Content marketing

How Integrating a News Feed Can Elevate Your Website

marketingcawpuser 3 years ago 5 min read

There’s no such thing as a hands-off website. If you build a website and want it to generate traffic and conversions, you have to give it some continued attention. Anyone who tells you that you simply launch a website and the traffic will come is confused (at best) or intentionally misleading (at worst).

That being said, there are some ways you can make the process of managing and growing your website less time consuming. One such technique involves integrating a news feed into your website. Read on to learn more.

What Does it Mean to Integrate a News Feed?

One of the biggest challenges of managing a website is keeping it stocked with content. Without a steady flow of fresh and relevant content, people have no reason to visit. And if they have no reason to visit, then your conversion numbers will be chronically suppressed, and your entire website will fail to live up to its potential.

The problem is that keeping a website loaded with content requires time and money. Either you personally devote your own time to creating, editing, loading, and publishing content, or you have to pay someone else to do it for you. It can also be creatively draining. But, thankfully, there are supplementary ways to keep your website or blog fresh without having to pump out multiple articles or resources on a daily basis. One strategy is to integrate a news feed into your website.

Most people are familiar with social media news feeds (like the one you see when you log into Facebook). These social feeds are basically curated digital streams that aggregate content from a variety of sources (a.k.a. your social media “friends” or followers) and automatically push them out for easy, convenient, and real-time consumption.

Most people are familiar with Facebook news feeds. But did you know that you can use the same principle to populate your website with a steady stream of fresh content that’s relevant to your website visitors? Herein lies the power of integrating a news feed into a website or blog.

A website news feed essentially curates content from around the web (based on certain topics, keywords, or URLs) and displays the title and a short excerpt/description of the article. It then links back to the original piece of content so that any visitor to your website can easily learn more.

Website news feed sources can be populated by media sites, social media profiles, blogs, or virtually any other source that publishes content on a regular basis.

Benefits of Integrating a News Feed Into Your Website

Integrating a news feed into your website is a relatively simple process that yields a rich array of benefits, including:

Increased engagement. Depending on the type of feed you integrate into your website, it actually has the power to increase engagement among your visitors. This is particularly true when it comes to visual feeds – like an Instagram feed – which serve as hooks to reel people in and keep them on the line.

Better UX. When people visit your site, they need something to sink their teeth into. A news feed delivers a superior user experience. Even if they don’t engage with any content in the feed, the mere presence of a feed shows visitors that you are relevant and current.

Transition from static to dynamic. We live in a fast-paced world where internet users expect to see the latest and greatest content. If someone visits your website and there hasn’t been a new update, blog post, or article in two weeks, it’ll appear as if you’ve fallen asleep at the wheel. With a news feed, you’re able to keep your website fresher without having to lift a finger. And while it won’t replace the need for new original content on your website, it helps you transition from a static URL to a dynamic website that’s relevant and engaging.

Increased authority. Sometimes the best thing you can do for your own authority (as a blogger or brand) is to put yourself in close proximity to other people or brands that already have a high degree of authority. This is known as the Halo Effect. Simply having a news feed with relevant content from other authoritative publishers makes your website seem more credible.

When you add all of these benefits together, the value of a news feed becomes clear. And when you consider that it’s typically free to incorporate a news feed in your website, it’s basically a no-brainer.

How to Integrate a News Feed Into Your Website

Integrating a news feed into your website or blog has never been easier. There are plenty of options for doing so – it just depends on the type of news feed you’re trying to integrate and how you want it to be displayed.

One of the easiest options is to use the Scoop.it content curation tool, which lets you automatically and instantly publish curated pieces of third-party content on your website. You can create a traditional style news feed that allows people to click for the original article, or you can embed each piece into a full-blow WordPress post with its own unique URL and layout to match your brand’s design.

With a fully-integrated news feed, you can scale your own content production, dramatically improve your brand’s credibility, and significantly increase traffic from search. And though it doesn’t totally replace the need to publish your own content, it can provide a firm foundation for any content strategy.

In addition to traditional content aggregators like Scoop.it, you can also incorporate feeds from any major social media platform (like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.). These feeds typically go in one of the sidebars on your website and provide an up-to-date look at what’s happening with your brand.

Adding it All Up

Having a news feed doesn’t replace the need to publish fresh and original content. It does, however, do some of the heavy lifting for you by relieving the pressure/need to publish multiple times per day. It essentially allows you to remain relevant in a resourceful way. Keep this tactic in mind as you attempt to grow your website without added time or cost.