Wading the Waters of RSS, Feeds, Subscriptions, and Newsletters

by Kimberly on September 14, 2009 · 4 comments

I just started on my journey with blogs and online social media last February. Before that, the only online activity I was involved in was email. Really, that was it.

And as a relative newbie, there’s been a lot to learn. What does RSS mean? What’s a feed? What does it mean if I subscribe to something?

Well, I figure that I’m not the only one who was confused by these terms. So, for all of you who are also trying to wade through these waters, here is the easiest way I’ve found to understand these topics. It’s important to be familiar with the terminology because it is everywhere now. So let’s de-mystify these terms so you can freely jump on board with the rest of us!Important

Subscribe via RSS/Subscribe via Email

You will find those two phrases on the top right corner of this blog. It’s a pretty simple concept, really – these are two ways you can easily access new blog posts. If you subscribe to this blog (or any blog, for that matter), that means the posts automatically come to you when they are published. So if you subscribe to the Music Therapy Maven, you won’t have to type in “www.musictherapymaven.com” every time you want to see the newest article.

There are a couple ways to subscribe:

  1. RSS/Feeds/Readers: These terms all basically do the same things. A reader is a place where you can access all the websites you subscribe to (these are generally sites whose content changes frequently, like news sites and blogs). I like using Google Reader, although there are others out there (e.g. Yahoo, Aol, et al.). The terms “RSS” and “Feed” just refer to different formats of getting the material to a reader. You should also know that readers are generally free. The orange icon (like the one you see below) is the standard reader/rss/feed icon. If you want to subscribe to a site, click that icon. To subscribe to the Music Therapy Maven, click the link below.
  2. Subscribe in a reader

  3. Email: If you subscribe via email, the posts will come directly to the email account you enter. Simple as that. If you want to start receiving the latest Music Therapy Maven posts in your email account, simply follow the instructions below:
  4. Enter your email address to receive the latest Music Therapy Maven posts via email:

    Delivered by FeedBurner


    Newsletters

    There is one other item you can subscribe to – the Music Therapy Maven email newsletter. This is a newsletter that includes information you will not find on this blog. This newsletter is sent directly to your email account.

    During your first month as a subscriber, you will receive a series of 4 weekly “getting to know you” newsletters. After that, the Music Therapy Maven email newsletter will come out 1-2 a month.

    Like subscribing to the blog, subscribing to the newsletter is free. And you can “un-subscribe” at any time (which means at any point, you can get removed from the email list with the click of a button).

    PLUS, sign up for the Music Therapy Maven email newsletter and you will also receive a FREE copy of the “Music Therapy Maven’s Productivity Primer,” your 7 tip guide that will help you do more in less time.

    ebook1

    If you like this blog, you will love the email newsletter! Simply follow the instructions below to claim your free ebook and free newsletter subscription today:

{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }

Kat Fulton January 14, 2010 at 9:48 am

Hi Kimberly,

Thanks for the online inspiration! I’m starting my blog – still in progress before “launching” it, and seriously publicizing it. But I’ve been checking out yours in addition to others’ amazing cyber art to get tips along the way.

Keep it up! 🙂 Kat
.-= Kat Fulton´s last blog ..3 year-old Sara as the new Miss Kat =-.

Kimberly January 14, 2010 at 4:13 pm

You are welcome, Kat–and welcome online! There are a small but mighty number of us active on the web and I think it’s only going to grow. When you get everything up and running (or if you have any questions) feel free to contact me! ~Kimberly

ppc delhi November 5, 2011 at 11:22 am

I really wanted to jot down a simple comment to appreciate you for some of the superb guidelines you are giving out at this site. My long internet research has at the end been honored with excellent content to go over with my guests. I would state that that most of us visitors are extremely fortunate to live in a superb website with many awesome individuals with very beneficial tips. I feel quite grateful to have discovered the web pages and look forward to really more excellent moments reading here. Thanks once again for everything.

Kimberly November 10, 2011 at 5:22 am

Thank you for your positive feedback. I hope this site continues to serve as a helpful resource for you! ~Kimberly

Previous post:

Next post: