How Many People Use RSS Anyway?
One of the slams I saw yesterday after we started posting Google Reader’s feed numbers is that “nobody reads RSS.”
Today, Erick Schonfeld at TechCrunch, gave us some more numbers so we can extrapolate out just how many people actually are using RSS.
First, let’s start with the BBC. That’s the #1 most subscribed to feed on Google Reader that I can find.
Google Reader is reporting that 1,387,559 are subscribed to the News Front Page and another 824784 are subscribed to the UK Edition.
Let’s just call that two million people. Yeah, I know that many people are probably subscribed to both feeds, but let’s just go with it to make the math simple.
Now let’s make an assumption. Let’s say that half of all Google Readers are subscribed to the BBC. That means about four million people are using Google Reader.
Using the data from TechCrunch we see that Google counts for about 38% of all people using a feed reader. Let’s just round that to 40%. That means about 10 million people use RSS. Or probably less if my assumptions above prove to be too liberal.
So, why so small? And why does the world care about the behaviors of only 10 million people (out of six billion).
A few reasons.
First, getting 10 million users isn’t too shabby.
Second, I never expected RSS to get as popular as Paris Hilton.
Third, what’s the real power of RSS? The news influencers use it. So, if you want to reach the Paris Hilton crowd you’ve probably gotta go through someone who uses an RSS aggregator. Most of the journalists and almost all of the bloggers I know use RSS.
But, anyway, is 10 million a good or bad number? Why?
Article Sponsor
More Opinions
Reader Comments.
great points Robert…No one ever said RSS would be adopted by the masses any time soon (at least knowingly)
When Paris Hilton has her own feed reader, maybe the numbers will shoot up
With the roll-out of the FeedJournal’s (www.Feedjournal.com) application newspapers, bloggers and any content provider now have the capability to “publish and print” their content online. Once advertisers see how easy it is to insert an ad within an RSS feed it will take them little time to figure out that a new avenue for print advertising is emerging online. Who’d of thought?
Check out an example of what I’m talking about here:
~Becks
Leave a Comment
Latest News
- The Android Market Is Open for Business August 29th 2008
- RIP: Yahoo’s Mash August 29th 2008
- Boomers Are Slutty Shoppers August 29th 2008
- DigiMeld Raises $2M August 29th 2008
- Comcast Caps Internet Usage at 250 GB August 29th 2008
- Microsoft To Buy Ciao.com Price Comparison Firm August 29th 2008
- McCain Beats Obama in Online Ad Tactics? August 28th 2008
- Hires Round-Up: WPP, Pandora August 28th 2008
Features
- Local Shops Have Leg Up on Social Sites August 29th 2008
- Phelps Wins GOLD for Facebook Advertisers August 28th 2008
- Email Deliverability: 10 Golden Rules August 27th 2008
- Infomercials: Revolutionary Political Tool? August 27th 2008
- Can 314 Ad Networks Really Thrive? August 26th 2008
Spotlight
AdMob: Google’s Move Into Mobile Fray Helps UsADOTAS EXCLUSIVE – AdMob offers the biggest mobile advertising marketplace on the planet — and the company was founded just [...] more...
Reader Favorites
Classifieds
Most Commented
- Google Slaps Affiliate Marketers (Again) (27)
- Marketing to Women Is So 2007 (10)
- Why CFOs Don’t Believe in Online Advertising (7)
- Serious Software Bugs Reported in iPhones (6)
- Obama’s VP Pick Inauspicious for Net Neutrality (5)
- Has NebuAd Ruined Behavioral Targeting? (4)
- Four Steps To Lead Generation Success (3)
- Two Mobile Studies Provide Priceless Peek Into Consumers’ Psyche (3)
