Feedburner – #TryGoogle
This may be my most used but least talked about product that Google has. Feedburner, started in 2004, was a standalone company before Google purchased it in 2007. Feeds, specifically Feedburner, were a powerhouse in the early blogging and podcasting days and is one of reasons that both publishing mediums gained popularity. "Back in the day" we had to hand code our feeds, and create different versions of code to compensate for different type of 'feed readers'. Once Feedburner and the automation entered the picture, it became easier for non-tech/coders to create and distribute content on the web. Feeds are also the driving force behind iTunes Podcast subscriptions and Google Reader.
The idea of Feedburner is simple, it basically gives you the ability to create a XML/RSS/Atom feed without having to write code. WHAT?! From the Feeburner 101 FAQ:
Feeds are a way for websites large and small to distribute their content well beyond just visitors using browsers. Feeds permit subscription to regular updates, delivered automatically via a web portal, news reader, or in some cases good old email. Feeds also make it possible for site content to be packaged into "widgets," "gadgets," mobile devices, and other bite-sized technologies that make it possible to display blogs, podcasts, and major news/sports/weather/whatever headlines just about anywhere.
By subscribing to a feed, you get content automatically delivered to you as soon as it is published. Think of it this way, if you subscribe to a magazine, it shows up in your mailbox without having to think about it or call for a copy every time.
You will see a little orange icon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feed_icon) – this is the most widely used symbol, but lots of people have taken artistic license with it and doctored it up a bit.
The true power of Feedburner is that you can create a feed link once and even if you change where your content is located, your subscribers will not loose the connection to your content. It acts as a reverse forwarding address for the feed. Also – STATS glorious STATS! For a lot of companies wanting to work with content publishers, they want to know not only how many 'page views' you get a month, but how many subscribers you have to your blog or podcast. It's BFF is Google Analytics.
I was one of the earliest Feedburner beta users and still have a vintage teeshirt from them. It's one little product with one purpose and it is vital to any digital publishing plan. Check it out!
Curious on what #TryGoogle is all about and see how you can join in? (https://plus.google.com/106600962597764825745/posts/WNjxQsmEG7U)
PS – Oh WOW do I wish Google+ had RSS enabled… Just a thought.
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Google FeedBurner
Hello, our name is still FeedBurner. Welcome! It took us a while but we moved the whole neighborhood, down to every last tree, beagle, and mailbox, to Google. We hope you like it. Did you previously h…
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Agreed. Great product, not unlike Pipes from Yahoo. Impossible to replace.
Feedburner is great but it's also unsupported by Google except for a user forum.
I manage a Feedburner account at work that got lost in the transfer. The feed is still functioning and it appears that it's in my admin account but I can't log in to the feed, can't see stats or manage anything with it.
I emailed Google apps tech support and got a reply (fairly quickly) telling me they don't support Feedburner. If you look in the forums you'll see many other people with the same issue and no way to resolve it.
I'm still using Feedburner and have other accounts there that are working great but this one is lost in limbo.
Seriously, feedburner for Google+ streams would rule. Would make it easier to integrate into IFTTT recipes.
I've used Feedburner since before it was bought by Google. I've alwyas wondered why they haven't really done much to it…
what
nice