有的产品，它一辈子只是当配角的料，你要硬把它当主角来运营，结果只会很惨淡，博客就是一种，RSS阅读器也是一个典型。所以，就RSS阅读器来说，一个公司只运营RSS阅读器是一件可怕的事情，不但是在中国，全世界范围也是如此，诸如bloglines、Google reader、feedburner、鲜果、抓虾等都还在充当着免费使者，营收遥遥无期。
这里的问题不是出在盈利模式。有些人一直说RSS阅读器没有盈利模式或者盈利模式不清晰，其实不然，RSS阅读器的盈利模式非常清晰，就是广告，但是广告的价值限制了它的发展。要提升广告价值，RSS阅读器这样一个新的媒介必须要成为媒体。但媒体的产出，不是那一堆文章，而是影响力。对于任何一个媒体，影响力才是生产力，有了影响力才能逐渐形成品牌，最终产生商业价值，逐渐具备良性造血功能。
但，在这个强势媒体的时代，创造影响力对于独立运营的RSS阅读器绝非易事。首先是进入壁垒，RSS阅读器这行的进入壁垒非常低，不管是从技术层面，还是资金层面，这也使得当前的RSS阅读器市场鱼龙混杂。竞争者多了，用户被分散了，各自的媒体价值自然被削弱了，直接导致广告价值上不去。
再就是内容。好的内容能够对人群产生巨大的影响，也是形成影响力的重要因素。但RSS阅读器内容是由用户订阅产生，垃圾内容太多，优秀的内容各家的内容重合度太高，很难形成差异化，也就很难形成影响力。
在我看来，RSS阅读器的出路只有一条，就是成为强势媒体的配角。这就和博客一样，单独运作的博客网也好，博客中国也好，blogbus也好，最终都没能拼得过门户的博客，原因就在于门户这样一个强势媒体有着强势的影响力，它的影响力会渗透到其旗下的所有产品。所以，当RSS阅读器成为强势媒体旗下的产品，就可以很便利的与强势广告品牌结合，最终活下来，还有可能活得很好
来源 独立博客地址：www.gowers.cn
标签：
RSS阅读器,
bloglines,
抓虾,
gowers.cn,
鲜果,
google reader,
feedburner
译文:
The Way-out for RSS Reader
Some products can only take the supporting role for ever. If you forcibly tried to operate it like a leading role, the outcome would be very bleak, and blogs are an example of this. RSS Reader is also of the same type. Therefore, it would be a terrible thing for the company if it operates only RSS Reader; and this is not only the case in China, but is the same all over the world, such as bloglines, Google reader, feedburner, “xianguo”, and “zhuaxia” are all still serving as angels, and income to them is still far, far away.
The problem here does not come from the profit model. Some people said that RSS Reader didn't have any profit model or its profit model was not clearly defined. It is however not the case. It has a very clear profit model, namely advertisement, but its advertisement value has restricted its development. In order to upgrade its advertisement value, RSS Reader as a new medium must become part of the media. But the existence of media is not a pile of articles, but influence. To any media, influence is productivity, and only with influence can a brand name gradually come about, and eventually generate commercial value, gradually possessing optimum hematopoietic functionality.
However, to establish influence in the times of mighty media is definitely not easy for RSS Reader operating independently. First of all, it’s the barrier of entry. RSS Reader is in such a profession where the barrier of entry is very low, in terms of either technology or funds, thus resulting in the situation where there is a mingling of good and evil. The more the competitors the fewer the users, each of them naturally has its own media value weakened, directly impacting on the appreciation of the advertisement value.
Secondly, it’s the content. good content will have great influence on the people, and is an important element in establishing influence. But the content of RSS Reader is produced by the subscribers with too much junk content, and the overlap ratio of outstanding and other content is too high making it difficult to differentiate between the two, and to build up influence would thus be an uphill task.
My view is that, there is only one way out for RSS Reader, that is, be the supporting role of the mighty media. That would be the same as blogs, either operating independently as a blog website, blogchina, or blogbus, and the portal blog would eventually come out as a winner, the reason being that portal is such a mighty medium possessing powerful influence which can penetrate the merchandise under it. Therefore, when RSS Reader becomes the merchandise under the mighty media, it can easily combine with the powerful advertisement brands and survive, possibly living well.