It seems like one of the biggest opportunities online marketers have is how to address the growing level of control consumers have online. They not only have more potential destinations than ever before, but they’re also beginning to adopt technologies that bring the information they want right to their desktop, instead of going out to get it. It’s as if, after years of eating in restaurants, people have suddenly discovered delivery. ahahahaha!

Of course, every change in how people consume media is a new opportunity to meet their needs, and this is no different.  I thought that taking a look at two popular technologies would be worth a a deeper discussion, and I’ve chosen RSS and iTunes as two we’ve had success with at Juniper Networks. As always, help me complete the picture by sending ideas my way!

On the most basic level, what technologies like RSS and iTunes allow your customers to do is aggregate information. Using an RSS reader—one is provided free to Google users at reader.google.com, or you can visit CNET for a list of popular reader — or most broswer com equipped with one now —people can funnel specific content from their favorite Web sites right to one window, where they can then read it at their own pace. They can even direct content to their e-mail, mobile device, or iPod. I personally prefer sending it to my iPhone…yes, I’m an iPhone convert after years of Blackberry usage. Sorry? Not really, but another story…

So if your audience is getting particular about what they want to know, what’s the best response? Simple answer (you can virtually hit me here for stating the obvious) Provide particular information. Using RSS feeds, you can be incredibly specific about the kind of information you broadcast. A great example of a company taking full advantage of RSS technology is Oracle. Check out their list of feeds, and you’ll see what I mean. They have feeds directed at all enterprise roles, from developers to network architects.

At Juniper Networks, we have RSS feeds tailored for:

• Service providers
• The public sector
• The enterprise

 We also have feeds addressing J-Net Community blog content and information geared toward different audiences including:

• “The Network Ahead” blog caters to business decision makers like the C-Level audience
• “Architecting the Network” blog provides a solution-level content for planners and architects
• “Network Now” blog engages experts on a product and technology level

Obviously, no one is going to be interested in all of them, but that’s the point! The more specific each feed is, the more likely it is to be actionable to a specific member of your audience.

 iTunes, as you probably know from a personal perspective,  is another great way for people to subscribe to the information they want, but with a a great rich-media twist. Providing audio and video podcasts is  great opportunity to tailor your messages to the variety of ways your audience wants to consume it. I’ve already spoken about the value of rich media , so taking advantage of ways you can get that media to your audience is in everyone’s interest. You can see what kind of content Juniper is offering by searching for Juniper Networks in iTunes.

Monitoring and measuring your results

As I’m sure all you marketers would agree, one of the best parts about marketing is being able to watch people participate. And this is perhaps the most exciting thing about subscription-based media: once you begin to cater your messages to what kind of information people want, and how they want it, they really demonstrate their appreciation through signing up, sharing your information, rating, retweeting or commenting on your information, and even advocating for you. 

Among the areas you can track are:

• Subscription rates
• Read content
• Click-through rates

In addition to this, adding RSS feeds to your Web site can increase Web traffic and awareness, enable partners, and improve the findability of your site (here’s a cute and creative article about findability).

At the end of the day, subscription-based media is simply one more way to get your message out. But in a time when people are interested in controlling the “what” and “when” of their media consumption, it’s an increasingly important element of any social media strategy.

Do you have an RSS or iTunes success story you’d like to share? I’m always on the lookout for bleeding edge examples. Please share  

Suggested readings and Podcasts too:

• Julie M. Katz, “What’s Holding RSS Back?” Forrester, October 20, 2008
• Podcasts by Arbor Networks, the straight versions, AND their really cutting edge thriller series: Secure the Core … Season 1 and Season 2. Drama, Intrigue, Technology, BlackHat — Everything Security experts want in a podcast series. 

Did I mention I’m keen on comments and feedback?