RSS... Really Simple Syndication. Rich Site Summary.
Most of us know what it is... but few are really leveraging it to help create business or simplify our lives...
For those that don't know, RSS is a news feed. Basically, by subscribing to a website's RSS feed, each time the site is updated, we will get the new material either emailed to us or in a "Feed Reader".
I guess the easiest place to start would be the "making our lives easier" aspect.
I don't know how many different blogs and sites I read... I admit that I don't read all of them every day, but I generally read about 30-40 posts on about 100 sites almost every day. Real estate, technology, politics, local events, cars and travel are all on my reading list. 
In order to scan each of these sites each day to see if there was a post or article that I was interested in would take at least an hour... probably closer to two. Add in the time to actually READ the material... I wouldn't have time to do much else.
Frankly, I enjoy the reading. I want to be informed and up to date on what is happening in the world... and around the corner. In a way, it isn't much different than those that liked to scan several newspapers each morning. Except it is WAY faster (only having to look at headlines or short intros) and WAY cheaper (since the sites are free to read, unlike having several newspaper subscriptions).
So, it is making my life easier... cheaper... greener... and more time efficient. At the same time, I can be more up to date on world and local events, as well as other information that is interesting to me. (Personally, I use FeedDemon as my reader, but you can use Google's reader, Mozilla or even Outlook)
But what if the goal is creating business?
OK, there is the obvious that if we are keeping up with industry news and trends, we should be better able to respond to the market... But there is something deeper...
Local expertise!
Some of the sites that you might be able to get daily feeds from might include local newspapers, local chambers of commerce, local businesses, local groups that promote events... and if you are one of the first to know about all of these happenings that are around the corner, you can be the local expert. Starting the discussion about property tax increases, changes in garbage collection, zoning hearings, roadway improvements, new developments and business relocation means that you can rank for those terms... the terms that people in the area might use to search. Being on top of the search engines for local terms means that locals will read your blog... and that YOUR RSS feed will be one that THEY should subscribe to.
So, you also need to make your RSS feed easy to find for site visitors. You want to be part of THEIR regular routine. Of course there is real estate sprinkled in to your site, so your readers will see you as the expert... the "go to person" for local information.
And when someone asks them about real estate... you are already the expert.
But why worry about the RSS?
According to the stats on my site, I have approximately 8 times as many people reading me on a given day via RSS rather than directly on my site. That is valuable traffic. The best traffic is local traffic...
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