Bloggers have been delivered an excellent syndication opportunity through RSS (really simple syndication). But for the blogger that has advertising on his site, the RSS capability that is a blessing by extending the reach of the content, can be a curse too as RSS readers allow subscribers to view content without visiting the site from which it originated.
The thought that follows, then, is about the importance of adding advertising along with content to the RSS feeds. This way you still can receive advertising income, though page views are lowered.
Of course it also follows that content providers that advertise build trust among their RSS subscribers. An angry reader is often an unreturning visitor, and the quickest to “chap their craw” as my kinfolk would say, is to make them think your content is corrupted by sponsorship.
Though some will assume that a contextual advertisement for IBM pops up with a glowing post about the company is the equivalent of a bribe, the majority will understand so long as the ad is not intrusive.
On of the more annoying RSS ad tactics is the use of “snippets,” where subscribers are given a short part of the article but have to click through an advertisement to get the rest. This is a practice Fortune Interactive’s Andy Beal describes as “double dipping.” Readers not only look at adds next to the post in the feed and the website, but are forced to look at ads in between.
“I think that’s scandalous!” said Beal.
Part of promoting your company is building trust with the consumer. And building trust involves transparency and straightforward dealings. Don’t look bought off and don’t intrude. There is a balance to be reached between monetizing and providing relevant content.
