Here are the two best ways I know to “keep up” with my RSS feeds:

1. Limit the total feeds to a manageable number.

Right now, that’s 142 subscriptions, well down from the 200-plus I used to follow–and always fall behind on. Your magic number, of course, will vary.

2. Treat your Google Reader account like an e-mail inbox: Open it every day, read as much as you can, and prioritize your responses.

I typically go through my feeds first thing in the morning (sometimes using NewsRack on the iPad), often before checking my corporate and Gmail accounts. And in 30 minutes, I get the pulse on tech/media/social media marketing news from people and sources that I trust. As time allows, I also peek back in on new, unread items during the afternoon.

Along the way, I star, share and add to Delicious the most memorable items, including content I’ll want to reference later for my own writing or presentation research. I also include a specific tag for posts I comment on.

Just like my e-mail accounts, I have buckets (see above) for what comes in. The a-Top Feeds folder comprises my own must-read list of 10 to 12 bloggers. On extra-busy/travel days, I make sure to at least read through that A-list.

The ‘Read it All’ Week Challenge

This system works for me now, but it’s taken years of practice and tweaking. If you’re struggling to keep up with your RSS feed, check out Justin Kownacki’s “Read it All” Week Challenge, which kicks off next Monday. It could be just the project to get you back on track!

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