My Predictions for RSS In 2007
There has been an ongoing debate in the email marketing industry for the past couple of years regarding RSS (Real Simple Syndication). With just 3% Internet user penetration, proponents of the medium say RSS will replace email marketing because it is 100% opt-in and has 100% deliverability. True, these two characteristics make for very compelling arguments however most proponents of RSS overlook four major characteristics of email that trump RSS; personalization, data collection, portability and two-way communication. These characteristics will sustain email's marketing vitality until another technology comes along and does a better job.
That said, it doesn't mean RSS doesn't have a place in the marketer's arsenal. With Microsoft's launch of IE7 yesterday, RSS will find its way to many more Internet users in 2007. When there is massive market adoption of RSS, marketers who rely on traditional batch and blast email marketing will want to start looking to RSS for this task.
My Prediction:
Toward the end of 2007, traditional batch and blasters will BEGIN to consider RSS on a mass scale for marketing purposes in addition to using email.
That said, it doesn't mean RSS doesn't have a place in the marketer's arsenal. With Microsoft's launch of IE7 yesterday, RSS will find its way to many more Internet users in 2007. When there is massive market adoption of RSS, marketers who rely on traditional batch and blast email marketing will want to start looking to RSS for this task.
My Prediction:
Toward the end of 2007, traditional batch and blasters will BEGIN to consider RSS on a mass scale for marketing purposes in addition to using email.
Oh please - email personal?? Just because a tool can add my name to the message doesn't make it personal. Most of the email I get with my name in it is laughable. Personal means directed to ME - not just adding my name. Do you write individual emails to EACH client? I think not.
And data collection - I collect more reliable data from my blog than I ever got from email campaigns. I get 70% of my business from my blog, without even asking for it. Email never did that for me.
Two-way communication? Oh please! Email campaigns tell the receiver (in her own name) NOT to reply to them, because they are sent by an automated tool!!! With a blog, you get a reply from the blogger - a real person, in fact, the real person you wanted to hear from.
Email marketing has its place, but... it can't compete with blogs and RSS, if they're utilized properly. Blogs are pull marketing - it doesn't get more effective than that. Blogs are word of mouth across dozens of channels - email can't do that. Blogs are personal to the nth degree because readers get to know the blogger, one on one, and learn to trust him or her.
I think blogs and email marketing should work together - to create new, innovative and interactive ways to connect with clients and prospects. I love that I can receive RSS in my email box... let's utilize that. It bothers me that too many bloggers think email is dead (it's not) and too many email marketers don't understand blogs.
What are your ideas on getting these two effective tools to work together?
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Oh please! Oh please! It sounds like you're begging for your life not trying to make a point. Everything you have stated has been anecdotal, not fact. Great, RSS works for you! RSS is a great technology. Email can be personal if the marketer takes the time to collect the necessary data, split lists appropriately and provide the right content. But oh please, most marketers don't.
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