You’re probably not all that enthusiastic to hear about yet another tool, which potentially can suck what little remains of your attention span.
We’re right there with you, so that’s why we promise RSS feed readers are here to help you get some of that focus and attention span right back!
What RSS feed stands for?
Rich Site Summary or Really Simple Syndication – those are the two terms used to explain RSS as an abbreviation. There are a few clues as to what RSS is in its names: summary and syndication. RSS feeds reduce the posts of a site to base components such as title, link, publication date and a summary (nowadays the full text) of an article.
Then through an RSS feed reader, end users can see the content of as many sites as one wants in one dashboard. RSS peaked in popularity around the time everyone and their grandma had to start their own blog, and people needed a way to keep up with the rising volume of information.
How to find the best RSS reader?
You’re truly spoiled for choice when it comes to RSS readers. What do you want? What can you pay, if anything? What are the features that matter most to you? How flexible do you want an RSS feed reader to be? There are quite a few aspects to consider when you’re making a selection and important for users, who want a powerful reader for their work.
This handy guide can help.
How can it make your life easier?
Remember when we said RSS was created as a way to keep up with rising volumes of information? This has never rang more true than today. Between social media feeds and the 24/7 news cycle, we’re collectively bombarded with more information than ever before from all sides.
RSS calms the waves and dims the noise so that you emerge calmer and more collected. Also with a little bit of creativity you can…
Receive only the information you need
Staring at a screen all day plunges us headfirst into an ocean of information, but how much of that information – especially on social media platforms – is essential to your day whether personally or professionally? Procrastination and inefficiency sometimes stem not from poor work habits but poor media habits. Losing oneself down the rabbit hole of the endless scroll be it on Twitter or on Facebook.
RSS curates a feed based on your needs. You select your sources and you can expect to see only headlines relevant to your interests and professional responsibilities regardless of line of work. It is the most efficient way to preserve your mental focus in our overwhelming media landscape.
Declutter your inbox
Kill the newsletter! It’s a rallying cry that brings together every office worker, who’s fed up with sites’ ultra-liberal use of promotional emails and newsletters to drive user engagement.
Incidentally, it’s also the name for an online service, which converts newsletters into an RSS feed ready and available at the click of a button. It’s certainly ironic to see RSS readers step in as a tool to declutter your inbox from newsletters, when newsletters were a great component as to why RSS went out of fashion in the first place. Now, you say goodbye to newsletters without actually having to unsubscribe.
A clean inbox is an efficient inbox. You’re able to see only emails that matter and move on with your day. No more overlooked emails. No more lost assignments.
Integrate it with other applications
Unlock the full potential of RSS readers once you integrate them with other digital tools. There’s a number of feed readers, which incorporate social media share buttons or the ability to send out a user-generated digest, but third-party integration truly juices up what readers can do. Both IFTTT and Zapier have large databases with commands for RSS in general and specific readers such as Inoreader and Feedly. Do you want to automatically save an important article to Google Drive or send it to an office messaging app? You can effortlessly do it with the right triggers.
Inoreader works well with both automation platforms and has its own built-in functions such as the support for regular expressions and integration with Pocket.
Use for job hunting or social media monitoring
Job hunting is perhaps the most surprising thing you can do with RSS, but it’s surprisingly a great way to consolidate your efforts across multiple job boards. Rather than have to create a new custom search every time you go on a job board, you can set your criteria and then turn your search into an active RSS.
Subscribe and you will be notified the moment a new matching job offer is posted. Have multiple searches active and streaming opportunities in a single dashboard. RSS is also great when it comes to keeping a close eye on new posts on a company’s site, Twitter hashtags and even posts on public groups on Facebook and LinkedIn. This way you maximize your chances at landing your dream job – a particular feat during the times of COVID-19.
The same strategy works wonders for social media monitoring, whether you’re monitoring social engagement with your brand and campaigns or what’s been written about you in trade publications. You’re able to establish how well your brand performs and even monitor competitors for a deeper insight into the industry at large.
Discover the best content out there
RSS readers do more than just store your subscriptions. They actively assist you in discovering new content, which is not misleading or poorly written or clickbait – all risks when you encounter articles shared on social media.
The current generation of RSS readers gives users better tools to reach quality content pertaining to their interests. End users can specify areas of interest, which then recommend publications. The opportunities are endless to discover specific articles in your subscriptions through search or even discover quality sources through special features like Sort by Magic developed by Inoreader.
