• ClickZ, Friday, September 8, 2006 11:15 AM

Marketers are starting to spend money on RSS applications, software programs that deliver news feeds containing headlines, and excerpts from Web publications that consumers subscribe to. RSS is now being used as its own ad medium--and an official marketing tool. Here are some examples: coupons. Consumers who subscribe to promos from commercial retailers can receive coupons. There are even some aggregators, like Phatdeal.com and Deal of the Day, that offer customizable coupon feeds from a variety of retailers. Coupons and other types of feeds are also being delivered to Web sites and blogs with affiliate tags. All the tech giants now feed their press releases to journalists and clients via RSS. That includes Apple, Google, IBM and Microsoft. Wire services like Business Wire are also providing journalists with highly customizable feeds. Classifieds listings sites, like Craigslist, are starting to deliver their content via RSS. How indispensable is that to someone who is in the market for a new apartment or a specific job? Real Estate firm the Corcoran Group now feeds company news, open houses and property listings to its RSS subscribers. Podcasting, by the way, is RSS-delivered audio, and all kinds of marketers are experimenting with it, from automakers like GM and Audi to entertainment marketers like Warner Bros. Some are creating their own content; others are buying spots on popular podcasts.

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