a product that is relevant to your interests and start promoting it on your blog. Make sure you link from your blog to the merchant page.

With a blog you can set up some AdSense ads and make a little extra income whenever someone clicks on the ad. Google is very good at putting ads on your blog that are relevant to what you are blogging about.

Make sure you let others syndicate your blog with an RSS feed. This means your blog posts will be available to appear on other websites complete with backlinks back to your blog.

Another fast and easy way to get up and running in your new blogging business is to get a mentor to get you started, point you in all the right directions and get you up and running fast. Shorten the learning curve so to speak. Invest in the right knowledge to shortcut your way to success. Time is money. If you’re wasting time trying to figure out the blogging business, then you’re not making money. Spend your time making the money flood to your blog.

Michele Foran writes for Atomic Blogging where you will learn how to stop wasting time and start making money with your blog now.

Internet marketing is a funny animal. Just when things are going well, BAM… you get hit with a slow economy or a holiday or whatever. Suddenly your $300 a day income is down to $100 a day… You’re about ready to hit the panic button and throw the baby out with the bath water. Well, before you do that, this article will help get you through those slow times. Trust me, they will pick up again.

The first thing you have to understand is that marketing goes in cycles. There are actually times during the year, especially for certain niches, where things are just plain dead. Your traffic is going to go down and so is your sales. This is just a fact of life. How you deal with it is what makes the difference between success and failure with your business.

The best way to get around the bad times is to branch off into other niches that are seasonal. The reason I suggest seasonal niches is because when your main business gets back on track, you don’t want to be so bogged down with work that you can’t take care of things. So you want to concentrate on some things that are only big during certain times of the year, like Christmas-related businesses. This way, you have the extra income without a lot of extra work.

Another thing you might want to do is check out Google Hot Trends. You’ll notice that there are a number of topics there that are hot because of some news item, like a celebrity getting married or something like that. There are many ways to capitalize on hot trends, one of which is to put up a blog with a few articles and some AdSense blocks. If the hot trend gets enough traffic, you just might make a few bucks off your AdSense income, and it’s not a lot of work.

You might also take this time to work on your next project. If you have the time to create a new product, go for it. You’re certainly not going to get the chance during the times when things are crazy, so you might as well take advantage of the lull and crank out your next “miracle in a box” for the public to gobble up.

The main thing is not to panic. Like I said, the Internet marketing world goes in cycles.

Eventually, things WILL return to normal.

Steven Wagenheim publishes My Secret Articles where you can go and find out how he earns a monthly income that exceeds 5-figures and how he can help you do the same. Visit his site for a free report.

Personal blogs can be more random if it is simply sharing what you are doing with friends and family. But a blog for business, one you hope will make money, a blog that presents you as an expert or one to drive traffic to a website needs to have a marketing goal or purpose.

Generic will kill you. Trying to post a blog about being a stay-at-home mom might find fierce competition. Trying to post one about how a stay-at-home mom can run an Internet business might be more specific. But do not go posting a blog until you have taken a look around. You do not want to be number one million trying to climb to the top of the heap.

Can your blog be too niche?

Yes it can. If your blog is only about bunions, it could get boring fast. While the hot phrase is niche, you do not want to make it so specific that you run out of ideas in two weeks. There is a good chance you will run out of bunion material.

However, you could instead have a blog about foot problems and this would open up all sorts of titillating subjects of interest, like plantar fasciitis or narrow feet, high arches or flat feet. Now we are talking. We can go into orthotics, shoes, wrapping devices and even socks! I could go on as the excitement is never ending.

So niche does not have to mean singular subject.

That is not to say that drivel.com would not be a viable blog. It would be. In that case, the audience wants to be entertained on various subjects on any given day. They are looking for random or comedic posts and nutty articles.

When it comes to your blog, think Relationship Marketing.

A blog is more personal. Which, in a place as impersonal as the Web, is a big advantage. So it is an opportunity to be professional and give potential clients, customers and visitors a chance to get to know you on a more personal level as well. It is relationship marketing similar to email marketing.

Your blog should also be about a passion or something about which you are an expert. You share information and expertise on this platform and it needs to be changed and updated.

Do not let your blog bo down with the sinking ship called “Mediocrity.”

Please do not do a boring blog, because that is Internet litter. Usually people land on your blog because of a keyword. So you have to have something there that captures attention and makes them want to stay and even return. Welcome to my blog is not going to capture attention. If you have a boring blog that is not informative, you will find out soon enough because no one will come or stay either to come back to play.

Steps to keep in mind: 

• Define your target audience. Who are they? Really define your market. Defining your target market is the part that will most directly affect your bank account, so this step is vital. You have to speak to them so you have to define what is important to them so you can provide the solution or answer.
  
• Write down your marketing objective (a.k.a., your goals). For example: I want the blog to position me as an expert in foot problems.
  
• Write the marketing strategies to make it happen. Article marketing, offline direct mail, sponsor 10K races or marathons, social bookmarking. Look for opportunities to tap into the sports medicine market through forums and AdWord campaigns. These will be strategies on how you will promote your blog.
  
• How will the blog make you money even if it is support for your Internet presence? Example: I want athletes to sign up for my newsletter on improving their gait and preventing future problems of the lower extremities. I will have various products I endorse to avoid and treat problems on the blog and in emails — products I know work because I have had patients try them.

Planning for Success

Success does not just happen no matter how many things you read that tell you it does. It takes some work and perseverance and planning.

Graduation from Basic Blog Branding 101 means you are not going to write, Welcome to my Blog on your blog no matter how tempted you are to do so. And you are going to write some goals down and do some planning for your success.

Anne Moss Rogers is a professional freelance copywriter with 20+ years experience turning marketing strategies into memorable advertising and websites. Her clients include everything from national brands and local businesses. The only common thread in her work is that they are all positioned to a target market. She is also an SEO specialist who takes that definition well beyond plugging keywords in a headline.

Writing your ebook will be about much more than simply writing. Online writing and marketing consists of a series of events that will move you from where you are now to where you want to be. If your goal is to write and sell an ebook on your niche topic, here are the steps you will take to accomplish your goal in a reasonable period of time.

• Choose the topic of your ebook as quickly as possible. Do your initial research to see what problem your market is looking to solve, and then stick with that topic until your ebook is complete.

• Start a blog on your topic as soon as you can. Use a blogging platform like Typepad, because it is easy to set up and maintain and inexpensive as well. EF NOTE: We prefer WordPress, which is very powerful, popular, and comes bundled free with Site5 Web hosting and many other packages offered by other hosting services.

• Begin to write some short articles, around three hundred words long, and submit them to the largest article directories. EzineArticles is the largest and will get your articles read by more people than any other directory. It is also free to sign up for an account.

• Write every day. To be successful in this field, make it a point to spend some time each day with your writing. Make a schedule for yourself and allow some time for writing your ebook and other time for writing articles and blog posts.

• Begin to join the major social networking sites to connect with other people around the world who are also interested in your topic. Ning, Facebook, and Squidoo are good sites to get involved in to begin with.

By following these steps you will be on your way to a profitable ebook writing online business.

Connie Ragen Green publishes EBook Writing and Marketing Secrets which produces free weekly teleseminers that teach you how to write, market and sell your articles and ebooks to increase your visibility, credibility and passive income.

3D box shots (also known as “virtual box shots,” “virtual boxes,” “box covers,” or even “ecovers”) are images that appear to represent a 3D image of a product box. They are in fact just graphics (usually in PNG or JPEG format, but occasionally in other formats such as GIF, BMP or even Flash) associated with a product which is in reality completely non-physical and intangible, such as software, ebooks, video or music downloads, a subscription to a membership site or ezine, etc.

The purpose of these graphics is not to trick people, but instead to simply make a non-tangible product seem a little bit more real and comprehensible, as well as, of course, presenting it in a nice attractive light. If you think there’s any possibility that any of your visitors may be confused by the box shot, you can do as I do: Simply include a clear notice on your download or purchase page (or even the footer of every page), reminding people that your product is delivered as a digital product over the Internet and that no physical item is shipped.

There are a number of alternate ways to create box shots:

1. You can draw them yourself (you need to be good at art for this one)!
   
2. You can pay an artist to draw them for you (fine, but expensive if you need quite a few graphics).
   
3. You can get scripts for Adobe Photoshop that will facilitate drawing the box shot. Generally what these scripts do is take your 2D design of the front cover of the box, and make it 3D. This is generally a fine solution, but it does require Photoshop, which is of course quite expensive.
   
4. You can get standalone software which is specifically designed for creating box shots and ebook cover images.

Authors, marketers and product developers may use these graphics in a number of ways, including within the products themselves (for example, in the title or copyright information page of an ebook), in advertising materials, or as a navigational element on their website (for example, allowing users to choose between multiple products by clicking on the appropriate product box).

Sunil Tanna writes for Cover Factory, easy-to-use and affordable software for creating your own box shots and ebook covers.

An ezine can keep you in front of your prospects, help you market to a pre-screened list of people, and promote your credibility — all the things a paper newsletter does. But with an ezine, you can do it more frequently and at less cost. But not all ezines are created equal. Here are six ways to make yours pay off.

Discuss relevant issues. The Web demands current content. Your readers want to know what’s happening in your industry now. If you’re not offering a current perspective on your industry, they’ll look elsewhere.

Don’t be a spammer. Only send your ezine to those who actively opt in. You don’t want a distribution list full of people who didn’t know they signed up for your publication. When you start sending it to them, they could think it’s spam — and your reputation could suffer. Make your subscription list opt-in, and you’ll have a smaller group of readers — but they’ll all be interested in your business and expecting your publication.

Show up frequently and regularly. Ezines should generally be sent out more frequently than paper subscriptions. Some businesses send daily, while others send weekly. No matter your schedule, your ezine should be delivered on a regular schedule. If you’re not regular, your prospects won’t get into a habit of reading your ezine.

Offer good content. A well-written article makes a big difference. Keep your tone accessible and informative. Stay away from thick techno-speak, unless you’re writing exclusively for an expert audience. Make sure there are no grammar and spelling errors — they reflect badly on you. If writing isn’t your strong point, hire a professional. Your ezine makes an impression on your customers every day — so make sure your content is good.

Keep it short and scannable. Your readers may only have a few minutes each day to read your ezine. Make sure it’s concise and easy to scan, with short paragraphs, bulleted lists, and bold subheadings. This way, your readers can get the gist of your message in minutes. With long articles and dense blocks of text, they’re more likely to lose patience.

Sell at the end. Your ezine should not simply be a marketing vehicle. If it does, don’t expect to keep subscribers. You must offer information of value first. Once you do that, you’ve earned the ability to include a brief marketing message. Don’t overdo the sales tone, however; instead, simply offer something of further value, such as a free gift or a discount on your services to all subscribers. This will ensure you get a spike in business every time you send out an ezine.

Ezines are powerful marketing tools that allow you to collect pre-screened emails and keep in touch with prospects. Keep it relevant to your customers’ needs, and you’re sure to succeed with yours.

Jennifer Williamson runs Catalyst Writing Services, a successful article writing business in southern Pennsylvania, writing for clients all over the world. Get in touch if you need a freelance writer, or visit her writing blog for up-to-the-minute writing tips and tricks.

There are millions of blogs on the Internet. In fact, there are a very large number of regular websites about blogs and blogging. For every niche and subniche, there are thousands, even millions of blogs. For every person’s opinion or personal crusade, there are millions more.

The trick is to make yours stand out from the crowd and capture your readers. The ways to accomplish this are very similar to the steps you’d take to develop a unique spin for a product you’d plan to sell in your niche. Essentially, your blog is your first Internet product, and you would position and market it to attract and build a relationship with loyal readers.

So you’ve got a great idea for a blog? Just like the process of developing a product, all blogs start with an idea. But what makes your idea different? This is very important, especially if you are going to write a blog aimed at the blogger audience. Since this niche is so competitive, you will have to fill a need that no other site is offering. Failing that, you will have to outdo your competition by over-delivering valuable content to your reader — better yet, position yourself to do both. This applies to every niche, not just one focused on the blogging community.

One way to see if you can offer something unique to your audience is to research your competition. The most common way to do this is to search Google for blogs in your niche and visit them. Another method is to search your niche at Alexa, which ranks websites according to their traffic. Take a look at what they are doing. Study their pages and what topics they are focusing on. Then add your own voice, experiences, and personality to their strategy.

This is a very neglected step that most people skip when starting their blog. They get their great idea and put up their blog… then wonder where the traffic is. This might take you a week, but the time you spend doing it will not be wasted. It will pay you dividends in the ultimate success of your blog. You might even discover an approach that none of the competing sites are using.

Once you’ve reached this point, you need to develop a plan to attract attention and readers to your blog. This is where your content plays a big role. You’ll need lots of it, and it has to keep appearing several times a week, if not daily. Content attracts traffic to your blog. Your voice might hook the reader on that first visit, but it is your quality content that will keep him returning frequently to keep up with your posts. You will lose your readers quickly if you fall behind on adding new posts and articles.

Elle N. Dee writes for The Blog Ladies which offers tips and tools, plus a free AdSense WordPress niche theme and “Cash Blogging for Beginners” ebook at Niche Blog Designs.