Blogging has become a popular way for people to share their knowledge and connect with others online. However, with so many blogs out there, it can be challenging to get your content in front of the right audience.
That’s where RSS-to-email services come in.
In this article, you will learn about:
What exactly is RSS?
Is RSS dead?
Why should you use RSS-to-email?
How to set up an RSS feed?
How to set up RSS-to-email in GetResponse?
What exactly is RSS?
RSS is almost as old as the Internet itself, but a lot of people are still not sure what it is or how it works.
RSS, or Really Simple Syndication, is a tool that delivers web content directly to your doorstep. Its first version was released in 1999 with the intention of providing a new way for online content distribution. This allowed users to subscribe to the RSS feeds of their favorite news sites and receive updates in one convenient place.
When a website publishes new content, it generates an RSS feed that includes a summary of the content and a link back to the original article. To receive updates, all users have to do is subscribe to the feed using an RSS reader, which collects all of their feeds in one place.
RSS saves users time by aggregating all their favorite content. They can also choose which websites to subscribe to, and even filter content by keywords or topics that interest them the most.
“So this is a relic of the distant past, right?” – I hear you asking. “Something that people used to stay up to date before the rise of social media?”
Well, not entirely. Which takes us to our next question.
Is RSS dead?
This is a question that’s been bandied about for years, and there’s no easy answer. Some say that RSS is a fading technology, while others are convinced that it’s still a relevant and valuable tool.
Admittedly, RSS has lost some of its mojo in recent years. Social media and other platforms have lured away a lot of users, leading to a drop in RSS usage.
However, RSS is hardly a lost cause. There are legions of die-hard fans who swear by its simple and convenient design, not to mention the ability to tailor content to their needs and preferences.
Additionally, RSS is still the go-to choice in certain sectors, such as journalism and media. Many reporters and researchers rely on RSS feeds to stay informed and up-to-date. Moreover, RSS is a common tool in professional settings, from academia to business intelligence.
And while the popularity of RSS has certainly decreased in recent years, interestingly, more and more businesses seem to use the technology. According to BuiltWith, more than 40 million websites have RSS feeds in 2023.
The bottom line is that RSS is here to stay, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that this is the way your audience wants to consume your content. The majority of people prefer newsletters and email digests over RSS feeds, so if you are a content creator, you need to provide your readers with a way of subscribing to email notifications about your latest articles.
Fortunately, you can easily do that with GetResponse’s RSS-to-email feature.
Why should you use an RSS-to-email service?
Rss-to-email allows you to automatically send your latest posts directly to your subscribers’ email inboxes. This makes it much easier for your readers to stay up-to-date with your content, as they don’t need to remember to check your blog or understand how RSS works.
Still not convinced? With RSS-to-email, you can:
Build your email list: Using an RSS-to-email service presents a golden opportunity to grow your email list. When someone subscribes to your blog, they leave their email address and name, opening a two-way communication channel with your subscribers.
Increase your engagement: Your readers are more likely to read and engage with your content if it’s automatically delivered to their email inboxes. According to our 2022 Email Benchmarks Report, automated RSS emails have an average open rate of 31% and click-through rate of 5.67%, making it one of the best performing email types on our list.
Improve your brand awareness: Several RSS-to-email services offer customization options that allow you to tailor your emails with your brand colors, messaging, and overall identity. This generates brand awareness and creates a more bespoke experience for your readers.
Automate your workflow: Automating your blog post distribution process with an RSS-to-email service not only saves you time but also makes it easier to stay consistent with your publishing schedule.
Measure your success: The majority of RSS-to-email services provide metrics that enable you to track your open and click-through rates, giving you valuable insight into the kind of content that resonates with your audience.
Build trust and credibility: Delivering valuable content consistently to your subscribers cultivates trust and credibility with your audience. This is beneficial in building brand loyalty and advocacy.
Monetize your content: Using regular email updates to interact with your subscribers affords you direct access to potential customers who have already shown interest in your content. This can be a powerful way to promote affiliate products, sell digital or physical products, or offer services to your audience.
How to set up an RSS feed?
If you got this far in the article, you probably can’t wait to start sending content updates to your loyal subscribers. The first step of this process is finding the RSS feed of your blog.
Yes, finding, not creating. The good news is that if you use WordPress, Magento, Squarespace, Wix, Blogger, Joomla, or any other popular CMS platform, your blog already has a built-in RSS feed. However, it’s usually hidden, so you need to do some digging to find your RSS feed URL.
First, check the source code of your blog. Navigate to the blog section of your website, right-click anywhere and select “View Page Source” or “View Source” depending on the browser you’re using. Once you have the source code open, search for “rss” or “feed” to find the URL of the RSS feed.
If that doesn’t work, try adding /feed or /rss to the end of your website’s URL to see if it leads to an RSS feed. For example, if your website is www.example.com, try www.example.com/feed or www.example.com/rss.
Still no luck? There are several browser extensions and RSS readers that can help you locate your website’s RSS feed. For example, Feedbro for Google Chrome will detect and display any RSS feeds available on a webpage.
If all else fails, you can generate an RSS feed for your blog with RSS.app. To generate an RSS feed for your blog with RSS.app, you can start by creating an account on the website.
Once you’ve logged in, you can add your website’s URL to the tool and choose which elements you want to include in your RSS feed, such as posts, categories, tags, and images. When you’ve finished configuring your feed, you can publish it to the RSS.app server, where it will be hosted and updated automatically every time you publish new content on your blog.
How to set up RSS-to-email in GetResponse?
Now that you have the URL of your RSS feed, it’s time to create the automation in GetResponse.
Log into your GetResponse account, and navigate to Email marketing, then select RSS-to-email and click on Create RSS-to-email. Next, provide the RSS feed URL and select the frequency of your emails. You can send automated notifications every time you post a new article or you can send regular content digests. You can personalize the subject line with your subscriber information or your RSS tags.
Next, select the email template you want to use from our library and make it your own. Add your logo, select the font, add images or extra content by adding additional blocks to your email with the drag and drop editor.
You can also customize the layout of your content digest by clicking on the RSS block and selecting the number of posts you want to feature as well as what elements you want to show.
Finally, select the email list you want to send the content updates to and launch your campaign. It’s that simple!
Automatically send your latest blog posts to your subscribers with GetResponse’s RSS to email feature. Try it now and see how it can help you engage with your audience and grow your email list!
Final words
As we wrap up this article, it’s time to reflect on the power of RSS email services. In a world where content is king and attention spans are shorter than ever, it’s essential to find ways to reach your audience in the most convenient and effective manner possible.
Whether you’re a blogger, journalist, marketer, or entrepreneur, RSS-to-email is a powerful tool that can help you reach your audience and achieve your goals.