Easy RSS, Blogs, and More WordPress
(RSS feed you say-what are they? Here’s the quickest intro to feeds I can think of:
- Download and install the FireFox browser, and then install the Sage RSS plugin.
- Then come back to my site here, and open Sage (ALT-S or the Tools/Sage menu option in FireFox).
- Click on the button on my page that says RSS 2.0, and drag it to the top of the Sage list of feeds – and drop it.
That should register you – now without visiting my site, you can double click on that entry, and get my latest thoughts – and the thoughts (and feeds) of anyone else you care to put on that list.
Now back to WordPress – it has settings to control what text is presented in that feed – make sure you adjust these settings right away for your own blog:
- Tagline – what your blog is about – it should reflect your blog ‘theme’.
- Options/Reading/Reading Options/Syndication Feeds – adjust these to show what you want sent out – but MAKE SURE you set it to ’show summaries’!
Why summaries? herein lies the big secret of blogs for business.
Ready? Come a little closer…
You’re likely writing a blog to get traffic – and if they don’t have to visit your site to read, what traffic will you get?
It sounds simple, but it’s important. I have one blog I read regular that I don’t have to drop by for – his RSS feed has everything in it. The result is I don’t visit, I don’t see his latest ads and offers – and I’m not inclined to.
Of course, I may go around once in awhile – but it’s less often. You want more traffic, not less. And that is why you offer summaries, not articles. Repeat: make sure you use summaries.
Oh, and one more thing – in WordPress, when you post, always write an excerpt – if you leave it off, you’ll still get your whole article posted on the RSS feed anyways, and no visitors. With an excerpt, you’re selling the sizzle, not the steak, and you’ll likely get more visits.
Of course, this means you need to make your entry title and excerpt attention grabbing, but that’s another blog entry…
