I am doing some consulting for a major, yet fairly new affiliate network who’s name I have not yet announced. ;-) One of the things we will be working on is RSS datafeeds for affiliates which is something the industry needs and something I have talked about many times. I still can’t believe more retailers dont offer directt RSS datafeeds to affiliates since it does not seem like most networks are making a moved in that direction.

I started blogging about an article I found at InternetRetailer a few weeks ago but never finished it until today. This piece is only about eTailers using RSS feeds for customers, but many of the same benefits would apply to datafeeds for affiliates. The article looks at the success that eBags, Guess, Burpee and DVDEmpire are having with RSS.

“If the customers didn’t know what an RSS feed is, they’re not alone—many retailers don’t know what an RSS feed is either. But in an age where legitimate marketing e-mail has fallen prey to spam overload, RSS—really simple syndication—is getting some retailers’ attention as a way to rise above spam.”

“Right now, retailers know they really can’t e-mail their customers more than once a week,” says Forrester Research analyst Charlene Li. “With RSS, the consumer is saying, ‘I want this information—go ahead and send me something every day.’”

Read the rest, then ask RSS related questions in our RSS marketing forums. InternetRetailer.com - Cutting through the clutter