rss方向

王翌最近推广RSS用力不小，作为一名IT记者，把握互联网应用的新趋势，并努力做一个新技术的布道者，是很难得的。尤其在国内的环境下，IT记者大多不太关心技术，多数技术方面的报道，也只是关心技术表面的热闹。所以我觉得，王翌因为推广RSS而被指为枪手，也是值得的。做一个新技术的枪手，有什么不好的？让大家多了解一些东西，有什么不好的？这样的枪手没人喜欢当，是因为并不能给自己带来直接的利益，所以王翌你就只好责无旁贷了。

最近好几个人跟我谈起做RSS阅读器的想法，让我感觉有点一哄而上的意思。现在市面上已有很多RSS阅读器了，不是不可以开发新的，但如果你没有更好的创意，凭什么取代现有的这些RSS阅读器呢？FeedDemon在这方面应该算是一个领先者，Nick Bradbury在这个产品上也花了不少心思，一直没停止为它增添新功能，包括对Flickr和Del.icio.us的支持，对Bloglines的支持，以及对最新的Podcasting的支持等等。简单地做一个FeedDemon的替代产品没什么意义，超越FeedDemon的惟一途径，就是改变思路，走与FeedDemon不同的道路。

RSS 阅读器是聚合RSS的重要工具，其意义自然非同小可。RSS的应用领域很大，用户的需求也很多，不可能有一种产品可以涵盖所有用户的需求。所以做RSS阅 读器的第一步，不是照着FeedDemon再做一个，而是从了解并研究用户需求入手，独辟蹊径，做一个跟FeedDemon不一样的产品。

我 个人更看好在线RSS阅读器，像Bloglines那样的。在线的好处是，可以基于RSS开发出更多的应用，比如RSS搜索、社会网络功能等等。在这方 面，Bloglines已经占据了一个很好的位置，拿到了最大的市场份额（1/3左右），但它也没有穷尽所有的用户需求。

需求有了，应用有了，市场机会也就出来了。王翌说，他感到很无奈的是，连搜狗、中搜这些做搜索引擎的，都不关心RSS，甚至对RSS一无所知。其实王翌根本没必要无奈，等他们看到商业机会，他们自己就会着急了，你何必替他们着急。

Branded RSS Aggregator Strategies and New Customizable RSS Aggregator

posted by Rok Hrastnik in RSS Developments

Branded RSS aggregators are seeing a lot of press this week, in part due to NewsGator's latest release and I'm also hoping that in part because companies are finally starting to see the full power of RSS.

Are we finally reaching the tipping point?

And then just today I received a call from the people at CustomReader, who have developed and launched what seems to be an RSS aggregator, which companies can customize for their brand and then share with their visitors.

"Custom Reader is your very own personalized tool that you can offer your subscribers to create user loyalty and is useful to your readers as they can stay up to date with any type of information on the Web; news, blogs, weather, search results, sports results, auctions and more.

Custom Reader is a fully customizable application. You control the look and feel of the reader to suit the needs of your business. When you change the reader changes with you.

You're in charge, decide which information you want to deliver to the reader.

Change the appearence of the reader, add your own logo, icons skins and much more."

I'm still searching for instructions on how to customize my own version, but this does look promising.

Benefiting From Your Own Branded Aggregator

To help you see how you can benefit from your own branded aggregator and give you some ideas on how far you can actually take your own aggregator, here's a short excerpt from "Unleash the Marketing & Publishing Power of RSS":

A branded RSS aggregator should go further than a "lean & standard" aggregator and integrate the functionalities needed for the company to better promote its brand, its products, its RSS feeds and also keep a mutually profitable relationship with the customer.

This could mean adding the following functionality to the software, in addition to basic RSS consumption capabilities:

a) A visually branded software interface

b) Pre-installed company RSS feeds, presumably spotlighted in the reading list; personalized if possible (the last would have to be done in connection with the company's RSS publishing system that would automatically provide a personalized feed for each identified RSS aggregator user and automatically provide him with content relevant to his needs through the company feeds, for instance product support content updates)

c) An RSS feed customization module, if the company offers RSS feed customization

d) Ad serving module, capable of serving targeted company ads to users through the aggregator, based on their browsing/content consumption habits

e) Notification module, capable of serving special notifications from the company (this could be implemented as an RSS feed, but with an additional notification message posted on the screen when new content items appear; could also be used for every new content item from the company), to facilitate prospect/customer/partner communications

f) Communications module, basically a form that the user can use to send messages to the company, and even receive feedback; could even include a customer support system

g) Web store module that would allow the user to browse the company's product line through the actual aggregator and even conduct orders

h) Direct access to product information, such as product manuals, FAQs, product forums etc.

i) An option for the user to customize his aggregator with his own affiliate links (for the company's products, or even his own) and then re-distribute it to his own visitors

j) Direct access to other information; a publishing company could perhaps give its users the opportunity to read its book excerpts directly from the aggregator

l) Integrated forum, to enable the user to communicate with our company customers/partners and perhaps even discuss possible business cooperation with them

k) Etc.

The marketing opportunities of what you can do with your own software are really quite endless.

RSS阅读器的商机

by WebLeOn

Keso扯到了RSS阅读器，也许从技术角度来说，RSS Reader再要有什么创新的确很难。不过作为一个信息的中介工具，也许还是有很多商业上的应用值得挖掘。MarketingStudies介绍的Branded RSS Aggregator就是一个不错的想法。

企业度身定作的RSS阅读器可以植入各种功能以推广企业的品牌、产品，并可以作为改善企业和用户之间关系的桥梁。MarketingStudies列举了这类RSS Aggregator可能包含的一些特点。

1. 包含企业或者产品标识的软件界面。
2. 默认订阅企业最新消息的Feed，以及特定产品的更新信息(通过对用户自动辨别)。
3. 如果企业提供可订制的RSS，聚合器也应该支持订制模式。
4. 广告模块，便于企业随时为用户提供相关产品的广告。
5. 特别信息的提醒功能，可以是公司的特别消息，也可以对特定客户的通知。
6. 双向交流功能，客户能通过软件方便的反馈信息。
7. 电子商务模块，允许在线购买产品及其他网上交易活动。
8. 查阅商品信息的功能。
9. 允许客户继续自定义RSS聚合软件，通过客户在更大范围内传播该软件。
10. 直接连接其它的信息。
11. 内置论坛方便用户间交流。

我并不觉得其中并不是所有的功能都是必要的，但是这样的尝试在未来还是会有它的市场的。作为一种RSS衍生的深层应用，这类产品比起单纯的RSS阅读器比起来更有商业意义。事实上已经有公司开始提供这样的产品，CustomReader就是一个为用户定制RSS阅读器的公司。定制的RSS Aggregator配合PR blog，很有可能会成为一种有效的eCRM方案。

http://www.marketingstudies.net/blogs/rss/archive/000265.html