Talking to a group of agents recently and the subject of RSS feeds came up. We talked about using RSS on a blog but also about using it to subscribe to a website. Both can be used in agency practice simply and conveniently.
Agents can easily track changes on a website. For example, to subscribe to new posts on this blog, click on the RSS feed icon 
above (either on the page or in the browser address bar). You will then will be asked to choose a feed reader. I use Google’s web-based reader which is free with a Google account. Internet Explorer 7 has a built in feed reader and Newsgator is another popular reader that can be integrated into MS Outlook.
There are many advantages to subscribing to RSS feeds – here’s a couple. First, there’s no need to enter your email address. Ever. This means you can’t be spammed. Related to this you’ll never have your day interrupted by email. Simply check your feed reader once a day and your done. Second, when you no longer wish to receive feeds just unsubscribe. You’re in total control.
The video below explains using RSS in plain English.
In a future post I’ll look at how RSS feeds can be used on agents’ websites.
