What is an RSS Feed?

RSS is short for “Really Simple Syndication” states Collins (Collins, J 2018). So, what are they, and, are they important to your business?

If you subscribe to RSS feeds you can potentially save some time, as you don’t have to check every day to view what has been updated on sites that you follow, similar to newspaper subscriptions. They are “simple text files” that “allow subscribers to see content” not long after being updated (Collins, J 2018). The user subscribes on sites that offer an RSS feed or Subscribe button to click on, which is usually orange. As a subscriber, if and when that site you are following updates, you receive notification of this to your email address.

If you own or publish information on a  website or blog for example, then an RSS feed or Subscribe button could be useful to notify your subscribers of your update. It could also benefit you, when you subscribe, so you can receive updates on information posted by others as well.

Currently, there seems to be several issues with RSS feeds on some WordPress accounts, as commented by users on WordPress “RSS feeds not working anymore” (WordPress.org 2018). One reason could be that RSS feeds may only be available features with some free templates, or on paid WordPress subscription accounts.

As my WordPress account is only a free subscription, the Podcast settings configurations are not available on my account. The Podcast audio has therefore been uploaded to my Soundcloud account, with a link embedded and able to view by clicking on the link below the image, seen at the top of this page (WordPress.com, 2018).

Alternatively, check out my blog post on ‘Importance of Social Media Credibility’ to listen directly to the Podcast audio, or to read the Podcast transcript.

OR – Click this link to listen to my podcast on Soundcloud here: https://soundcloud.com/user-524503737/d-talan-file-6-9-18-1-12-41-pm

References

Collins, J 2018, Lifewire: What everyone should know about RSS feeds, viewed 1 September 2018, https://www.lifewire.com/rss-101-3482781

WordPress 2018, WordPress.org: RSS feed not working anymore, viewed 1 September 2018, https://wordpress.org/support/topic/rss-feed-not-working-anymore-5/

WordPress 2018, WordPress.com: Podcasting, viewed 6 September 2018, https://en.support.wordpress.com/audio/podcasting/