If you run a blog it is likely that you know what RSS is, but even if you don’t, don’t worry as all will be revealed.  RSS stands for “really simple syndication” and is basically a really simple form of technology which enables people to subscribe to your blog so that when you update it, they receive an e-mail notification.  The advantages of RSS are numerous but the main one is that once you have a few subscribers, you can be sure of a regular readership… and you don’t have to bully people to read your posts either!

The Importance of RSS

Although you may not think that RSS is that important in the grand scheme of things, I hope I can change your mind.  RSS is highly important as it is a really simple and effective way of reaching out to customers.  An RSS feed can be likened to a newsletter which you send out to subscribers to let them know about any updates to your company, except for it is more regular.  In fact, every time you post something new your subscribers will be notified, and many will be encouraged to return to your site.

So How Can You Increase Your Subscriber Count?

There are a few things that you can do to increase the amount of RSS subscribers that your blog receives.  We have listed a few of the most important tips below:

• Make sure your RSS button is visible – If you are using a site like WordPress there are numerous RSS buttons that you can use.  In my eyes, the bigger the better!  You might also want to include some text next to your RSS button which says “click here to subscribe” or something along those lines, for people who are not as technologically minded as you.
• Place your RSS button in a good location – The best location to place it is in the top, right hand side of your website.  You may also want to place it in other locations too such as at the bottom of your posts – the more visible it is the more people that will ultimately click on it.
• Ask people to subscribe to your feed – You can either do this at the end of your blog posts or write a specific blog post about RSS.  I like to mention the RSS feed at the bottom of each blog post I write.  You will find that if a reader has enjoyed your post, they will want to read more and this is a great way for them to keep up to date.
• Publish new blog posts on a regular basis – There’s no point in anyone subscribing to your blog if you hardly ever publish is there?  Likewise if you publish regularly people will want to know when so that they can keep up to date.
• Subscribe to other RSS feeds – I don’t recommend you subscribe to any old thing, but it is a good idea to subscribe to other RSS feeds that are in the same niche as you.  Plus as well as maybe getting some blog owners returning the favour, you may also get some great ideas for future blog posts.

It does take time to increase your RSS subscribers, but it has been said to be the best traffic converter so is definitely worth the time and effort!