Best RSS icon ever...!
[This is part of the Developing Great Blog Content Series. Check out the other posts!]
The best writers spend a lot of time writing and reading and I believe that every blogger needs to have a list of blogs that they read religiously, so to speak.
There are a lot of great blogs out there but there are only a few that you really want to keep close because of their unique value to you, your blog content, and yourself as a person and writer.
But the point is that you do have these blogs sitting close at hand and that you read them consistently because you can leverage them for use of your blog to write compelling, relevant, timely, and insightful content.
In fact, without RSS (and a subscription strategy that works) I would dare say that my blog would not be even half of what it is today!
But first, how does one keep track of those bloggers and their blogs? What are some of the best ways to stay up to date? The answer still seems to be the good old RSS Reader:
What is an RSS Reader?
To start, and RSS Reader is most simply understood as a program or application that allows you to subscribe to a blog’s content and information via RSS (commonly understood as Really Simple Syndication) which is a way to format information from the blog.
RSS is one of the best ways to stay updated on the blogs that you choose and you can quickly subscribe to the blogs so that you can read the blog posts in a centralized software program/application which is called a RSS Reader.
There are a number of great RSS Readers out there but you want to make sure you choose the right one that makes the most sense for how you read online content. Here are some considerations for choosing the best RSS Reader for you:
- Does it work with my computer? Mac OSX, Windows, Linux, and other operating systems?
- Is it a paid service or a free service?
- Is it web-based or desktop-based?
- Is it fast?
- Does it play nicely with my workflow on how I subscribe to blogs and read them?
- Does it work with different devices, like my mobile devices (iPhone, BlackBerry, iPad, etc)?
- How flexible is the system? What are the options for categorization, management, and use?
You want to consider these factors and then find the right app for you!
A Few Top RSS Readers (In My Humble Opinion):
There are tons of options out there and for those that have been looking for one for a while it can be exhausting. In fact, many of you have probably tried more than a few and perhaps haven’t quite settled on one yet.
Your goal is to fine the one that serves most of your needs (there is no “perfect” reader, as far as I know) and then create a workflow that’s fine-tuned to your needs.
Google Reader
Google Reader is my favorite RSS Reader and I’ve created an exceptional workflow that simply works for me. I love the shortcut keys that are available and I love the fact that I can access my RSS feeds anywhere with an internet connection. In terms of mobile apps there are tons but you can even access it directly and they have an optimized version for mobile devices.
Oh yeah, it’s also free. Love it.
Fever App
Fever App is a highly customizable RSS Reader but it’s not free ($30) and it requires your own server so it’s not for the faint of heart. But, it’s super flexible and for the power user it might just become the only true solution. It also mobile-ready versions right out of the box.
Feedly
Feedly is technically an addition to Google Reader but it’s worth it’s own spot on my list since it really prettifies the entire experience into a magazine-like UI.
Sage (via FireFox Browser)
If you love FireFox as your browser then you might really enjoy Sage, which is an extension for FireFox. I’ve used it and I like it but I have since moved from FireFox as my primary browser to Chrome.
FeedDemon (for Windows)
FeedDemon is a Windows-based app that many of my colleagues love. Although I can’t agree with them for using Windows over OSX I can forgive them for using FeedDemon which is a robust and worthy app for those that are interested in trying out a new one.
NetNewsWire (for Mac)
NetNewsWire is a Mac-based app that many Mac users rave about. I personally have tried it and have found it to be good (but not great for my workflow) but can’t give it low marks.
With versions built for the iPhone and iPad it’s pretty much a winner for many.
Reeder App (for iOS)
Reeder App is an amazing app for your iPad and iPhone devices. It’s hands-down the best and I honestly wouldn’t look for anything else (at least for now at the publishing of this post).
gReader (for Android)
gReader for the Android is essentially an app that connects your device to Google Reader. It’s technically the “unofficial” app but that doesn’t matter – it’s slick and does the job nicely. You can get it for free but there’s also a “Pro” version too.
Viigo (for BlackBerry)
Viigo for BlackBerry is a highly-used and acclaimed app (from many of the reviews that I’ve seen) but I personally haven’t used it since the last time I used a CrackBerry personally was back in 2006. Love to hear about some other ones if you’re a BB fan!
How Many RSS Feeds Should You Subscribe To?
There’s no science or definitive answer to that question but what I try to help people realize that if they find the following to be true then they’ve subscribe to too many blogs:
- If you feel anxious about the blogs that you need to read then you have too many.
- If you’ve ever feel like you’re “drowning” in RSS feeds then you have too many.
- If you have ever had to declare “RSS bankruptcy” or had to use the “nuke” feature then you have too many.
If you’re ever feeling generally negative about your RSS Feeds then you need to fix it up! So what should you do?
One RSS Subscription Strategy That Works for Me:
What I suggest is that you bucket your feeds into categories, much like you do for your blog and that you choose 3-5 blogs per category. What this means that if you have 8 categories you could have 24 to 40 blogs to read, per day perhaps!
Even those numbers can feel daunting! The idea is that you have to do your research – find the best blogs that cover the topics that you want to cover and that offer you unique insights and perspectives, and commit to those, at least for the beginning. Do a test for a week and you’ll know if you can handle it in the long-run.
Later you can begin to add and subtract blogs and RSS feeds as you learn the general cadence and publishing cycle of those that you subscribe to.
One final additional thought is that you have a folder or category of feeds that might not be directly related to what you blog about so that you can get some flavor in the mix, so to speak. Perhaps it’s a few blogs that just give you laughs or a few blogs that you just follow for fun.
Do it. It’ll help you keep a clear mind while you read the stuff that you’ll be ultimately writing about.
Hope all that helps and I’d love to hear your particular strategies and apps that you use for RSS!
[This is part of the Developing Great Blog Content Series. Check out the other posts!]
John. I would really like to hear how you marry your use of Evernote and your RSS Reader of choice. I find myself relying less on my RSS Reader and more so on Evernote, but they both support the other. Thoughts?
I e-mail stuff from Google Reader to Evernote all the time. It’s good if you’re just looking to bookmark content.
Michael Hyatt did a blog post about that e-mailing to not too long ago: http://michaelhyatt.com/how-to-email-your-documents-directly-to-evernote.html
Thanks. I saw that post the other day. Very helpful.
it’s actually not that advanced. i do a lot of just pasting and copying… not too brilliant, to be honest.
This would be a great article…
If RSS weren’t dead!
Aw snap!
Lol! I don’t think its dead…I just don’t think a lot of people “get it”.
A few ” important” people have called it dead. Mostly I just like to be contrary
lame! i love rss.
I need to do a better job of reading other blogs and content. I’m hit and miss with it. One day I read 10-15 other blogs and then I may go 2 or 3 days and read just a few. I started using Google reader but haven’t committed to it. I need to commit. I know it would help my traffic. Thanks for the reminder…
put it in your schedule!
Google has an official Google Reader app. It’s pretty good.
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.google.android.apps.reader
On iOS I don’t mind the vanilla browser app for reader. It works well.
oh sweet. let me take a look.
Until about 3 weeks ago, I was declaring RSS bankruptcy at least once a week. I was subscribed to over 100 blogs, many of which post multiple times a day.
I’ve pruned it down pretty well and I still get overwhelmed every once in awhile. There’s so much good stuff out there but I just have to accept that I’ll never be able to keep up (and still have a life).
I’ll never prune TentBlogger though!
don’t prune me!
I think I am going to have folders in google reader for each of my blog categories and trip down the number of feeds in each. Thanks for the tip.
how did you do?
I use Google Reader, Reeder on MacBook, and Google Reader App on my Droid. Seems to work well for me.
do you have a preference?
Definitely prefer using Reeder. Such a nice interface.
I first used Google Reader and “converted” to Reeder App in the last few months. I LOVE IT.
Recently, I have been struggling with keeping up with all of the awesome blogs out there. Including TentBlogger I currently “follow” 91 blogs w/ 53 of those being almost daily posters.
I’m having a hard time keeping the focus narrow because I want to support fellow tentbloggers with comments, tweets and traffic. However, I’m finding it difficult to keep up.
Might have to trim down soon and use a better folder system like you suggest. Don’t worry, TentBlogger will make the cut.
I agree. I have been thinking about that same thing. I really want to be consistent in my support of fellow Tentbloggers, but I find it hard to keep from drowning in my reader.
trim it down…! how’d it go?
I really like the Feedly app. I was on Google reader for the longest time, but I got frustrated when using the iOS version. I usually like to navigate to the actual sites if the content is compelling, but when I do that from the iOS version of Google reader, it gives me some weird mobile version of the site that is just plain clunky and ugly. I have stopped using Google reader on my iPhone for this reason.
i did too. not a fan of reading them on my mobile device to begin with.
I subscribe to 173 blogs. I clearly cannot read all these posts every day, and so only have about 10 or so where I read every post.
For the rest, I scan the blog titles to look for articles of interest. This allows me to keep track more blogs, but also has taught me something about writing good blog post titles.
did you trim it back?
I use Reeder on my Mac and my iPhone. I had two requirements for the RSS reader I chose:
Sync with my Google Reader account.
Be freakin’ awesome.
Reeder wins on both counts
.
sync FTW!
Reeder app for iPad is by far my favorite way to read RSS.
agreed. great app.
On my iPad and iPhone I use MobileRSS syncing to Google Reader. I have tried others but I keep coming back to this one since it’s pretty but very lean and show all the content nicely.
Reeder… For OSX! it’s beta but I love it…
+1.
Google Reader right now, but I’m always looking for something better…
do you use any desktop apps?
Just started using Reeder…love it!
I follow a little over 40 blogs…
and how is that working out for you?
Reeder is, by far, the most superior RSS reader for iOS and Mac to date. Don’t miss using this app!
you’ve told me this 1,000 times… and it never gets old.
Great point at the end, and I’m glad you ended with it. It’s so easy to get caught up in anything–even things that can be good and beneficial–that you find yourself completely swamped, overwhelmed, and unproductive. I think the biggest thing is to make a plan of what are the best sites for you to read, how much you’re going to read, how long you’re going to spend reading…and then do it.
subscribing to a blog is too easy to do… people need to think for a sec and really ask if they are going to be overwhelmed or encouraged…!
Just read this on Reeder on my Mac. haha. I love this app. Clean. Organized. Easy. Google Reader is way to confusing. Thanks for the tips on how to lay out the RSS workflow.
sure thing greg!
Interesting article. I am curious to know more about your reading/writing work flow.
I have never personally liked google reader. Seems like to much of a mess to me.
In November I purchased an iPad and pretty much all of my blog reading now takes place with the device. I rarely read any of my usuasuals on my computer. (However that might change now that I got the Air)
I’ve been using the Pulse app which is available for the iPhone & iPad. When I want to read something later, I use pulse to either save it to instapaper or email it to evernote.
Plus it’s far more relaxing.
what do you mean specifically with the work flow? i’ll think about it…!
Google Reader at work Reeder and home.
Reeder is such an amazing app on each device. I honestly went back to the iOS platform in part because of Reeder.
wow. so many people use reeder…!
Reeder for Mac, all day long.
I follow a lot of blogs, and like to comment most of the time, so I find it’s slick interface, notifications, etc fit well within my daily workflow.
how many do you subscribe to?
Thanks for this post. I’ve been using Reeder on both my iPhone and Mac. I love the app but I let my subscriptions get a little out of hand. This article has inspired me to clean those subscriptions up and get back to using the apps.
clean it up! how’d it go?
Went well. ha ha. Down to 10 or 11 feeds that I read all the time. May add others later, but it’s sooo much better like this.
hawtness!
I love Feedly. Brings a whole new experience to blog reading! Thanks for the recommendation!
ah, feedly! yes! you’re one in a few here in the comments.
Excellent rundown of RSS services and apps. I’m definitely huge on using Google Reader on my laptop, and “Reeder” on my ipad. I don’t use a RSS reader on my iphone because it’s just annoying to read a bunch of crap on my phone, but I appreciate the roundup.
I definitely need to purge my subscriptions though, sometimes adding stuff gets addicting but then overwhelming when you have 100 unread articles.
how many did you have?
I use Google Reader and I’ve found that the Flipboard app for iPad really helps me get through my subscriptions easily! The sharing options are great too! I can tweet and Facebook posts right from Flipboard!
If I want to bookmark a post. I will open in safari and save it to instapaper.
i didn’t like flipboard as much as I had hoped. … but i’m not sure i was using it for twitter and fb…hmmm.
Another vote for Reeder – especially on the Mac. I got ‘Times’ from Mac Heist a few years ago and thought that was nice, until I tried Reeder. Blew Times out of the water in two minutes! Here’s the link for the mac beta version: http://madeatgloria.com/brewery
oh sweet. going to check this out.
Great post.
Feedly, NetNewswire and Google Reader all seem cool. I still need to sharpen my FeedReader usage. I tend to “scour” search and dig and I need to become a better content aggregator.