A Guide on RSS Tool

RSS is an abbreviation that has evolved into the following, depending on their versions:

• RDF Site Summary (also known as RSS 0.9; the first version of RSS)
• Rich Site Summary (also known as RSS 0.91; a prototype)
• Really Simple Syndication (also known as RSS 2.0)

Today, RSS stands for 'Really Simple Syndication', and it has the following 7 existing formats or versions:

• 0.90
• 0.91
• 0.92
• 0.93
• 0.94
• 1.0
• 2.0

RSS tools refer to a group of file formats that are designed to share headlines and other web content (this may be a summary or simply 1 to 2 lines of the article), links to the full versions of the content (the full article or post), and even file attachments such as multimedia files. All of these data is delivered in the form of an XML file (XML stands for eXtensible Markup Language), which has the following common names:

• RSS feed
• Webfeed
• RSS stream
• RSS channel


They are typically shown on web pages as an orange rectangle that usually has the letters XML or RSS in it.

RSS feeds can be used to deliver any kind of information. Some of these 'feeds' include:

• Blogs feed - each blog entry is summarized as a feed item. This makes blog posts
easier to scan, enabling 'visitors' to zoom in on their items of interest.

• Article feed - this alerts readers whenever there are new articles and web
contents available.

• Forum feed - this allows users to receive forum posts and latest discussion
topics.

• Schedule feed - this allows users (such as schools, clubs, and other
organizations) to broadcast events and announce schedule changes or meeting
agendas.

• Discounts or Special feed - this is used to enable users (such as retail and
online stores) to 'deliver' latest specials and discounted offers.

• Ego or News Monitoring - this enables users to receive 'filtered' headlines or
news that are based on a specific phrase or keyword.

• Industry-specific feed - used by technical professionals in order to market,
promote, or communicate with current (and prospective) customers and clients
within their specific industries.

RSS feeds enable people to track numerous blogs and news sources at the same time. To produce an RSS feed, all you need is the content or the article that you want to publicize and a validated RSS text file. Once your text file is registered at various aggregators (or 'news readers'), any external site can then capture and display your RSS feed, automatically updating them whenever you update your RSS file.

RSS tools are useful for sites that add or modify their contents on a regular basis. They are especially used for 'web syndication' or activities that involve regular updates and/or publications, such as the following:

• News websites - as used by major news organizations such as Reuters, CNN, and the
BBC.
• Marketing
• Bug reports
• Personal weblogs

There are many benefits to using RSS feeds. Aside from being a great supplemental communication method that streamlines the communication needs of various sectors, RSS tools and feeds can also have tremendous benefits in your business, particularly in the field of internet marketing.

RSS tools and feeds provide Internet users with a free (or cheap) and easy advertising or online marketing opportunity for their businesses. Below are some of the RSS features that can help make your internet marketing strategies more effective.

1. Ease in content distribution services. With RSS, your business can be captured and displayed by virtually any external site, giving you an easy way to 'spread out' and advertise them.

2. Ease in regular content updates. With RSS, web contents concerning your business can now be automatically updated on a daily (and even hourly) basis. Internet users will be able to experience 'real time' updates as information in your own file (such as new products and other business-related releases) is changed and modified simultaneously with that of the RSS feeds that people are subscribed to.

3. Custom-made content services. With RSS, visitors can have personalized content services, allowing them total control of the flow and type of information that they receive. Depending on their interests and needs, visitors can subscribe to only those contents that they are looking for (such as real estate or job listings).

4. Increase in (and targeted) traffic. With RSS, traffic will be directed to your site as readers of your content summary (or 1 to 2 lines of your article) who find them interesting are 'forced' to click on a link back to your site.

These are just several of the many things that you can do with RSS. The possibilities are endless, and they are all aimed at providing you with an effective internet marketing strategy for your business.

Related links:

FeedBurner
Monetize your Website or Blog with BidVertiser
Pheedo

Best of luck to you,
Mike Filsom
http://freeaffiliatetraffic.blogspot.com

CREATE A SQUIDOO LENS FOR MORE TARGETED TRAFFIC

If you have not heard of Squidoo by now, you must have been living in a cave for quite some time.... Welcome back! Squidoo is a very powerful website, especially if you want to try out marketing. Google really likes Squidoo.

So how do you create a Squidoo lens for your business? A lens is made up of modules. There are many different kinds of modules: the guestbook, the introduction, the write/text, the link list, the text list, You Tube, Flickr, Amazon, Ebay, Itunes, poll, dogs, cameras, Orbitz, WHATEVER. So what you basically do is add the kind of modules you would want to use and build a lens. It is simple and efficient. What more can you ask for?

Before you go building your lens, here are some tips for you.
1. Do your keyword research before you build a lens. Target a certain keyword and build your lens around it.
2. Tell people who you are. For each and every lens, you should have a unique bio showing, one that is related to the specific lens you are building. Unless you have TOO many lenses to keep track.
3. Include a guestbook, a poll and maybe a plexo. A plexo will let people vote for their favorite and contribute to the list. Interaction will make people come back to your lens.
4. The main headline of your lens should contain the main keyword you are targeting. It should also capture their attention and create interest.
5. Your introduction should be interesting enough for people to read on. Create links in it for people to "jump" straight to the content they are interested in. You can do this by right clicking the links under "what's here" and copy link location. Credit goes to ShellHarris for this tip.
6. Play with your tags. Check out similar lenses and see what tags they are using and add those to your list. There is a maximum of 40 tags though, so choose wisely. Do a keyword research on each of those tags, see how many times it has been searched for and how many competing results are there.
7. Again, content is king. Offer something valuable, even if it is just a review of a product. Don't just copy and paste. The most valuable thing you can offer, to me, is your opinion on a certain matter. That is unique to you and no one else.
8. Ask for ratings and comments. Put this in your introduction, the part where most visitors will read.
9. Participate in the squidoo forum, squidu. People there are helpful. See also the forum strategy below.
10. Join relevant groups and maybe create one yourself!
11. Look around the squidoo community, rate and comment on other people's lenses. Let them know you are there and they will reciprocate. Don't expect too many of the high flyers to look around though, they are too busy managing 500 lenses!
12. While it is true you will get indexed relatively quick and you CAN depend just on Google traffic to your lens, I would highly suggest you continue to promote your lens through other means.
13. Create more lens! The more lens you have, the more exposure you will enjoy and the more traffic you will receive.
14. Feature your lenses in all your lens! Many people miss this! Get people who visit lens A to go on and visit lens B, C, D etc.

Please check out my lens at http://www.squidoo.com/makingbigmoneyonline

Best of luck to you,
Mike Filsom

Traffic Exchanges For Increased Website Traffic

Despite the services you may have come across online that run this kind of operation look decidedly dodgy. It does actually work if you use the right service. I've been using Traffic Swarm for about 6 months now and I always see a steady stream of traffic from it to the URL's I submit. The system works by either setting your homepage to the Traffic Swarm network or by logging in to Traffic Swarm with the password you receive after signup. Each time you open your browser or sign in, you gain a credit and view 6 links; each with a short description of a particular sites content. If none of the links appeal, click the next button and you are presented with 6 more links. Should you click on a link, you receive anything from 1 to 5 credits. All credits earned go towards the number of times your site link is displayed on the network. Traffic Swarm is now in the top 500 most visited sites on the Web.

How does a Traffic Exchange work and why would I use one?
These are common questions asked by people who own web sites. Making use of a traffic exchange will have benefits for both individuals and companies, but very few people are knowledgeable on exactly how traffic exchanges work. Anyone who owns or operates web sites can join a traffic exchange network easily by signing up. When someone submits a web site to a traffic exchange network, he/she earns points by browsing other sites in the network. Other network members earn points by browsing the site you submit. The net result is a mutual benefit for everyone: all sites in the network benefit from increased traffic. Most traffic exchanges allow a web site to earn a certain amount of credit and maintain a certain credit ratio, which is what determines the number of web sites a person has to look at in order to get one hit on their own web site. Lots of traffic exchange sites give you an option of purchasing an upgraded account that gives you a more equal credit ratio i.e. you have to view fewer sites to get an extra hit on your site. A side advantage is that internet destinations grouped together via traffic exchange typically cater to common topics. Therefore, you might find new sites you want to regularly visit, or at the very least, you can see what is new with your competitors. The best traffic exchange programs can be joined for free and function by encouraging you to build credits by using referrals. They also encourage you to obtain a paid upgrade by offering extra credits and better features. These credits can be used to build an opt-in list by capturing an email address with the name of other persons from other sites in the network. You can also use an auto-responder form, or construct and advertise a catchy looking home page with eye candy, or a splash page to build your list. As you can see, the basic concept of how traffic exchanges work is quite simple.

Who uses traffic exchange programs?
The main users are small business owners or marketers who either want to use the system to get free advertising or to use the exchange program to get a wider audience for low budget advertising campaigns. It is also possible to simply purchase credit from the traffic exchange site rather than surfing the other web sites to earn it. Private persons and internet-based corporations making mutually beneficial visits to each other's websites is how traffic exchanges work. The best way to use a traffic exchange is to build your own opt-in list by including an auto-responder form on your landing page or for advertising using a concise splash page with eye-catching graphics.

I was able to find 146 of these sites. You can easily type "traffic exchanges" into your web brower but I'll list a few of the more popular exchanges for your convenience.

1. http://www.trafficswarm.com/
2. http://www.ilovehits.com/
3. http://www.tugboattraffic.com/
4. http://www.tiptoptraffic.com/
5. http://www.freetrafficbar.com/
6. http://www.shownfind.net/
7. http://www.startxchange.com/
8. http://www.trafficbully.com/
9. http://www.trafficproject.com/
10. http://www.gimmeclicks.com/
11. http://www.savvyclicks.com/
12. http://www.hitsafari.com/
13. http://www.easyhits4u.com/
14. http://www.hits2u.com/
15. http://www.trafficdigger.com/
16. http://www.freeviral.com/
17. http://www.clicksmatrix.com/
18. http://www.trafficg.com/
19. http://www.surf30.com/
20. http://www.xtremehit.com/

That should be enough to get started.

Best of luck to you,
Mike Filsom

Get Free Traffic With Article Marketing

One of the easiest ways to get more traffic to your website is through article marketing. If you write articles that are related to your website and submit them to article directories and free article submission sites, you can increase your web traffic and sales. When you write an article, you will be able to include a link in the resource box at the end of the article. This is what readers will see and when they click on the link for more information, they will be taken to your website. These articles also become available to webmasters, newsletter publishers and your target audience. Your article can get picked up and posted to other websites and in online newsletters, which is an additional way to increase and boost your web traffic. If your article is picked up by other online business owners, this creates a link back to your website. This is called back linking. If someone reads your article from any other website, they can still click on the link and pay a visit to your website. All sales will still belong to you. As your articles increase, so does the opportunity for more online coverage. The search engines will become your friend. Search engines pay attention to reciprocal links (exchanging links with webmasters) and back links. The search engines attach a lot of significance to websites that have a lot of links to them and increased your search engine ranking. So it is a domino effect. The more articles you can write and publish, the more exposure you will receive. If you are selling a product or service online, then your links will pay off and give you more traffic and more traffic equals more sales. Even if your visitors come and browse around your website, they can potentially bookmark your page and come back later. Search engines will also index your published articles and give you higher placement. If someone conducts a search using the keywords that you have in your article, then they can find your article and click on the link to get to your website. So make sure that your articles have the appropriate keywords that describe your product or service. Many online business owners are catching on and seeing the potential in writing and publishing their articles. When someone finds an article that is packed with benefits and information that they are looking for, the chances that they will buy from you is much higher than just a regular reciprocal link from someone else's website. Your articles should be informative, unique and fresh. Make it professional, but humorous. The reader should be able to understand the point that you are trying to make. No sales pitch should be obvious in the article. If you take a few minutes to write one article and submit it to article directories and check the search engines in a few days, you will be surprised to see the effect of one article and maybe, this will give you more zest to write other articles to increase your traffic.

Best of luck to you,
Mike Filsom

Get Free Traffic With Forum Marketing

Very often, entrepreneurs who start out online end up losing money and wasting time trying to get traffic to their websites and I have to admit, I was once there. It’s a fact that I was once a newbie, I once lost over a grand on advertising and even I have even been scammed a couple times. Many have walked the path I have, committed many blunders…some may have even experienced worse but that’s not the point here. What I am trying to get at, is that these mistakes have taught most of us (entrepreneurs) to be smarter, to start thinking "out of the box" when making business decisions.

Today I’m going to show you how thinking "out of the box" can help you get traffic the lazy way & gain exposure to your website with just one or a few forum posts. Yes, you heard it right. Before I tell you about the forum method, I want to set the record straight. I know some of you would like it to be, “Mike, can you show us step by step how to do it…what to say and what to do.” Well, I’m sorry I’ll have to disappoint you if you ask to be spoon-fed. If you feel that what I am about to share with you makes good sense, you’ll be able to do it instinctively. That is the spirit about doing online business. You need to understand that when it comes to marketing, you are dealing with a real human being and not some robot you can feed a few sentences to and it will hand you whatever you desire.

So, why Forum Marketing? The context in which your customers get to see your offer is very important.

Example: If your potential customer is searching on Google, their guard is higher, however, if they know they are searching in a forum, they are less guarded because forums create a sense of community where everyone’s opinions are open for others to criticize.

Visitors in forums are usually there to look for new information as people constantly want to be in the know. They are also there to seek opinions. The trust there is enough that they will be open to other people’s suggestions. Everyone wants to have a say and give their own opinions whether they are competent or not.

So how do you get traffic to your website from forums with just one or a few posts? You get them to give you their opinion. Let’s say you’re in a Yoga niche. You could pose a question like:

“I know some of you may not like Ashtanga Yoga but I also know that it helps to awaken your body’s energy…which camp do you belong to? Do you prefer Ashtanga Yoga or others?”

You will certainly get a heated debate here automatically and you can recommend the exact Ashtanga Yoga DVDs in your forum signature. You can also post again to comment after other people’s replies for added boost. With so much content on your post or topic, it’s like creating a long article of content, not created by you but by the forum users.

What this does is to create new content that Google will easily index (generally forum pages are highly indexed by Google), therefore bringing traffic not only from forum users but also from the search engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN…and for a long while. When visitor traffic arrives, your signature will be exposed to them, so make sure you use a good headline for your signature.

A few proven signature lines are:
Example: If you’re in a weight loss niche and your post is about a pill called "Y":

Benefit Oriented Signature: Melt off 200% more fat when doing this exercise with "Y"…
Special Offer Signature: Special Offer For "Y" Members of Yoga Forum …
Your Case Study Signature: (People love to read about people, that’s why blogs are so popular) Read My Journey with Pill "Y" and how I got rid of 30 pounds of FAT in 17 days …

These are just the tip of the iceberg for ways to generate traffic. I’d love to hear from you, so please share your thoughts in the comments section below and be sure to let me know your results.

Best of luck to you,
Mike Filsom

http://freeaffiliatetraffic.blogspot.com
http://makemoneywithwebsitefree.blogspot.com