A study released yesterday by Nielsen//NetRatings claims 11 percent of blog readers use RSS to sort through the growing number of blogs available over the Internet.
Nearly 5 percent of blog readers use feed aggregation software, and more than 6 percent use a feed-aggregating Web site to monitor RSS feeds from blogs. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication.
“While RSS is an established technology, the growing popularity of blogs has catapulted RSS into the spotlight as a content personalization tool,” Jon Gibs, New York-based senior research manager at Nielsen//NetRatings, said in a statement.
“RSS feeds deliver relevant posts quickly in a customizable, easy-to-manage format,” he said. “These types of services provide marketers with an additional avenue to tap a captive audience for time-critical offers. Since the customers themselves pick the content they will receive, advertisers are able to deliver their message within a context they know will engage their target audience.”
But RSS is not universally known. The Nielsen//NetRatings study found that 23 percent of respondents understood RSS, but didn't use it. Also, 66 percent either didn't understand the technology or had never heard of it.
