王翌最近推廣RSS用力不小，作爲一名IT記者，把握互聯網應用的新趨勢，並努力做一個新技術的佈道者，是很難得的。尤其在國內的環境下，IT記者大多不太關心技術，多數技術方面的報道，也只是關心技術表面的熱鬧。所以我覺得，王翌因爲推廣RSS而被指爲槍手，也是值得的。做一個新技術的槍手，有什麼不好的？讓大家多瞭解一些東西，有什麼不好的？這樣的槍手沒人喜歡當，是因爲並不能給自己帶來直接的利益，所以王翌你就只好責無旁貸了。
最近好幾個人跟我談起做RSS閱讀器的想法，讓我感覺有點一哄而上的意思。現在市面上已有很多RSS閱讀器了，不是不可以開發新的，但如果你沒有更好的創意，憑什麼取代現有的這些RSS閱讀器呢？FeedDemon在這方面應該算是一個領先者，Nick Bradbury在這個產品上也花了不少心思，一直沒停止爲它增添新功能，包括對Flickr和Del.icio.us的支持，對Bloglines的支持，以及對最新的Podcasting的支持等等。簡單地做一個FeedDemon的替代產品沒什麼意義，超越FeedDemon的惟一途徑，就是改變思路，走與FeedDemon不同的道路。
RSS 閱讀器是聚合RSS的重要工具，其意義自然非同小可。RSS的應用領域很大，用戶的需求也很多，不可能有一種產品可以涵蓋所有用戶的需求。所以做RSS閱 讀器的第一步，不是照着FeedDemon再做一個，而是從瞭解並研究用戶需求入手，獨闢蹊徑，做一個跟FeedDemon不一樣的產品。
我 個人更看好在線RSS閱讀器，像Bloglines那樣的。在線的好處是，可以基於RSS開發出更多的應用，比如RSS搜索、社會網絡功能等等。在這方 面，Bloglines已經佔據了一個很好的位置，拿到了最大的市場份額（1/3左右），但它也沒有窮盡所有的用戶需求。
需求有了，應用有了，市場機會也就出來了。王翌說，他感到很無奈的是，連搜狗、中搜這些做搜索引擎的，都不關心RSS，甚至對RSS一無所知。其實王翌根本沒必要無奈，等他們看到商業機會，他們自己就會着急了，你何必替他們着急。
Branded RSS Aggregator Strategies and New Customizable RSS Aggregator
Branded RSS aggregators are seeing a lot of press this week, in part due to NewsGator's latest release and I'm also hoping that in part because companies are finally starting to see the full power of RSS.
Are we finally reaching the tipping point?
And then just today I received a call from the people at CustomReader, who have developed and launched what seems to be an RSS aggregator, which companies can customize for their brand and then share with their visitors.
"Custom Reader is your very own personalized tool that you can offer your subscribers to create user loyalty and is useful to your readers as they can stay up to date with any type of information on the Web; news, blogs, weather, search results, sports results, auctions and more.Custom Reader is a fully customizable application. You control the look and feel of the reader to suit the needs of your business. When you change the reader changes with you.
You're in charge, decide which information you want to deliver to the reader.
Change the appearence of the reader, add your own logo, icons skins and much more."
I'm still searching for instructions on how to customize my own version, but this does look promising.
Benefiting From Your Own Branded Aggregator
To help you see how you can benefit from your own branded aggregator and give you some ideas on how far you can actually take your own aggregator, here's a short excerpt from "Unleash the Marketing & Publishing Power of RSS":
A branded RSS aggregator should go further than a "lean & standard" aggregator and integrate the functionalities needed for the company to better promote its brand, its products, its RSS feeds and also keep a mutually profitable relationship with the customer.This could mean adding the following functionality to the software, in addition to basic RSS consumption capabilities:
a) A visually branded software interface
b) Pre-installed company RSS feeds, presumably spotlighted in the reading list; personalized if possible (the last would have to be done in connection with the company's RSS publishing system that would automatically provide a personalized feed for each identified RSS aggregator user and automatically provide him with content relevant to his needs through the company feeds, for instance product support content updates)
c) An RSS feed customization module, if the company offers RSS feed customization
d) Ad serving module, capable of serving targeted company ads to users through the aggregator, based on their browsing/content consumption habits
e) Notification module, capable of serving special notifications from the company (this could be implemented as an RSS feed, but with an additional notification message posted on the screen when new content items appear; could also be used for every new content item from the company), to facilitate prospect/customer/partner communications
f) Communications module, basically a form that the user can use to send messages to the company, and even receive feedback; could even include a customer support system
g) Web store module that would allow the user to browse the company's product line through the actual aggregator and even conduct orders
h) Direct access to product information, such as product manuals, FAQs, product forums etc.
i) An option for the user to customize his aggregator with his own affiliate links (for the company's products, or even his own) and then re-distribute it to his own visitors
j) Direct access to other information; a publishing company could perhaps give its users the opportunity to read its book excerpts directly from the aggregator
l) Integrated forum, to enable the user to communicate with our company customers/partners and perhaps even discuss possible business cooperation with them
k) Etc.
The marketing opportunities of what you can do with your own software are really quite endless.
RSS閱讀器的商機
by WebLeOn
Keso扯到了RSS閱讀器，也許從技術角度來說，RSS Reader再要有什麼創新的確很難。不過作爲一個信息的中介工具，也許還是有很多商業上的應用值得挖掘。MarketingStudies介紹的Branded RSS Aggregator就是一個不錯的想法。
企業度身定作的RSS閱讀器可以植入各種功能以推廣企業的品牌、產品，並可以作爲改善企業和用戶之間關係的橋樑。MarketingStudies列舉了這類RSS Aggregator可能包含的一些特點。
1. 包含企業或者產品標識的軟件界面。
2. 默認訂閱企業最新消息的Feed，以及特定產品的更新信息(通過對用戶自動辨別)。
3. 如果企業提供可訂製的RSS，聚合器也應該支持訂製模式。
4. 廣告模塊，便於企業隨時爲用戶提供相關產品的廣告。
5. 特別信息的提醒功能，可以是公司的特別消息，也可以對特定客戶的通知。
6. 雙向交流功能，客戶能通過軟件方便的反饋信息。
7. 電子商務模塊，允許在線購買產品及其他網上交易活動。
8. 查閱商品信息的功能。
9. 允許客戶繼續自定義RSS聚合軟件，通過客戶在更大範圍內傳播該軟件。
10. 直接連接其它的信息。
11. 內置論壇方便用戶間交流。
我並不覺得其中並不是所有的功能都是必要的，但是這樣的嘗試在未來還是會有它的市場的。作爲一種RSS衍生的深層應用，這類產品比起單純的RSS閱讀器比起來更有商業意義。事實上已經有公司開始提供這樣的產品，CustomReader就是一個爲用戶定製RSS閱讀器的公司。定製的RSS Aggregator配合PR blog，很有可能會成爲一種有效的eCRM方案。
http://www.marketingstudies.net/blogs/rss/archive/000265.html