How to publish blogs as an RSS feed

Publishing your blog as an RSS feed can provide many benefits to you and to your readers. RSS, which stands for Really Simple Syndication, is a way for blog readers to read blogs without actually having to go to the blog itself in order to read the blog posts. Readers use software such as Bloglines or Google reader to follow along with their favorite blogs. This benefits you in that you're more likely to be seen by your readers in their RSS feed than if they have to remember to browse to your blog. It benefits your readers because they can keep track of their favorite blogs (including yours) without missing a post.

Publishing blogs as an RSS feed is relatively simple. No matter what blogging software or program you are using, whether you are using free blog hosting on a service like Blogger, Typepad or LiveJournal, or whether you are using your own blog software such as WordPress, most of the time there will be an option in your setup and configurations menu that allows you to turn RSS on. This really is all you need to do. The blog software takes it from there. You may, depending on your blog platform, need to add a button that links to your RSS feed to your blog layout or template, but usually the blog software will do this part for you, as well.

Once you've published blogs as an RSS feed, you might decide that you want to be able to keep better tabs on your subscribers, so that you know how many people are reading your blog. You can do this with a service such as Feedburner. Feedburner not only allows you to publish blogs as an RSS feed, but it even gives you the ability to customize the RSS feed for your blogs. You can add a variety of features, including special formatting and even advertising to your blog RRS feed using Feedburner. Feedburner even has an option that allows you to offer your RSS feed as an email subscription that goes out once a day, at whatever time you want it to go.

As you can see, publishing blogs as an RSS feed is a relatively simple and painless process. This, really, is the beauty of blogs: they allow folks without technical skills or confidence in their technical skills to produce wonderful blogs with amazing features like RSS feeds.