Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is SimpleFeed?
2. I need RSS feeds. Do you create them?
3. I have feeds. What can you do for me?
4. I need a Facebook fan page. Can you create one?
5. I have a Facebook fan page. What can you do for me?
6. I want to use Twitter. Can you help me?
7. I use Twitter. What can you do for me?
8. What reports do I get from SimpleFeed?
9. Can't I just use my Web analytics solution for RSS and social media analytics?
10. Should I be worried that I don't have enough content?
11. Can I use content in my content management system for feeds and for publishing to social networks?
12. Can I offer feeds of search results?
13. Why would I want to offer feeds of search results?
14. Can I measure and manage feeds on my social network/community site?
15. Do you offer a free version of the SimpleFeed solution?
16. Do you offer a trial version of the SimpleFeed solution?
17. Can I get a demo of the SimpleFeed solution?
18. Using SimpleFeed, how long does it take to launch feeds, Facebook Wall Publishing or Twitter Publishing?
19. Do I need to sign a contract?
20. Can I use SimpleFeed on my blog?
21. I have a small business. Is SimpleFeed good for me?
22. How much does SimpleFeed cost?
23. Does SimpleFeed integrate with Omniture?
24. I am interested having an internal company RSS feed or "white-label" social network. Is SimpleFeed a good choice?
25. Does SimpleFeed have an API?

1. What is SimpleFeed?

SimpleFeed is a hosted software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution for creating, managing and measuring RSS feeds and social marketing programs on social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter. Major corporations use SimpleFeed to syndicate content to other websites and to communicate directly with customers, prospects, partners and other constituencies.

2. I need RSS feeds. Do you create them?

Yes, we create feeds from any type of content.

3. I have feeds. What can you do for me?

SimpleFeed can do many things for you, including:

• Provide RSS analytics similar to your website analytics.
• Make feed content look like your website via templating.
• Allow you to create new feeds from various content sources, such as content management systems, search results, data feeds, office documents and Web pages.
• Improve the feed subscription process so you can get more subscribers.
• Enable personalized feeds ("Hi Joe, thought you might be interested in …").
• Integrate feeds with your other marketing programs, such as Web, e-mail and widgets.
• Allow you to "mash-up" various feeds.
• Protect your content via secure feeds.
• Provide best practices for feeds and syndication.
• Provide one place to manage feed creation and measurement processes.
• Provide a single point of support for your feeds.
• Provide a technology roadmap, including upcoming features for this dynamic technology.

4. I need a Facebook fan page. Can you create one?

Yes, you can use SimpleFeed to create a Facebook fan presence, including pages and custom applications.

5. I have a Facebook fan page. What can you do for me?

SimpleFeed can do many things for you, including:

• Automate publishing to your fan page, wall(s) and/or other pages. Content that resides on your website, in your content management system, in your data feeds, in RSS feeds or in any other content source can be published to feeds and social networks based on rules you define. As your social customer touch points expand, this saves time and minimizes mistakes.
• Manually publish content to your fan page, wall(s) and/or other pages.
• Provide analytics on your social media programs so that you can report on successes and develop best practices.

6. I want to use Twitter. Can you help me?

Yes, SimpleFeed creates Twitter presences and publishes to Twitter account(s).

7. I use Twitter. What can you do for me?

SimpleFeed can do many things for you, including:

• Automate publishing to your Twitter account(s). Content that resides on your website, in your content management system, in your data feeds, in RSS feeds or in any other content source can be published to feeds and social networks based on rules you define. As your social customer touch points expand, this saves time and minimizes mistakes.
• Manually publish content to your Twitter account(s) and/or other pages.
• Provide analytics on your social media programs so that you can report on successes and develop best practices.

8. What reports do I get from SimpleFeed?

SimpleFeed offers reports on subscribers, opens and clicks across content items, feeds, social networking sites, search strings, domains, geographies, search engines, RSS readers and any websites syndicating your content. You can drill down on reports to see the actions of subscribers, fans and followers on a daily basis.

9. Can't I just use my Web analytics solution for RSS and social media analytics?

For measurement, Web analytics programs rely on cookies and JavaScript, which are not widely used by RSS readers or easily deployed in social networks due to domain, privacy and security issues. As a result, Web analytics solutions tell you little about your RSS subscribers, social network fans/followers and their interactions with your company when they are off your website.

10. Should I be worried that I don't have enough content?

If customers and prospects visit your website, you don't need to be concerned. You do not need to be a media company to succeed with RSS. Start by using content from the most popular pages on your website. For business-to-business marketers, this typically includes support and product information, such as white papers, press releases and product sheets. For business-to-consumer marketers, this typically includes new product information, community information and sale items. Also, consider creating feeds of search results. Whenever a page related to a search string changes, subscribers will get a new content item in their feed.

11. Can I use content in my content management system for feeds and for publishing to social networks?

Yes, SimpleFeed integrates with leading content management systems.

12. Can I offer feeds of search results?

Yes, through a simple integration with your site search provider.

13. Why would I want to offer feeds of search results?

As sites such as Craigslist, eBay and Google News have demonstrated, feeds of search results are among the most valuable of all RSS feeds. Experienced RSS users check these feeds first because they often have the most highly relevant content. Just as visitors increasingly rely on your site search rather than site navigation to find desired information, feeds of search results enable greater content relevancy and success for your RSS program. It also makes every Web page a content source for your RSS program. Whenever a press release, support page, product page or any other page indexed by your site search changes, a new content item is automatically delivered to your subscribers.

14. Can I measure and manage feeds on my social network/community site?

Yes, you can add sites with many feeds to SimpleFeed in batches, enabling enhanced content presentation through templating and precise measurement.

15. Do you offer a free version of the SimpleFeed solution?

No.

16. Do you offer a trial version of the SimpleFeed solution?

Serious prospective customers can use a test site.

17. Can I get a demo of the SimpleFeed solution?

Yes, please submit a request here

18. Using SimpleFeed, how long does it take to launch feeds, Facebook Wall Publishing or Twitter Publishing?

It can take just a few days but most customers follow a six week process established by the SimpleFeed implementation team.

19. Do I need to sign a contract?

Yes, SimpleFeed has a six-page contract with a one-year term.

20. Can I use SimpleFeed on my blog?

Yes, but it is probably cost prohibitive.

21. I have a small business. Is SimpleFeed good for me?

SimpleFeed typically works with major corporations. Unless your company is very aggressive online, SimpleFeed is probably cost prohibitive.

22. How much does SimpleFeed cost?

SimpleFeed is designed for major corporations and develops pricing based on customer needs. SimpleFeed is software as a service, enabling seamless upgrades and minimizing impact on your IT resources. Pricing includes a set-up fee (which covers customized subscription pages, feed templates, content and social integrations and initial training) and a monthly recurring fee based on usage.

23. Does SimpleFeed integrate with Omniture?

Yes, SimpleFeed is an Omniture Genesis Partner.

24. I am interested having an internal company RSS feed or "white-label" social network. Is SimpleFeed a good choice?

Probably not. SimpleFeed's features and benefits are designed for customer communications.

25. Does SimpleFeed have an API?

Yes, our customers can use our API to push content to SimpleFeed and pull content and reports out of SimpleFeed.