Email is Dying! The Sky is Falling! Email is Dying!
Recently, somebody asked my opinion on article that was recently published in the SiteProNews (I do not endorse this publication in any way, but am mentioning it as point of reference). The article had one paragraph that read:
"In 2005, marketers were told in no uncertain terms, if they are not using syndication and RSS, they will not survive. Well, they have one more chance to get it right. In 2006, marketers must use RSS as an alternative communication channel. It will no longer be cutting edge, it will be a must to survive. Web surfers no longer expect to provide personal information (an email address) for marketing materials, they expect to have a choice about how they wish to receive the content."
Frankly, I'm tired of people telling you and me that email is dying and RSS is soon to replace it (you'll notice the people that say this, usually have an RSS service or product to promote, so it's in their best interest to have you believe this). I realize that's not exactly what this article is saying, but it certainly has that same doomsday flavor. She is saying that RSS must be provided as an alternative to email or businesses will not survive. Certainly, it makes sense to provide an RSS alternative (but in some markets it's possible you'll just confuse your visitor, instead of helping them)...but to say if you don't use it, your business will die is simply ludicrous.
First of all, the average Internet user is not ready for the "high-tech" world of RSS. Even in my savvy Internet marketing market, I have about 160 subscribers to my RSS feed, yet I have thousands on my email list. If I'm going to make it in 2006 with 160 RSS subscribers....I can't wait. I may as well delete my mailing list right now. ;-)
Second, email is how people communicate online. Yes, instant messenger is starting to compete heavily with email (for personal communication - not business communication), but RSS is not a common communication method by any means. People are nowhere near abondoning email as a way to communicate.
As long as people continue to use email, it will remain a viable marketing medium. And let's face it, far more people use email than even have a clue about what RSS is. So, don't be fooled in thinking that your mailing list isn't as important as it used to be. It is and very likely always will be one of your biggest marketing assets.
"In 2005, marketers were told in no uncertain terms, if they are not using syndication and RSS, they will not survive. Well, they have one more chance to get it right. In 2006, marketers must use RSS as an alternative communication channel. It will no longer be cutting edge, it will be a must to survive. Web surfers no longer expect to provide personal information (an email address) for marketing materials, they expect to have a choice about how they wish to receive the content."
Frankly, I'm tired of people telling you and me that email is dying and RSS is soon to replace it (you'll notice the people that say this, usually have an RSS service or product to promote, so it's in their best interest to have you believe this). I realize that's not exactly what this article is saying, but it certainly has that same doomsday flavor. She is saying that RSS must be provided as an alternative to email or businesses will not survive. Certainly, it makes sense to provide an RSS alternative (but in some markets it's possible you'll just confuse your visitor, instead of helping them)...but to say if you don't use it, your business will die is simply ludicrous.
First of all, the average Internet user is not ready for the "high-tech" world of RSS. Even in my savvy Internet marketing market, I have about 160 subscribers to my RSS feed, yet I have thousands on my email list. If I'm going to make it in 2006 with 160 RSS subscribers....I can't wait. I may as well delete my mailing list right now. ;-)
Second, email is how people communicate online. Yes, instant messenger is starting to compete heavily with email (for personal communication - not business communication), but RSS is not a common communication method by any means. People are nowhere near abondoning email as a way to communicate.
As long as people continue to use email, it will remain a viable marketing medium. And let's face it, far more people use email than even have a clue about what RSS is. So, don't be fooled in thinking that your mailing list isn't as important as it used to be. It is and very likely always will be one of your biggest marketing assets.
6 Comments:
Hi Alice,
I totally agree with your sentiments!
As a fairly technical person, here I am in 2006, without an RSS reader. It's on my list... but it just hasn't been that important to me yet.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts:)
Hi Alice,
I recently received a report from a major autoresponder company (okay, AWeber) that states:
"Nearly 96% of internet users have never knowingly used RSS according
to an October 2005 White Paper published by Yahoo."
Of course, they are promoting their RSS to Email technology.
After trying it and comparing it to the RSS feed, it's not compelling.
You're right, RSS will only confuse subscribers, who are used to getting email. It's also a waste of bandwidth, delivering the same content twice, since they can't unsubscribe to the opt-in list.
Alice, I'll take your list off you {*grin*}! I'll let you fully concentrate and focus on monitizing those 160 RSS subscribers...
Come on, a deal? ;-)
I think most people miss the point on RSS. RSS is not only capable of delivering newsletters or updates. RSS is not email and neither is email RSS they are different and deserve to be treated differently in their use. One of the biggest strengths of RSS is not being leveraged and that's syndication.
No I am not saying I don't agree with Alice. If I did I wouldn't have email lists at all - just that people need to get away from this RSS vs Email thing.
That's a great point, Lynette and I was thinking about its reaches beyond email after I wrote the blog entry. But the way this article was written, it was saying that email wasn't enough. If you use email only....you're dead in the water is what the article said. That is just plain old wrong.
My entry also wasn't to say that RSS isn't a powerful thing for displaying content, syndicating content and product catalogs on other sites and other things I've never comprehended, but Lynette certainly knows about. Email definitely can't replace those functions of RSS...but it's not a do or die thing by any means.
I'll get away from the RSS vs. email thing if all the RSS service and product providers will too. ;-)
LOL I wasn't implying about your post Alice but it bothers me too when I get these "The sky is falling on email" articles. It makes the education of RSS's true potential really difficult because now everyone who's been reading, using and talking about RSS thinks it's only a replacement or compliment to email *sigh*. It's kinda like saying a computer can only do word processing ya know.
Like you said the only reason they would claim that is because they have a RSS related product. Despite the last few year's of RSS picking up, I think it's still a very new technology and for some it's better to wait and see. We are still very much in an RSS education mode.
Good post Alice
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