Introduction to Brilliant Directories

• Brilliant Directories is a platform for launching and managing membership sites and business directories, with various use cases that will be covered later in the discussion (00:01:10).
• The platform was founded by Jason and his co-founder Matthew Brooks, who initially created directories for specific niche industries, such as mural painters and interior designers, to generate leads and sell them to professionals (00:01:22).
• The founders built the software from the ground up, combining their developer and marketing backgrounds, after finding that existing online WordPress plugins and standalone platforms did not meet their needs (00:01:55).
• Brilliant Directories was officially launched in 2012, and since then, it has become a mature product with a focus on making the platform more robust, easier to use, and providing more ways to monetize ideas (00:02:12).

Ease of Use and Platform Overview

• The platform is suitable for marketers who are not very technical, as it provides an easy-to-use interface for creating and managing membership sites and directories (00:02:44).
• A setup video is available on the Brilliant Directories website, which shows how to create a site from start to finish and make it market-ready in about 15 minutes (00:03:36).
• Brilliant Directories is a Software as a service platform, similar to Shopify for e-commerce websites, but focused on membership and directory websites, with a strong emphasis on monetization (00:03:47).

Monetization and Customization

• Brilliant Directories allows users to sell member subscriptions, leads to professionals, and digital products, making it a versatile platform for various use cases (00:03:59).
• The platform is highly customizable, enabling users to add their own text, language, and branding to match their existing site, creating a seamless experience for their brand and community (00:04:29).
• Brilliant Directories has focused on integrations, now offering an API, Zapier integration, and a partnership with Flomatic, allowing users to share data with other platforms they use (00:04:55).

Trial and Use Cases

• Users can try Brilliant Directories by starting a trial website, which provides full access and the option to transfer the trial site to an active site if desired (00:05:26).
• Common use cases for Brilliant Directories include membership sites, online communities, brand communities, business directories, and affiliate link directories (00:05:52).
• The platform comes with 14 different post types, such as classifieds, jobs, events, and coupons, allowing users to create a customized content channel or mix and match different post types (00:06:47).
• Users can create various types of sites, including review sites, coupon sites, and sites with paywalls, making Brilliant Directories a flexible solution for different needs (00:07:17).

Revenue Generation and Email Marketing

• Brilliant Directories offers various ways to generate revenue, including paid subscriptions, donations, selling featured listings, digital products, and advertising space, allowing businesses to increase their visibility and offering a gateway to upsell other business services (00:07:37).
• The platform also includes email marketing capabilities, replacing the need for third-party emailing platforms like Mailchimp or Constant Contact, and allowing users to manage their contacts and members within the admin area (00:08:35).
• Brilliant Directories offers a free email marketing plan with a daily limit of 1,500 emails, suitable for most communities, and users can upgrade to higher tiers with more email sending limits, such as 50,000 emails per month for $30 or 250,000 emails monthly for $150 (00:09:21).
• The free email limit includes transactional emails, autoresponders, and bulk emailing, making it a generous and competitive offer (00:10:26).
• The email marketing capabilities are designed to be scalable, allowing users to upgrade their plans as their community grows, and the costs are intended to be a part of the overall business expenses (00:11:12).

Platform Limits and Growth

• Brilliant Directories has limits on emails, bandwidth, and storage to ensure fairness among users and prevent abuse, unlike Dropbox which initially offered unlimited storage but later limited it due to misuse (00:11:35).
• The platform allows users to grow their business with fair price points and scalable features (00:12:10).

Website Setup and Dashboard

• Users can start a free trial by visiting brilliantdirectories.com and accessing their website’s dashboard to manage multiple websites and projects (00:12:21).
• The admin dashboard features a wizard that guides users in launching a new website, including choosing a homepage look, localization settings, and inviting team members (00:12:47).
• The wizard allows users to select a homepage look, which serves as a starting point for customization, and all looks include the same features (00:13:32).
• Brilliant Directories supports websites worldwide, with options for localization settings, including language, currency, time format, and date format (00:13:55).
• Users can invite unlimited team members to work on their site, with customizable admin permissions to control access to different aspects of the website (00:14:13).

Sample Sites and Customization

• The platform showcases various sample sites and use cases across different industries, including holistic health, digital marketing, and directories for board-certified doctors and physicians (00:14:50).
• Brilliant Directories is a platform that allows users to create directory sites for various use cases, such as finding healthy eats, green products, or wedding vendors (00:15:14).
• A new website created using Brilliant Directories has a standard homepage look that can be customized, with features like a pre-filled logo, keywords, and a hero section (00:15:39).
• The general settings of the website allow users to change the site’s name, upload brand images, add social media links, and set localization settings (00:16:13).
• The design settings enable users to customize the website’s color scheme, add additional CSS and JavaScript code, and modify the layout (00:16:42).
• Users can choose from pre-made color sets or customize their own colors to match their branding (00:17:56).

Homepage Customization

• The homepage tab allows users to edit the hero section, change the title, and customize the font, weight, and alignment (00:18:05).
• Users can choose from over 800 Google fonts to use on their website, and different sections can use different fonts (00:18:19).
• The website can be customized without touching any code, making it accessible to non-techy users (00:18:37).
• Users can remove the search box from the homepage and direct visitors to the entire directory or a specific page (00:18:43).
• A search box and a call to action can be added to the homepage, with various combinations of searches available, and the option to display button links, such as “Find Digital Marketers” and “Join List Your Marketing Services” (00:18:57).
• The buttons can be customized with different URLs, and the design can be adjusted to match a specific color set (00:19:24).
• A background image can be added to the homepage, with the option to search from five stock photo libraries, including Pexels, Pixabay, Giy, Unsplash, and an icon library (00:19:52).
• A color overlay can be added to the background image, allowing for a subtle color effect (00:20:36).
• The font size of the text on the homepage can be adjusted to make it smaller and fit on one line (00:21:09).
• The Brilliant Directories platform allows for point-and-click design, as well as the option to access the code for higher-level designers (00:21:31).

Business Data Import

• A new feature, “Business Data,” allows users to import businesses into their directory, making the site appear more established and seasoned, with 100 free import credits available (00:21:47).
• Additional import credits can be purchased, with a promo available to save 50% on the price (00:22:27).
• The Business Data feature can be used to search for specific types of businesses, such as marketers, with a large database of options available (00:22:37).
• Brilliant Directories allows users to search for businesses in various categories, including internet marketing services, and filter results by location, such as Los Angeles or internationally by country, like Belgium (00:22:42).
• Users can also apply preferred attributes to their search, such as including email addresses, although this feature has a 50/50 success rate due to data being sourced from third-party aggregates (00:23:07).
• The platform allows users to import businesses into their site, assign membership plans and categories, and create top-level categories for specialties and services (00:23:43).
• Categories are customizable and can be used to organize business listings, such as restaurants, cafes, lawyers, or immigration attorneys (00:23:47).
• Imported businesses can be viewed in the “Search Members” section, where users can see member profiles, including logos, and search for specific members (00:24:11).
• Categories can be linked to the homepage or added as a dropdown menu, allowing users to easily find specific types of businesses (00:24:40).

Web Page Builder

• Brilliant Directories also features a web page builder, which allows users to create landing pages with customizable content blocks and access to a content marketing library (00:25:19).
• The web page builder includes features such as image search and a helpbot that can assist with creating content and answering questions about the platform (00:26:24).
• A directory for digital marketers was created, and the content for the “About” and “Mission” pages was generated using the web page builder, allowing for easy copying and pasting of the content (00:26:34).
• The web page builder allows users to add content, buttons, and other features, such as sign-up pages, and customize the hero section settings, including adding images and color overlays (00:27:20).
• The hero section settings enable users to add a background image, color overlay, and customize the title font color, as well as add a call-to-action (CTA) button (00:27:20).

Directory Site Creation and Launch Strategy

• The directory sites are a combination of a homepage, about pages, and a directory, with everything being dynamically created, allowing for easy addition of members and automatic creation of profile and send message pages (00:28:50).
• The directory site can be easily set up and customized, with the goal of creating a site that is “good enough” to launch and then improve over time, rather than striving for perfection (00:30:08).
• The importance of balance between having a perfect site and launching quickly is emphasized, as striving for perfection can lead to failure, and it’s better to “fail fast” and improve over time (00:30:20).
• When launching a new idea, it’s essential to determine quickly if it has potential or not, and one approach is to create a minimal viable product (MVP) and gather feedback from users before making significant decisions (00:30:32).
• Failing fast and moving on to the next thing is crucial, as what may seem perfect in one’s mind may not resonate with the target audience (00:30:52).
• The concept of “build in public” involves creating an MVP, gathering feedback from users, and making adjustments along the way, which can also be used to run promotions and campaigns (00:31:20).

Digital Products and Monetization

• A website can be created quickly using Brilliant Directories, with features such as point-and-click design settings and customizable post types (00:32:29).
• Digital products can be created and sold on a website, separate from membership plans, and can include items like ebooks, advertising spots, or SEO services (00:33:08).
• Brilliant Directories allows admins to manage and create post types, including digital products, and generate revenue from these products (00:33:29).
• Post types can be categorized and cloned to create custom content channels or streams of content, such as events or open houses (00:33:41).
• A sample digital product can be created and viewed on a website, demonstrating the capabilities of Brilliant Directories (00:34:00).
• A digital product called “Senior Care Guide: Finding the Right Caretaker” was created, priced at $5, and has its own detail page with a description, images, and the option to make it a slideshow (00:34:11).
• The digital product can be purchased by connecting a payment gateway, and a popup will appear to confirm the purchase (00:34:40).
• Coupon codes can be created in the finance tab, allowing for discounts on products, services, and membership plans, with options to set usage limits, expiration dates, and specific products or plans the code applies to (00:34:53).

Coupon Codes and Purchase Process

• The coupon code can be applied to the digital product purchase, reducing the price to $0 (00:35:26).
• After purchasing the digital product, a redirect page can be set up to show a thank you message or provide a download link, which can be protected to only allow buyers of the digital product to access it (00:35:49).
• The web page builder provides default pages for the site, including a page for downloading the digital product, which can be protected using the “Protect Page” option (00:36:22).
• The “Protect Page” option allows choosing whether the page is public, only for members, or only for buyers of specific digital products, and can be set to only allow access to certain membership plans or digital products (00:36:43).
• The protected page will not be indexed by Google, and can be used to provide exclusive content to buyers of the digital product (00:37:18).

Member Management and Content Creation

• Logging in as a member with admin privileges allows for publishing digital products, including blogs, events, and real estate listings, with different membership plans controlling access to these features (00:37:38).
• A digital product can be created and sold to members, such as an online course on managing and growing a Facebook group (00:38:16).
• The site has a chat GPT content creator that can be enabled for different text editor types and membership plans, allowing for AI-generated content (00:38:42).
• Chat GPT can be used to create a description for a digital product, such as an ebook, by providing a prompt and generating compelling content (00:39:50).
• The digital product can be set as free or a one-time payment, with options for limited-time free downloads and customizable buy button text (00:40:42).

Member Credits and Digital Product Management

• Brilliant Directories has a member credits system, allowing members to earn and spend credits on digital products, with options for selling credits for real cash (00:41:01).
• The system also allows for setting a thank you page, sending confirmation emails, and notifying the post publisher after a digital product is purchased (00:41:26).
• Brilliant Directories allows users to upload images to their digital products, and the process is demonstrated by uploading an image to a senior care guide product (00:41:57).
• The platform enables users to create digital products, such as online courses, and set them up with features like Facebook groups and limited-time free downloads (00:42:18).
• The digital product setup does not require a credit card for free downloads, and users are directed to a congratulations page instead of a thank-you page (00:42:32).

SEO and Cloning Post Types

• Brilliant Directories incorporates SEO features, including breadcrumbs and schema markup, throughout the website, blog articles, and business listings (00:42:51).
• The platform allows users to clone post types and create different channels for digital products, enabling organization and categorization of various product types (00:43:29).
• Users can access RSS links and clone post types to create separate channels for different digital products, such as ebooks, business services, and profile visibility boosts (00:43:44).

Pricing and Add-ons

• Brilliant Directories offers a blog post with 15 upsell ideas for business directory websites, providing monetization strategies and methods (00:44:04).
• The platform’s pricing plan, including the lifetime deal, is discussed, with the main price being $1450, excluding add-ons, and options for multi-site discounts and additional lifetime sites (00:44:30).
• The VIP add-ons Club is mentioned as an option for accessing all current and future add-ons, with a monthly or annual renewal, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a steady monthly recurring revenue (MRR) (00:45:11).
• Brilliant Directories offers various bundles, and the only additional item to consider is the VIP add-ons Club, which provides extra features (00:45:37).

Member Limits and Mobile Responsiveness

• All tiers have a limit on members, but non-member viewable content is unlimited; a member is defined as anyone with a listing or profile on the site, such as imported business listings or users with a username and login (00:45:52).
• Newsletter subscribers, website visitors, and people contacting members do not count as members (00:46:17).
• Brilliant Directories is mobile-responsive, allowing users to save the site to their home screen and access it like an app; many users are turning their directory sites into mobile-friendly apps (00:46:58).
• The platform allows users to customize their site’s mobile view, including hiding certain sections or enabling/disabling features on mobile (00:47:26).

Membership Management and Visibility

• It is possible to create a membership website without showing members to each other; some users use the platform to internally manage their users (00:48:20).
• The membership plan settings allow administrators to turn the signup page on or off, create different membership plans, and control search visibility for members (00:48:47).
• Administrators can create non-searchable members, such as the admin blog author, and customize membership plans for different types of users (00:49:03).
• Members can be made searchable on the website, and their profiles can be hidden from search engines by adding “no index” and “no follow” tags to prevent indexing and discovery by search engines (00:49:21).

Customization and Technical Aspects

• Animations can be added to the site, but there are no default settings for them; users can add animations by coding and using Bootstrap 3 and JavaScript libraries (00:49:48).
• Custom fonts can be added to the site by referencing the font family in the head and adding CSS code, but it requires some technical knowledge, and the support team can assist with this (00:50:40).

Member Verification and Moderation

• There is a members verification option to prevent fake profiles by setting the account status to “on hold” and requiring admin approval for new signups (00:51:33).
• Admins can moderate signups and be notified of new signups before they go public on the site (00:52:22).

Member Information and Form Customization

• Members can change their email addresses, and admins can log in as any member to make changes to their information (00:52:35).
• Brilliant Directories has a feature that prevents duplicate email addresses from being added to the system by default, but there is an advanced setting to allow or disallow duplicate email addresses for member records (00:53:13).
• The email address can be changed, but there is an option to make it non-changeable if desired (00:53:41).
• The contact detail form can be edited to ask for various information, such as hair color or favorite sports, and the admin can change the language on the site (00:53:52).
• The admin can edit text labels, such as changing “Enter contact information below” to “Tell us about your business” without touching code (00:54:15).
• The email address field can be made non-changeable by adding a “read only” class or making it “admin only” in the form manager (00:54:59).
• The form manager allows for customization of forms, including building surveys, application forms, and eBook download forms (00:55:27).
• The “admin only” feature allows only the admin to see certain fields when logged in with the admin tab (00:56:02).
• The “read only” feature makes a field non-editable, and the “admin only” feature makes a field visible only to the admin (00:56:10).
• The admin view can be removed to show how a regular member would see the email address field, which is not editable by the member but can be seen by the admin (00:56:47).
• The form manager allows for flexibility and control over certain fields, such as making the email address field visible but not editable by members (00:57:16).

Spam Prevention and Security

• It is possible to block users from certain domains or IP addresses to prevent spam on the site (00:57:30).
• The IP address of users who sign up or fill out forms can be seen in the search members or forms inbox sections, and can be blocked by clicking on the “block IP” button (00:58:07).
• The blocked IP address can be pasted into the C panel or developer Hub to block it, and this can also be done for higher-level users through the HT access (00:58:22).
• Traffic can also be blocked by country under the localization section, allowing users to block traffic from specific regions (00:58:50).
• Keywords can be added under the Integrations tab to block spammy messages or sign-ups with certain keywords, and disposable email addresses can also be blocked (00:59:33).
• The system keeps an updated list of disposable email addresses, and users can choose to block these addresses to prevent spam (01:00:11).
• Mitigation strategies can be used to prevent people from submitting forms on the site and spamming members, including blocking IP addresses, countries, and disposable email addresses (01:00:26).
• Brilliant Directories has implemented various security measures, including IP blocking and rate limiting, to prevent spam and abuse on its platform (01:00:34).

Community Feedback and Bandwidth Limits

• The platform’s features are developed based on feedback from its community, including the Facebook community and Brilliant Directories community, with a focus on high-priority suggestions (01:00:51).
• By default, all sites on the platform have a 10 GB bandwidth limit, which can be increased as the site grows, and users can monitor their bandwidth usage on their dashboard page (01:01:21).
• If a site’s bandwidth usage is high due to large image files, the Brilliant Directories support team can help optimize the images to reduce bandwidth usage (01:01:53).

Listing Limits and Image Optimization

• There is no limit to the number of listings on the platform, but each listing counts as a member, and users can increase their member limit as their site or community grows (01:02:28).
• The platform’s limits are designed to accommodate legitimate directory sites with thousands or hundreds of thousands of records, rather than data dumps of millions of records (01:03:01).
• Users can use third-party services, such as Short Pixel API, to optimize images and use their CDN for images, in addition to the default ImageKit integration (01:03:45).
• The platform allows users to test third-party image optimization services in the advanced settings (01:04:06).
• Brilliant Directories allows users to utilize a Content delivery network (CDN) for images by inputting the URL slug in the advanced settings, which can convert image URLs to the CDN Network, and Image Kit is a recommended option that is free up to 20 Gigabytes per month (01:04:13).

Analytics and Data Backup

• For analytics, Google Analytics is recommended for granular reports, but Brilliant Directories also offers a basic analytics tool called AWStats, accessible through the CPanel, which provides an overview of traffic sources, visited pages, and downloaded files (01:04:55).
• AW Stats is a basic analytics tool that provides a sense of bandwidth usage and traffic sources, but it is not as detailed as Google Analytics or tools like Hotjar (01:05:39).
• Brilliant Directories automatically backs up user data every morning for up to 14 days and once a month, and users can also manually back up their site data through Cpanel (01:06:18).
• Users can access a guide on how to manually back up their site data by going to Cpanel and clicking on the backup option, allowing them to save their data and files locally (01:06:32).

Integrations and API

• Brilliant Directories integrates with Zapier and is working on an integration with Flomatic, and users can also connect with other AI tools to publish articles directly to the platform using the API (01:07:08).
• The API allows users to publish articles or posts from third-party sources, such as RSS feeds or AI tools, to their site (01:07:34).
• Brilliant Directories allows users to create automations or workflows to post content on their site, and a link will be shared to demonstrate how to create an “about” section for members using basic information they’ve entered, with the same methodology applicable to automating articles and posts from AI tools like Neuron Writer (01:07:55).
• Zapier integration with Brilliant Directories enables users to create posts, and an RSS feed can be used as a trigger to create a post on the Brilliant Directories website (01:08:25).

Payment Gateways and Future Plans

• Brilliant Directories currently integrates with various payment gateways, including Stripe, Inc., Authorize.Net, BluePay, EWay, PayPal, and more, with plans to add more gateways, such as Razor Pay for the Indian market, by the end of 2024 (01:09:05).
• The recommended payment gateway is Stripe due to its good technology, but users can also use other gateways like PayPal Express, which is the quickest and easiest option to set up (01:09:29).
• Creating products on Brilliant Directories can be done using the API or tools like PAB or Zapier, similar to creating posts (01:10:07).
• There are plans to potentially add cryptocurrency as a payment option in 2025, using tools like Stripe to unlock crypto connections (01:10:19).

Member Credits and Rewards

• Brilliant Directories has a member credits system, which allows members to purchase additional products on the site, and credits can be rewarded manually or through workflows using PAB or Zapier (01:10:59).
• The credits system is included with all AppSumo tiers and can be used to reward members for actions, with options to add or deduct credits manually or in bulk (01:11:14).
• Brilliant Directories allows users to add rewards for members, with options for both manual and automated actions, to incentivize certain behaviors (01:11:55).
• For payment gateways in Canada, Stripe, Inc. and PayPal are recommended as they work great for the region (01:12:04).

Platform Use Cases and Examples

• The platform can be used to create a talent hunt type platform, similar to a job board, where employers can post job opportunities and job seekers can create profiles with their resume, specialties, and skills (01:12:29).
• It is possible to create a review site with Brilliant Directories, allowing users to review business listings or members, and also rate posts with star ratings (01:13:04).
• The platform can be used to create a multivendor portal, but vendors cannot explicitly sell their products through the site; instead, they can create products, list them, and add external links for users to purchase or learn more (01:14:40).
• Vendors can upload a collection of their products and link out to external sites for users to take further action, and affiliate systems can be used to earn commissions (01:15:17).
• Brilliant Directories can be used to earn commissions through affiliate links, such as Amazon (company), by creating a dedicated site with product reviews and linking out to other websites (01:15:44).
• The platform can be used internally as a staff portal by utilizing the members-only feature, allowing all pages except the homepage to be private and requiring a login to access (01:16:08).
• The homepage can be set to prompt users to log in, and once logged in, staff members can access resources, news, bulletin boards, and discussions (01:16:39).
• Members can comment on posts within the community, and commenting can be enabled or disabled on specific post types (01:17:27).

Community Features and SEO

• Brilliant Directories can be used to create a website similar to Yelp, focusing on the directory aspect and removing unnecessary features such as jobs (01:19:21).
• Commenting on posts can be enabled or disabled globally, and users can receive email notifications for new comments or replies to their comments (01:18:44).
• Comments have schema markup, allowing them to appear as Rich Snippets in Google search results, which can help with ranking (01:19:05).

Category Resources and Business Directory Features

• Brilliant Directories provides a list of top 100 categories for membership or directory websites, which can be found under the “Resources” section on their website, to help users get started with creating categories for their site (01:19:35).
• The list of categories can be imported into a Brilliant Directories site, and it includes 100 categories for local businesses, which are the top ones from Yelp (01:20:22).
• Users can start by importing the categories and then use the “Instant Business Data” feature to import five listings per category, filling up multiple categories quickly (01:20:44).
• A business listing directory can be used to search by category and location, view reviews, contact members, and get directions, similar to Yelp or Yellow pages (01:21:00).
• Brilliant Directories can be used to create a community-driven directory site, which can provide a sense of purpose, community interaction, and revenue (01:21:23).

Success Stories and Community Building

• There are success stories of people making real money using Brilliant Directories, but most of the information is private, except for a few cases shared on their blog (01:22:01).
• Corey Barnes, a user of Brilliant Directories, runs a Facebook group for Chattanooga, Tennessee, and has successfully converted his group into a paid directory, with over 100,000 members (01:22:22).
• A user has created a directory site for Chattanooga, Tennessee, similar to Yelp, but specifically for the local community, and has done some design customization on it over time as it has grown (01:23:12).
• The user started with a minimal viable product and later improved the design and look of the site as it gained traffic (01:23:29).

Resources and Support

• A course is available on the YouTube channel to help users become familiar with all the features of Brilliant Directories (01:23:48).
• The Brilliant Directories blog and previous webinars are great resources for marketing strategy and tips, including monetizing membership sites (01:23:56).
• Quick setup videos are available in the resources section for configuration tasks such as connecting a domain and payment gateway (01:24:21).
• Brilliant Directories appreciates user support and would love to see what users create on the platform (01:24:36).
• An active Facebook group is available for users to ask questions, including strategy, troubleshooting, and other topics (01:24:40).
• Users have found the information provided to be very informative and appreciate the patience in answering all questions (01:24:58).