We were waiting for something like this to happen for a
long time. Yahoo!, one of the key providers of mass-market
RSS aggregators, finally took a step forward and published
their RSS whitepaper, covering their own findings with RSS,
based on their usage data.

1. YAHOO!’S KEY FINDINGS

Let’s first take a look at Yahoo! key findings and what
they mean for marketers.

a] Awareness of RSS is quite low among Internet users. 12%
of users are aware of RSS, and 4% have knowingly used RSS.

Although RSS awareness is increasing, only few internet
users yet understand what RSS is and how to use it.

For marketers, this means that simply placing an RSS button
on their site it not nearly enough, with the report finally
demonstrating that marketers needs to use clear and
persuasive copy to get their visitors interested in RSS,
explain RSS to them and get them to subscribe to their
feeds.

In addition it also shows that marketers need to make sure
they are using “user-friendly” buttons to generate
subscribers, such as “Add to MyYahoo!”, which consumers do
understand.

b] 27% of Internet users consume RSS syndicated content on
personalized start pages (e.g., My Yahoo!, My MSN) without
knowing that RSS is the enabling technology.

This finding only underlines the above suggestions.

Stop touting your RSS feeds only using an RSS button, but
rather aim for a “subscribe feature” and then explain to
the visitor how to use it.

Strong copy has never been so important.

c] 28% of Internet users are aware of podcasting, but only
2% currently subscribe to podcasts.

Goes to show that podcasting still has a long way to go and
can right now function only as a supplement to your
existing marketing activities.

It might also give an indication that audio is not the most
appropriate format for much online content.

d] Even tech-savvy “Aware RSS Users” prefer to access RSS
feeds via user-friendly, browser-based experiences (e.g.,
My Yahoo!, Firefox, My MSN).

e] My Yahoo! has the highest awareness and use of any
RSS-enabled product.

Both of the findings above, although indicating that these
are the results Yahoo! would want to publish, show that
having browser-based RSS reader subscribe buttons is a must.

It also shows that the market is ready for the soon-coming
IE and Outlook integrated RSS features, which should really
boost RSS usage among consumers online.

Now, let’s take a deeper look at the report …

2. “UNAWARE RSS USERS” VS “AWARE RSS USERS”

The whitepaper makes a strong distinction between “Unaware
RSS Users” and “Aware RSS Users”, positioning the “Unaware”
batch as the mainstream Internet population.

This makes it absolutely clear that B2C marketers,
targeting consumers, should take special care to promote
their feeds using “friendly” subscribe buttons.

On the other hand, if targeting a more tech-savvy audience,
going the way of “RSS” and more complex RSS reading tools
might be a better choice. This might also prove more
effective for targeting executives and other corporate
target audiences that might be using an enterprise-wide RSS
solution, such as NewsGator.

3. CONSUMPTION LEVELS

The whitepaper says that on the average “Aware RSS Users”
subscribe to 6.6 feeds.

The consequences of this are not as simple as they might
seem. Even “RSS Aware” users do not subscribe to “just
anything” and seems they only subscribe or keep being
subscribed to the content of highest relevance to them.

The message for marketers is to become even more relevant
and more focused on providing real value for their target
audiences.

RSS does not mean that end-users will start consuming that
much more online content, but simply that their primary
consumption channel will change. It’s up to you to make
place for yourself in this consumption channel, but you can
only do so if you become one of the key targeted content
providers for your market and can deliver consistently
high-quality content.

4. TYPES OF RSS CONTENT CONSUMED

Even in the world of RSS, mainstream media rules, with
World news and National news both leading the pack at 52%
and followed by Entertainment at 34% and Weather ad 31%.

If we take a look at what lies beneath this we can see that
end-users still see RSS as a news consumption tool and a
tool to receive time-sensitive updates, such as weather
info.

The interesting part is that blogs achieve only 23% and
although they are gaining quickly are still not part of the
mainstream.

Whichever way you look at this, the real long tail is still
far from fruition.

There are two are interesting categories listed in the
report: investment/financial info/banking at 13% and
Shopping/online commerce at 10%.

The popularity of these two shows that RSS in fact is
appropriate for delivering business info and that RSS can
be used for e-commerce. A strong case in point urging
e-retailers to start providing RSS feeds.

5. WHY END-USERS USE RSS

“RSS Aware” end-users subscribe to feed because of “ease”
or “convenience”, followed by being able to choose what
they read.

To marketers, these three should be the founding stones of
how to get their visitors to adopt RSS.

6. THE FAMOUS ORANGE BUTTON

Marketers, pay attentin to this.

Only 4% of total RSS end-users actually use the orange XML
button, and only 38% of RSS aware users use it.

It seems the orange button isn’t dead … it was never
alive.

Let’s move on and replace it with something more
user-friendly.

And BTW — 22% of the people that clicked on the button
don’t even know what action they took after clicking the
button and 26% left the site. Goes to show the RSS button
is only losing us subscribers.

7. HOW USERS FIND THEIR FEEDS

50% use the defaults available in the RSS reader and only
13% use the search engines to find them.

Yes, it’s cruical to be in the RSS feed search engines, but
it would be even better if you could move your way to the
default seetings. And by all means, actively promote the
feeds on your site as end-users, according to the report,
actively tend to subscribe to the feeds on the sites they
find interesting.

8. CONCLUSION

To conclude this, here’s a direct quote from the report,
saying exactly what I’ve been trying to get through for a
couple of months:

“To position RSS among mainstream Internet users, it is
essential to effectively communicate the benefits of RSS
(ease, convenience, access to information of interest).
Internet users do not understand how to use the XML button,
how to actively seek out RSS feeds, or even what the term
RSS means. Instead, they need a simple interface where they
can choose the information and content that interests them.
This is where personalized start pages and browser-based
experiences can help move RSS into the mainstream.”

Email marketing is a very powerful and valuable method of getting your products, services and ideas out there and if well done, it can even earn you some very good money. It allows you form a relationship with thousands of people you will never meet. The email has now established itself as a powerful marketing tool that is already an essential component of effective marketing. It is also likely to be better targeted than most other forms of marketing since lists are frequently refreshed with new recipients signing on and others using the self cleaning deregistration facility.

Email design of course, however strong the message, it must be well presented if it is to gain the attention it deserves. Its an increasingly powerful and ever so affordable way to turn prospects into clients. It can be used to improve the relationship between a business and its customers or to gain new customers. There are many reasons to use email marketing but often we end up focusing on the money making aspect of it and lose sight of the other areas that are also vital in the world of email marketing. Most email systems allow you to test and track your experiments, so you can see which offers and subject lines work best.

Marketing

However, unlike direct mail, email marketing campaigns are not constrained by weight limits or postal restrictions. Resources email marketing and direct mail has long been considered an effective marketing tool. And without print costs to contend with, envelopes to buy and address and postage to pay for, email marketing is an economic solution that is available to companies of all sizes. Thats why creative email design is so important to any email marketing campaign, email design that makes the most of the flexibility of this media. Email has now established itself as a powerful marketing tool that is already an essential component of effective marketing.

Spam

The word spam is both a tinned meat and email that is sent out to a huge number of people with little discretion. Spam is the email marketing version of carpet bombing. Spam and the spam filters it has given rise to make it harder than ever to get your email delivered. Have you tried email marketing and been disappointed with the number of emails caught in spam filters. You will either purchase a list of unsolicited names and end up spamming your email list which can get you banned by your ISP, or you could rent a reputable opt-in list but you will find that the costs for doing this are even more expensive than hiring a snail mail list.

Most companies use email marketing to communicate with existing customers but many other companies send unsolicited bulk email, also known as spam. They make it very difficult for observers to distinguish between legitimate and spam email marketing. Some marketers report that legitimate commercial email messages frequently get caught and hidden by filters. Nevertheless, it is somewhat less common for email users to complain that spam filters block legitimate mail.

Conlusion

Email Marketing is by far the most cost effective way to market going into the future. It is instant and allows multiple links to be imbedded in the message, driving traffic to company websites. Email marketing is especially popular because it can be much cheaper than traditional mail marketing. It is way cheaper than media investments such as direct mail or printed newsletters and also information can be distributed to a wider range of specific, potential customers.

Moreover,without print costs to contend with, envelopes to buy and address and postage to pay for, email marketing is an economic solution that is available to companies of all sizes. Email has now established itself as a powerful marketing tool that is already an essential component of effective online marketing.

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Creating Internet Income is quite a daunting task for anyone however the challenges seem insurmountable for most newbies, especially those who are technically challenged. If you’re considering marketing online or engaging in any form of Internet Marketing there are a few common pitfalls that you should consider.

Though I’m no “Internet Guru, these are just a few of the common mistakes and pitfalls that beginner Marketers typically face. For many, these mistakes don’t surface until the negative effects of these actions surface. Many new marketers develop tunnel vision early in the online business building process. Hopefully this top 10 list will help you avoid the most common pitfalls.

1. Procrastination – The King Of Failure

Procrastination is by far the KING of failure with respect to online business success. If you fall into the trap of “putting things off”, you will e doomed to failure. Be certain that you develop a consistent habit of taking action. Even if you consistently make mistakes it is imperative that you take action on a consistent basis. Create some form of time management system that you can use consistently. Prioritize your tasks and keep lists of everything that needs to be done. If you feel that your confidence level concerning your online activities is not quite up to par, do not allow this to hinder the execution of your planned activities. What ultimately matters is the consistent execution of your key activities. Your comfort level with specific tasks will improve over time!

Develop A Plan And Work The Plan…

2. Seeking Perfection From The Very Beginning

Many new online marketers go to extreme lengths to create the perfect scenario as they begin to execute their online marketing plans. The fact is, no matter how hard you try, it’s very unlikely that you’ll hit the “home run” you seek right out of the gate. Many newbies seek the perfect web site, the perfect email marketing campaign, the perfect online ad or banner, unfortunately it’s VERY unlikely happen. It really doesn’t matter whether your efforts are perfect or not! What’s important is that you get started as soon as possible with the plans that you’ve developed. Your online marketing efforts will always be a work in process. As you move forward, you can easily tweak things to your liking. Some people set specific scheduled times to review work that has been previously performed and update as necessary. If you try to get everything perfect from the start you will hamper your long term success..

3. Wasting Money By Not Prioritizing Your Spending

This is important and key to your long term success. If not handled properly, this simple mistake will kill your spirit and put you out of business immediately. If you don’t have money to try each any every enticing offer that claims to help your business. DON’T spend money unnecessarily!

The Internet is full of fantastic copy and enticing offers, some of which are great others not so great. Don’t get side tracked by jumping from opportunity to opportunity, help program to help program or buying everything that lands in your inbox. The fact is, most online business essentials can be obtained for FREE. This is particularly true when you’re first starting out. If you commit to engage in a little research, you’ll be quite surprised at what you will find. Not only can you find great resources you will find them in many cases at no charge. Try to control your urge to purchase resources and tools. Think and evaluate carefully before you make purchases for your online business. Write a list of what you need. Examine the pros and cons, and make sure that your purchases are essential to achieving your goals.

4. Not Investing Enough Money On The Right Resources

Converse to point #3, many new online marketers fail to make the proper investment in the proper things. Anyone that tells you that you don’t have to spend ANY money to grow an online business is lying to you. Unfortunately you will have to spend money to sustain your business. When you initially start, you won’t have to spend much, as most of your time should be spent engaging in RESEARCH. You will need more money as your business continues to grow. For starters, you’ll need a domain, a hosting service and an autoresponder, all of which are pretty affordable. As you move forward, the bulk of your expenses will be on testing and promotion. If you’re paying someone to create a product or you’re buying resell rights to a product or service, you must account for these initial expenses as well. Starting out with affiliate products can greatly reduce these types of expenses and allow you to gain a greater understanding of the processes involved as you market online.

5. Pursuing Difficult Markets Due To Ineffective Market Research

This is a typical mistake but an easy mistake to make for the new online marketer. Most new marketers pursue markets that THEY THINK will be profitable. Before you decide on a product or market that you wish to target, make SURE that you’ve performed exhaustive market research. If you don’t, it could be months, even years before you realize that you’re involved in pursuing profits in a market that is NOT commercially viable for a beginning marketer. Perform thorough and exhaustive research BEFORE you invest time and money in your online marketing campaigns. Understand exactly what the term “niche” market means and adhere to that definition strictly. All niche markets are NOT profitable. Before you target your market make sure that customers within the targeted market are willing to spend money! If the market that you seek is not commercially viable, refocus your efforts and pursue a different market!

6. Lacking The Desire To Grow

You must develop an unquenchable desire to grow. Continual growth of your marketing knowledge and your perspective with respect to online marketing activities is essential. Learning online marketing is continual process not a destination. It’s essential that you develop this mind set immediately. If you’re not open to continual learning and growth you and your online business will become stagnant quickly. The skills needed to market online are constantly evolving and changing. One of the most important things you can do is to constantly update your skills and knowledge base with respect to your marketing internet marketing efforts. It is important to note that this doesn’t always occur in a linear fashion. There will be times where you’ll feel that your learning curve has stagnated but keep reading, listening and learning and your insights will continue to expand. Don’t get stuck using the same skills and ideas or doing things the same way for long periods of time without exploring ways to improve what you are presently doing.

7. Trying To Do Everything That Needs To Be Done… Alone

When starting an online business there is lots of activities and tasks that you need to address. This doesn’t always mean that you have to do it all yourself. Of course, you can do it alone but it will make the road ahead much harder, and in most cases a much longer road. Without the proper support and assistance you are more likely to experience burnout very quickly. You don’t have to outsource each and every thing, however it is wise to target certain areas that will monopolize your time and obtain help when needed. On-line forums, blogs and other portals can be a valuable source of ideas, and sources to provide assistance from other people in this area. Leverage your efforts by seeking assistance in areas that are not your best strengths.

8. The Pursuit Of Smaller Profit Sources / Setting Your Internet Income Goals To Low

Many new online marketers find it less intimidating to sell products or services that cost 10-20 dollars. They are misled into believing that these types of products or services will be easier to market. The fact is, in most cases, it takes just as much time, energy and effort to successfully market a $20.00 product as it does to successfully market a $100.00 product or service. Don’t dismiss the idea of varying the types of offers that you intend to market. Be sure to include a few higher ticket items in your offerings. If you’ve done your research, and handled your marketing correctly you can find success marketing these types of items even during the infancy stages of your online internet marketing experience. Undoubtedly, you’ll get less sales, but you’ll also enjoy more profits. You won’t know if you can market these types of offers unless you’re willing to give them a try. Don’t assume that these types of products and services are off limits to your internet marketing efforts. Do the research, target your market, develop your marketing campaigns and promote offers that give you a chance to earn higher commissions along with your small profit offers. Many high ticket offers perform better with existing customers. You typically have developed a relationship with these customers and many will try your offers based on your business relationship and your credibility.

9. The Failure To Separate Your Business Life and You Home Life

Many new online marketers start their online business in hopes to escape the hustle and bustle of traditional offline business activities. Don’t fall into the trap of creating another JOB at home with your online business. Though initially, getting your online marketing efforts up to par may take a little extra time and commitment, you don’t want your online business ventures to dominate your entire life. One of the biggest pitfalls of working from home is the fact that work s always accessible and so is your home life. Knowing how to separate the two is essential for maintaining balance and a healthy perspective.

You’ll find that your personal home life can also creep into your work activities. The fact that you’re at home makes it easy for the lines that separate these two aspects of life to become blurred. Try to separate the two by establishing fixed times when you work, and fixed times for your personal home life. In many cases it’s a good idea to establish a specific work area for performing your business activities. Work doesn’t have to take dominate your life, define distinct barriers that separate your home life and your work life.

10. The Inability To Remain Positive and Ambitious

When you start to pursue your Internet business, you will undoubtedly have those that will not have faith in your long term success. Conversely, you’ll have others that will encourage you and cheer for you every step of the way. I encourage you to surround yourself with positive thoughts and uplifting people to help you maintain your belief in YOU. Starting any type of business can be a daunting task. You absolutely must believe in yourself and remain ambitious to move forward.

Don’t allow ANYONE to tell you what YOU can’t do. Focus on your goals and set them in stone. Decide to decide to decide…. Once you’ve made a quality decision about your online marketing goals stick to them and pursue them CONSISTENTLY. Over time you will experience tell tale signs of success that will keep you motivated and moving forward. Create your own profitable mind set and don’t allow anyone to rob you of that mind set. If you THINK you can you CAN!

Creating an Internet business that consistently generates Internet income is no small task, however if you execute consistently and stay focused in a few key areas it is certainly accomplishable. Avoid these costly mistakes to help you as you pursue your internet marketing goals.

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