Webinar Wednesday 207 – September 10, 2025

Brilliant Directories Mobile App (00:02:23)

• The Brilliant Directories mobile app can be downloaded from the app store on a mobile device by searching for Brilliant Directories, allowing users to stay updated with their site on the go and keep in touch with new members and payments received (00:02:23).
• A version two of the app is being developed, which will bring real-time push notifications closer to being released, and users are invited to download the current version of the app, which is free (00:02:41).
• Downloading the app provides a great way to stay updated with the site, including seeing new members and new payments received, and is a valuable tool for managing a site (00:02:23).

iPad Giveaway (00:02:54)

• The Brilliant Directories Facebook group is hosting an iPad giveaway, where all you need to do to enter is comment on the featured post (00:02:54).
• To participate in the giveaway, you can join the Facebook group by going to brilliantdirectories.com/fas, and if you're not a member, you'll be asked to join the group first, after which you can comment on the featured post (00:03:13).
• If the giveaway receives 1,000 unique comments or more, two winners will be selected for an iPad instead of just one, and you're welcome to invite friends, family, and colleagues to join the group and participate (00:03:29).
• The comments for the giveaway will be closed on September 30th, and the winner will be announced the next day on October 1st, with no need to comment multiple times as duplicates will be removed (00:03:47).
• The chance of winning is estimated to be 1 in 15,000, which is better than the lottery or Powerball, and the team tries to avoid picking past winners, so you have a better chance of winning if you participate (00:04:09).
• The Brilliant Directories team is always working on new updates and features to add more value to the platform, and many of these updates come from suggestions and ideas from the community, which are discussed in Webinar Wednesdays (00:04:26).
• Webinar Wednesdays cover topics such as increasing traffic, converting visitors into members, and identifying revenue opportunities, and also include time for Q&A, where you can ask questions by typing them into the comments or requesting to unmute your microphone (00:04:44).
• To ask a question during the webinar, you can type "QUESTION" in all caps at brilliantdirectories.com/stream, and the team will do their best to answer as many questions as possible (00:05:20).
• The webinar also includes updates on new features and releases, such as the BD Lab updates, which are coming soon and will be shared in the next part of the webinar (00:05:54).

Insights: See which members spend the most & other key metrics (00:06:13)

• The admin dashboard in Brilliant Directories now features new modules that include metrics, analytics, graphs, and charts, which will be expanded upon in the future (00:06:13).
• These modules allow users to view key metrics, such as which members have generated the most revenue, statistics on leads, and which leads are producing the most revenue (00:06:13).
• The system provides insights into important financial aspects, including the ability to see which members have spent the most money, enabling better understanding and management of revenue streams (00:06:13).

QUICK CREATE: Wizards for newsletters, landing pages & more (with AI) (00:06:37)

• Quick creation tools are available to rapidly create various content types, including invoices, posts, and coupons, with more wizards to be added for creating newsletters, landing pages, and other content with the assistance of AI (00:06:37).
• The use of AI in these quick creation tools will provide better-designed outcomes, offering a stronger starting point than simply using content blocks and switching out the content (00:06:56).
• New content blocks will also be released to supplement the quick creation tools and AI assistance, enhancing the overall content creation experience (00:06:37).

CONTENT BLOCKS: Fresh designs for newsletters & landing pages (00:07:09)

• Pre-made blocks can be dragged into the text editor, allowing for modification of text and images, and fresh designs will be available for both newsletters and landing pages (00:07:09).
• The introduction of these pre-made blocks aims to assist in creating content more efficiently and quickly, enabling users to bring their ideas to life on their website or in a newsletter in a shorter amount of time (00:07:09).

LIVE NOTIFICATIONS: Get pop-up alerts for signups, payments & more (00:07:28)

• Live notifications will be available, allowing users to turn on pop-up alerts for various events, such as new members joining a site or new payments being received, which will be displayed in the bottom left corner of the admin screen (00:07:28)
• The live notifications feature will provide updates on noteworthy activity happening on sites in real-time, enabling users to stay informed about significant events (00:07:28)

ADMIN UPDATES: Faster workflows, cleaner design & AI integrations (00:07:48)

• Updates to the admin area are planned to close out the year, including quick create wizards and other changes to help users work faster with more intuitive workflows, as well as a cleaner design and more AI integrations to assist with site management (00:07:48).
• The goal of these updates is to enhance the overall user experience, providing assistance as users work on their sites, particularly in areas such as the web page builder (00:08:06).
• An AI assistant is being introduced to the web page builder to offer suggestions for improving SEO metatags, including metatitles and descriptions, to help users achieve stronger SEO (00:08:06).

FRONTEND: Faster page speeds & ongoing SEO improvements (00:08:24)

• The team is working on the frontend to achieve faster page speeds, which is crucial because Google Maps can significantly slow down web pages, and they are also focusing on using the Google Maps API more efficiently to reduce costs (00:08:24).
• The team's efforts to optimize the Google Maps API will not only reduce costs but also improve the overall efficiency of the maps, allowing for better performance and faster page loading (00:08:24).
• In addition to the frontend improvements, the team is also working on ongoing SEO improvements to enhance the website's search engine optimization (00:08:40).

THEMES: New homepage layouts to pair with Secondary Hero Content (00:08:54)

• New design tools have been introduced, including drop-down menus for the header nav and secondary hero content, which enables easy placement of a video or image to the left or right of the main homepage hero content (00:08:54).
• The secondary hero content tool allows for added flexibility in designing the homepage, with the ability to turn on or off new homepage layouts depending on the desired call to action, all without requiring code (00:09:12).
• The new design tools provide point-and-click settings, giving users more control over the aesthetic, look, and behavior of their homepage, making it easier to achieve their desired design (00:09:12).

BD Quick Tips - Intro (00:09:36)

• The BD platform has numerous features, and a few often overlooked but impactful ones have been identified for discussion, including manually billing members (00:09:36).
• These features are highlighted in the BD quick tips section of the webinar, where small but significant features are occasionally showcased (00:09:54).
• The three features selected for this particular webinar were chosen from the many available on the platform, with the first one being the ability to manually bill members (00:09:36).

1) Manually Bill Members (00:10:07)

• Manually billing members allows for the creation of custom invoices, which can be one-time or recurring subscription invoices, enabling the request of money and start of subscriptions for individual members (00:10:07).
• The process of manually billing members has become easier and more intuitive with recent admin dashboard updates, and can be done through the quickre functions, which involves five simple steps, including entering the member's name or email address and choosing the type of billing invoice (00:10:45).
• The benefits of manually billing members include the ability to process custom payments and orders, support custom pricing, and adjust the start dates of subscriptions, which can be useful in various scenarios, such as giving individual members discounts or charging them for specific services (00:11:22).
• Manually billing members can also be useful for international users who cannot use default integrated payment gateways or prefer to conduct transactions offline, as it allows for marking invoices as paid and reflecting offsite transactions within the website (00:12:17).
• The new wizard for manually billing members enables starting, modifying, and requesting money for subscriptions, as well as creating one-time invoices, and allows for sending reminder emails to members or linking them directly to their member dashboard for payment (00:13:13).
• The manually billing members tool can be particularly powerful for larger enterprises or those with many members, billings, and products to manage, as it helps with billing new members, collecting past due fees, and managing various payments (00:13:47).

2) View Members' Activity History (00:13:59)

• The activity history of members can be viewed, showing a log of almost all activities performed by individual members on the website, with the default history log going back 30 days (00:13:59).
• Having the admin activity tracking add-on or the VIP add-ons club extends the stored history to unlimited, and the activity log works the same way as the activity tracking for the entire website, but is filtered to show only the activity of the specific member being viewed (00:14:16).
• To view a member's activity, the user can go to the "my members" section, search for the specific member, open their account details, and click the activity tab to see a timeline of all the activity they have taken on the website (00:14:55).
• One of the best use cases for this feature is to perform a quick audit trail for an individual member, allowing for faster troubleshooting of issues, such as identifying unexpected changes made by the member (00:15:14).
• The activity log can be filtered by date and keywords, allowing the user to see specific activities, such as form submissions, and there is also a checklist of activity types that can be selected to view, including email activity, lead-related activity, and finance-related activity (00:16:09).
• The activity log is a powerful feature that can help with troubleshooting, and it is not only useful for individual member activity, but also for viewing the entire activity tracker for the website, which can be found in the dashboard section (00:17:21).
• The activity tracker page shows all admin activity, allowing the user to see who made changes, what changes were made, and when, making it a helpful tool for identifying and resolving issues (00:17:40).

3) Member Tags (00:18:08)

• Member tags are a powerful and customizable feature that allows labeling specific individual members with custom tags to organize and segment members outside of the member category structure or membership plans, enabling the creation of dynamic smart lists from members with specific tags (00:18:08).
• The functionality to manage member tags is simple and can be accessed in the "my members" section of the admin area, where there is a smart lists and tags page to create new member tags, apply those tags to individual members, and perform bulk actions (00:18:48).
• Member tags can be utilized for targeted management by grouping members with specific labels into smart lists for targeted marketing and management, allowing for filtering and searching by tags to find exactly who is needed (00:19:41).
• Smart lists can be created to filter members who joined the website within a certain date range, and member tags can be added to those filters to enhance the smart lists for targeted management and marketing purposes (00:20:17).
• Member tags can be assigned manually, edited in the quick edit section, or assigned with the API, and they can also be used to segment members based on forms submitted on the site (00:21:30).
• Forms submitted can be used to search for members who have filled out specific forms, and this information can be used to create smart lists and send targeted email newsletters to recipients who are part of that smart list (00:22:22).
• Member tags are a static way to categorize or label members, and they can be used in conjunction with smart lists, which are dynamic, to send targeted emails and follow-ups to members who have taken certain actions on the site (00:23:37).

What happens when you give a member a tag but then later the tag does not apply to them? (00:24:08)

• Member tags are static, meaning they are manually applied or removed, and do not automatically update when a member's status changes, unlike smart lists which are dynamically updated as long as members fit the criteria (00:24:08).
• The key difference between member tags and smart lists is that member tags are administrative labels that need to be manually updated, whereas smart lists automatically update based on member criteria (00:24:26).
• There are plans to integrate member tags with other tools, as it has been confirmed that member tags are already integrated with Pably and Zapier, with this information being shared in response to a question from Steve (00:24:08).

Will member tags be integrated with Pabbly or Zapier? (00:24:45)

• When creating or updating a user, one of the fields that can be entered is member tags, which is available for use, and it is required to use the tag ID instead of the tag name, so a comma-separated list of tag IDs should be used (00:24:45).
• To add a member tag to a user in a Zapier workflow, the tag ID, such as 25, should be put into the field, and multiple tag IDs can be added using a comma-separated list, such as 25, 2, 3, and the action will add or remove the tag ID from the user depending on the action (00:25:05).
• The member tags integration is already available with Zapier, and it is likely that it is also available with Pabbly, but if not, Pabbly can be contacted to confirm, and it should be part of Pabbly as well (00:25:22).

Support acknowledgment on server uptime (00:25:50)

• Jeremiah has been emailing the support team regarding server uptime issues, which included some downtime a couple of days ago due to a problem at the data center that the team had to mitigate, resulting in some minutes of server and site downtime (00:25:50).
• The team has automated, third-party, and in-house monitoring of the servers, and users can check the server uptime at network.billiantdirectories.com to stay updated on the hosting environment (00:26:09).
• Although unexpected downtimes can occur in any hosting environment, the team works to mitigate and minimize them as much as possible, aiming for 100% uptime, with a recent case showing 99.8% uptime that will be improved (00:26:29).

Is there a way to set all member plans to be billed on the same day? (00:26:46)

• The possibility of setting all member plans to be billed on the same day, such as the first of the month, is being worked on, and a bulk update action for subscriptions is planned to be added under the finance tab, allowing users to select and update multiple subscriptions at once (00:26:46).
• Currently, subscriptions start when members join the site, and the start date of their subscriptions is determined by their join date, but users can contact the support team for manual assistance with bulk updates until the bulk action feature is available (00:27:08).
• The support team can help with manual updates via the database for users who need to change the future bill date of their subscriptions, and users can email the support team to request this assistance (00:27:28).
• Tags are expected to be available on Pabi 2, and if they are not, the Pabi team can be notified to address the issue (00:27:46).
• The secondary hero section allows users to easily add a video or an image to their homepage hero section, but it requires two conditions to be met: the primary content width must be less than 100%, and the content alignment must not be centered (00:28:24).
• When the primary content width is set to 100%, the secondary hero content is not available because there is no space left for it, but setting the width to less than 100% allows for the secondary content to be displayed (00:29:20).
• The secondary hero content can be useful for adding links, tag clouds, or slim banner ads, and it works best with a 50/50 or 60/40 split between the primary and secondary content areas (00:29:58).
• Changing the content alignment to centered also affects the availability of the secondary hero content, as it splits the space on the left and right, making it less suitable for secondary content (00:30:40).
• The content area width should be less than 100 and the content area should be positioned on the left or right to get the secondary content space, and this can be adjusted by flipping the content area to the right, which makes the secondary content fall on the left side (00:30:57).
• For websites that are just starting out, it is recommended to use buttons as a simple call to action, giving people a clear choice, such as joining the site or searching the site, and this can be accompanied by an image or video that supports the website's purpose and target demographic (00:31:35).
• The call to action can be customized based on the website's specific niche, for example, a website for plumbers can have a simple location field search where users can enter a location or zip code to find plumbers (00:32:35).
• Having a simple call to action on the homepage, such as a location field search, can help drive users to click further into the website, which is usually the goal of the homepage (00:32:53).
• Using a simple and powerful call to action, such as searching by zip code, can help users go beyond the homepage and explore the website further, and this can be achieved by updating the text on the homepage to instruct users to search by zip code (00:33:12).

Will BD have a basic courses plugin or folder with nested pages ID to sell as a one-time basic class? (00:33:24)

• To create paywall-protected pages with videos or protected content, the membersonly content add-on can be used, which allows for the creation of pages or post types that can only be accessed by members of a certain membership plan (00:34:04).
• The membersonly content add-on enables the protection of content based on the membership level somebody is on, and it can be used to create protected pages on the site that are not public (00:34:41).
• Another option is to use the digital products feature, which allows for the creation of a digital product, such as a course, and then having web pages on the site that only allow people who purchased this digital product to access that page (00:35:24).
• The digital products feature is similar to the membersonly add-on, but it is based on the purchase of a specific digital product, rather than the membership plan level (00:35:41).
• To set up protected pages, a new web page can be created and the feature can be enabled on the site, allowing for the limitation of access to specific membership plans or digital product buyers (00:36:14).
• The pages can be organized into a course structure, with multiple pages that can be accessed by users who have purchased the digital product or are members of a certain membership plan (00:36:35).
• The video post type can be cloned and customized to create a specific content channel for courses, and the edit post settings can be used to manage the different post types and channels of content (00:37:13).
• Cloning a post type, such as a video post type, allows for the creation of a new post type, like "cat courses", which can be assigned to specific membership plans, giving certain members the privilege to post that type of content (00:37:32).
• The MembersOnly add-on provides the option to protect post types, search results, and detail pages, allowing for the protection of detail pages where videos are actually watched, while leaving search results public to tease users (00:38:13).
• To control who can publish and view the new post type, "cat courses", membership plans need to be updated, specifying who is allowed to publish, such as the admin of the site, and who can view, such as higher-tiered members, like those in the JSON membership plan (00:38:50).
• The post publishing settings can be updated to reflect these changes, selecting which membership plans have the ability to post and view the "cat courses" content, and saving these changes to ensure the desired access restrictions are in place (00:39:28).
• Paywalls and premium content can be implemented using these methods, allowing for the restriction of certain content to specific membership plans, and providing a way to offer exclusive content to higher-tiered members (00:40:02).
• The process of cloning a post type, making it private for certain membership plans, and controlling who can post and view the content provides a full picture of how to manage access to exclusive content on a website (00:40:21).

Is an AI service provider needed to use the AI create function? (00:40:39)

• The AI create function in the new features does not require a subscription to an AI service provider, and it is currently free to use for all, with its future development to be determined (00:40:39).
• The AI create function is available in the create post wizard under the quick create option, where users can select the type of post they want to create, such as a cat course, and generate content with AI (00:40:57).
• To use the AI create function, users can select options such as the tone, style, length, and engagement level of the post, and add features like images and video links, with the ability to modify the generated content further (00:41:15).
• The AI create function can generate a post in approximately 10 to 25 seconds, depending on the complexity of the article, and users can create content as many times as they want without needing to connect their own ChatGPT (00:42:32).
• The generated post can include features like numbered steps, images with captions, and video links, and can be modified to include more details or to focus on specific topics, such as a step-by-step guide on how to train a cat to sit (00:42:51).
• The AI create function can also be used to create spotlight articles about members, by copying their profile content and generating an advertorial about their business, which can be used to create content for a blog and showcase a business (00:45:02).

Embed only the member results into an existing WordPress page without creating additional BD URLs (00:45:29)

• There is an option to embed only the member results into an existing WordPress page without creating additional BD URLs, allowing just the results page to be displayed, and this can be achieved by creating a redirect from the homepage directly to the search results page (00:45:29).
• The WordPress plugin, which is still in development and planned to be the fourth plugin released this year, will enable users to load their Brilliant Directory site easily on an existing WordPress website by designating a specific URL (00:46:26).
• To bypass the homepage and load the search results page directly, users can create a redirect, effectively removing the need for a homepage and other pages, and this method can be used to create a simple website with only two options for users: search or view a profile (00:46:43).
• For those who want to explore an advanced method, there is an API endpoint that allows users to conduct a search and retrieve results, which can then be styled and designed with the help of a developer to load dynamically on a live web page (00:47:18).
• The API endpoint provides a simple scope, but users would likely need the help of a designer or developer to execute it and make it come to life on their site, and this method can be used today to accomplish the desired outcome (00:47:58).
• The planned WordPress plugin is expected to be available before November or December, and it will provide a more straightforward solution for embedding member results into an existing WordPress page (00:48:17).

How to register for webinars? (00:48:27)

• To register for webinars, individuals can visit the website brilliantdirectories.com/stream, where a form is available to sign up for the next webinar, allowing them to receive reminder emails and join the sessions (00:48:27).
• The registration link can be found on the webpage, and by signing up, individuals will be added to a list to receive notifications when a webinar is about to begin, with the option to join or access the replay later (00:48:48).
• Replays of the webinars are made available in multiple locations, including YouTube, the blog, and the Facebook group, in case someone misses the live session, providing flexibility and accessibility to the content (00:49:07).

Can the AI write an article about a real business? (00:49:13)

• The AI bot can write an article about a real business, but it requires the user to provide all the necessary information, as it does not have the ability to search the internet like a chatbot, and this process can be done by copying and pasting the relevant information into a prompt (00:49:13).
• To create an article using the AI bot, the user can go to a demo site, select a business, and then use a prompt to write a spotlight advertorial about the business, including additional criteria such as focusing on SEO for their location and services (00:49:36).
• The AI bot will not pull images from a web page, so the user will need to replace the images afterwards, but it can generate an article based on the provided information, and the user can click create to see the generated article (00:50:15).
• The Brilliant Directory site has a feature that allows users to create best of lists, such as "best dentists in Los Angeles", by sharing the URL of the dentists on the site, and the AI bot will create a list based on the provided information (00:50:50).
• The user can use a prompt in ChatGPT or Gemini to create a best of list or a spotlight article for a single business, by filling in the company information and putting the link to the member listing, and the AI bot will generate the content (00:51:08).
• The user can also use Zapier's chat GPT integration to create custom about snippets for each business, which can be added to the members' profiles, helping to rank in Google by creating unique content (00:52:25).
• This process can be automated using Zapier, so that when members join or update their profiles, it will create an about snippet, adding secondary content to their profile, which can help with Google indexing (00:52:46).
• The methodology used in this process is considered medium level, as it involves point-and-click workflows and no coding, but it requires some work to set up and can provide high value results (00:53:42).
• The user can watch previous webinars for more information on this topic, which cover the creation of best of lists and spotlight articles using AI bots and Zapier integration (00:54:00).

Adding video on Hero section (00:54:12)

• The website has a hero section with a video, and it is suggested to have a 60/40 split, potentially increasing the font size, and adding text to the video thumbnail with buzzwords about the video content, such as "why you should join" or information about "podcasters directory" to entice viewers to click on it (00:54:12).
• To make the video thumbnail more appealing, it is recommended to add some text, like keywords or a brief description of the video, to give viewers an idea of what the video is about and make them want to click on it (00:54:30).
• The website's design is commendable, particularly the use of a slimmer top menu with a dropdown, and the overall changes made to the site are notable, with the addition of text to the video thumbnail being a suggested improvement to enhance user experience (00:54:50).
• The goal of adding text to the video thumbnail is to provide context and encourage viewers to watch the video, and enlarging the font size could also be beneficial to make the text more readable and attention-grabbing (00:55:10).

When you send an email via smart lists, can you have a different "from email" assigned to that smart list based on the message for that smart list? (00:55:23)

• When sending an email via a smart list, there is no default "from email" that can be set, but a new newsletter can be created with a chosen "from email" address, such as "guest success manager" or a custom name, and this setting can be customized for each smart list (00:55:23).
• Creating a new newsletter allows for the selection of a "from email" address, and the option to choose a name, such as "guest accounts" or "admin", or even "no reply" to indicate that replies are not expected (00:56:18).
• The process of creating a newsletter involves selecting recipients from smart lists, which can be created based on various segments of people, such as members, form submissions, or interactions, and also allows for the exclusion of specific individuals (00:56:53).
• Newsletters can be scheduled and customized with a subject line, and the "from email" address can be chosen to match the content and purpose of the email, allowing for versatility in communication with different types of recipients (00:57:35).
• Using smart lists and newsletters enables the sending of different emails to different groups, such as premium members or regular website visitors, and can be used to send automated welcome messages, monthly newsletters, or spotlight articles on members (00:58:12).
• The versatility of newsletters and smart lists allows for a wide range of applications, limited only by imagination, and can be used to showcase new content, welcome new members, or follow up with website visitors (00:58:30).