How to use RSS Feedburner to expand your ministry reach. {Day 13} Heart Matters

If you are new to the online scene then you are probably thinking: What is RSS and what does it mean to subscribe? Well simply put, RSS (real simple syndication) is like your newspaper or DVR. If you subscribe to a blog by email then it delivers each and every one of that blogs posts right to your inbox so it is just like getting the paper delivered to  your door. Or if you subscribe to a blog via a feed reader (I like Omea Reader) then each one of the posts from that blog will be stored in your reader so that you can read them later. That method works much like your DVR.

Using RSS to expand the reach of your blog is crucial. More and more people are depending on feed readers to glean from their favorite blogs. If your blog is not set up to share your RSS feed then you must do so quickly. Here is how to set up Feedburner: Step by Step Guide to Setup Feedburner on WordPress and How to Set Up Feeds for Feedburner: Blogger.

Once you get your feed account set up then you can customize it. You want to stay true to your blog identity by coordinating graphics and removing generic titles. Here is another step by step tutorial to do just that: Feedburner Settings Optimize for Maximum Effectiveness and Awesomeness. In that tutorial you will see where you can change the delivery time for your blog. I find that between 6am and 12pm is the optimal time for delivery. Check your blog stats to see when most people are reading your blog to determine when you should send out your feed.

Once your feed is customized and you have installed the widgets on your blog for your readers to subscribe then next you can utilize it to your advantage. Make sure you enable such things as “forward this email” so that the message can be shared. You can also create a banner that can be installed on social networking sites and in your email so that you can expand your reach that way. You can also import your feed to Facebook and Ning sites that you may belong to.

One dilemma some Christians encounter when using Feedburner is whether or not to publicize your feed numbers. I’m a bit impartial on the subject at the moment but again it all depends on your heart as it pertains to the matter. If you are doing it to brag then don’t do it. Search your heart. That will give you your answer.

Find the rest of the series here: 31 Days to Online Ministry

Also check out:

• Missed BlissDom 2011? Get It Here. It’s just like being there!
• ? 31 Days to Build a Better Blog – Easy step by step ways to improve your blog presence!
• Simple Blogging. – Don’t have 40 hours a week to spend on blogging? This E-book helps you grow your blog with less time on the computer.