FURTHER UPDATE: I just saw a link to a post done by Amy Gahran back in May called What Are Webfeeds (RSS), and Why Should You Care? So, I'm going to suggest that I borrowed the title of my post from hers without realizing it. And, like Debbie's article, what Amy has to say is way better than mine, so read hers first!

UPDATE: Stranger things have happened I guess, but it just so happens that about the same time I wrote this post (It wasn't actually published until several days later.), Debbie Weil wrote an article for her WordBiz enewsletter entitled One more time. . .what is RSS and why should you care? Her's is better than mine, so read it first! :-)

RSS, which you may know by now stands for Really Simple Syndication, is quite simply one of the most important components of your marketing communications mix. If you've wondered what the "little orange button" you've seen on some websites is for, read on.

With RSS you can syndicate any type of content, whether it's your blog, email newsletter, or website articles. RSS is "pull' technology.

Here's how it works. Let's say you publish a blog. I enjoy reading your posts, but don't always remember to visit your site. Using an RSS reader (or aggregator) such as Pluck, I don't have to visit your site to read your stuff, I can have it delivered instead.

The RSS reader can be configured to pick up your feed, scan your site on a routine basis looking for new content, then pull it down to my desktop, even notifying me when such content is present.

Since most blogging platforms (WordPress, TypePad, Blogger, Movable Type, and such) include RSS syndication as part of the template, your job as a publisher is done. The only question mark is whether your readers know how to use RSS. That's why I recommend Pluck so highly. Using that particular reader all one has to do is click the RSS link, and Pluck will open it. (No right-click, copy shortcut, etc. is needed.)

There are differing types of RSS feeds available. I'll be talking more about that in a future post. . .that is, unless I can find some real RSS whiz to do it for me. Ha!)

BTW, the best explanation of RSS can be found at CommonCraft.com. The site's owner, Lee LeFever, is a technology expert who knows how to translate all that technical jargon into layman's terms. I refer to his site often and recommend that you do as well.