Using RSS and Google Reader has made my life so much easier and enables me to follow far more blogs and news feeds than I used to. This prompted me to put together a post for those of you who are new to the online social media scene or who haven’t experimented with RSS as yet.

What is RSS?
Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is an XML-based format for content distribution that includes headlines, summaries and links. News aggregators, also known as news readers or RSS readers, enable you to keep track of the latest news and posts without having to visit each website or blog.

Why use RSS feeds and readers?
RSS and news readers provide the latest information in a compact, accessible list – a handy and simple solution for all the busy bees out there! News readers are automatically updated every hour so you can peruse the latest information when it suits you.

Where can I get an RSS Reader?
There are a wide range of RSS Readers available which can be accessed through a browser, integrated into email programs or run as a standalone application on your computer. Some of the popular free RSS Readers are:
• Google Reader
• Feedreader
• Newsgator

How to use RSS on the getclosure! blog
Follow these three simple steps:
1. Click on the RSS icon in the top right-hand corner of the page.

2. Either select “Add to Google Homepage” or “Add to Google Reader”.
3. Log into your Google account and read the latest posts at your leisure!

You can also share posts on a number of social media sites by clicking on the following icon at the end of each post:

“What is RSS?” on ProBlogger has a lot more information so if you’re still curious then why not check it out.