Using RSS – How to Start in Outlook

At home my husband and I have sort of a running joke– he is always checking eBay and I am always reading my feed reader. I guess it make sense that these are the topics we recently covered in sessions at the Big Event. Prior to utilizing RSS, I was always mystified by that orange icon.

 Last summer, I was doing some research to help a friend start a business and began reading A LOT of different web sites. The more research I did, the more I needed to 1. organize sites I wanted to keep up with and 2. easily share articles of interest. Eventually I started using Google Reader and haven’t looked back. What I have noticed is that lots of people are still mysified by the orange icon.

 

Using RSS is a great way to simplify reading web content and scan headlines. What I like most is that it allows me the ability to read on “my time” – no interruptions. Using Google Reader also enables me to keep all my interests handy and organized in one central spot that’s accessible from any internet connection (including my smart phone). It’s easy for me to read up on social media marketing, news, and insurance publications, as well as design, food & wine, and The Happiness Project .

What is RSS you ask?  In a very simplfied nutshell…

• RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication
• Moves web content into a standardized format called a “feed”
•  Allows readers to subscribe to each feed much like a magazine
  
• The result: Automatic updates in a single place when new content is published to the web

I recently shared instructions with the staff here on how to “Subscribe to a Feed” in Outlook and people found it helpful, so I thought, why not share it with everyone? If you’re already “old hat” at RSS, great! Share your favorite feed reader in the comments.

There are lots of ways to read RSS feeds on the web – in an online service, in a web browser, in an email client, ect. Today, I’m just going to post the instructions on how to get started in Outlook 2007.

How to Subscribe to a Feed in Outlook 2007:

1. Copy this url for the blog: https://massagent.wordpress.com/feed/

2. Right Click on the folder in Outlook that says RSS Feeds

3. Click on “Add a New RSS Feed” (A dialog Box will appear)

4. Past the URL into that box and click Add

Now, when content is published to Property & Casualty Speaking, that post will show up in the RSS Folder in your Outlook.
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Interestingly enough, Microsoft (that small tech company you may have heard of) has a pretty comprehensive overview of RSS that you can check out should the mood strike. It also includes instructions if you are still on Microsoft 2003.