Press release: Brownbook Celebrates its First Birthday and a Year of Sustained Growth

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The free global business directory that anyone can edit now lists 28 million businesses worldwide

United Kingdom: Brownbook.net, the free global business directory that anyone can edit, is celebrating its first year in business; a year of sustained growth. Today, the site continues to thrive, with thousands of businesses being added, worldwide, every week. The international distribution of listed businesses can be seen here: http://www.brownbook.net/countries.

Brownbook continues to innovate and help small businesses get found online. The company video interviewed some business owners on Skype, and here is what they said:

• Miamism.com, USA: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rFyBJT5CeM
• R A Hilton, Jeweller, USA: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX0SAmObg-k
• Bush Marketing, Australia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBF9qDwHPRU
• Carpet Doctors, UK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kx2__rhjsYI
• Sort Out My Visa, UK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQOARcUve0k
• OM2 Marketing, UK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_GcM_LqIug
• Elite Advertising Consultants, UK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jWHP6yb8qw
• Pople Web Design, UK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIAotTqPvkk
• French Tutoring, UK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpXlAk2W8Es
  

Brownbook also regularly enjoys positive reviews about the site; these left, for example, on Brownbook’s own listing page:

“Love it... Love it... Love it. This is SEO magic for the uninitiated. Simple, quick and powerful. Love it! Have recommended BrownBook to ALL my friends! Actor Expo Team, www.actorexpo.co.uk, May 25, 2009 17.23”

“I had a wonderful review of my business appear on my [Brownbook listing] a few days after signing up for your service. It was an unsolicited endorsement from a business associate. Right on! May 22, 2009 11.06”

Marc Lyne, co-founder: “We are currently listing 28 million businesses from all around the world. One of the reasons for Brownbook’s success, I would say, is that we never stop providing innovative new features to businesses, helping them to get found online. This keeps the site fresh and on its toes. Here are 2 of our latest enhancements, for example:

1. Stats counters and stat graph on every businesses page; plus a global stats league table, since May 5, 2009, here: http://www.brownbook.net/user/hof/top-viewed-profiles

2. Bidget (Business Widget) for reviews. Now anyone can add their reviews that appear on Brownbook to any other website, blog or forum. See an example here: the Brownbook page for Onedrywash: http://www.brownbook.net/business/31008544/sjk-products-ltd, and their Brownbook reviews which they have placed on their own blog: http://onedrywash.blogspot.com”

About Brownbook
Brownbook is the free global online business directory that anyone can edit. Business owners claim their listing to optimize it, get alerts and customize it with photos, videos, logos, widgets, and additional information. Brownbook, which offers a unique business model that rewards contributors with a lifetime share of revenue, was launched in May 2008. Brownbook is currently receiving 650,000 monthly visitors and is available on the web at http://www.brownbook.net and on the mobile web at http://m.brownbook.net. Interviews with the co-founders, Marc Lyne (Twitter: @marc_lyne) and Dave Ingram (Twitter: @daveingram), by Skype video can be arranged upon request.

For more information, please contact:

Marc Lyne, Co-Founder
Brownbook.net
London Road
Sayers Common
West Sussex
BN6 9HS
United Kingdom
+44 (0)208 1235 466
marc[AT]brownbook[DOT]net
http://www.brownbook.net
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Press release: Brownbook Celebrates its First Birthday and a Year of Sustained Growth

Brownbook and Friday-Ad Launch Turnkey Local Video Ads Package

High quality professional video ads for small businesses, produced then extensively marketed online – from concept to completion in only 48 hours, at well below the traditional expected price

United Kingdom – Brownbook.net and Friday-Ad, today, launch one of the most exciting and powerful marketing tools ever for small to medium sized businesses; their Local Video Ads service – super-charged video advertising that gets results.

The Brownbook and Friday-Ad-produced
Sussex Angling Supplies’ Local Video Ad

This new service will enable businesses to catapult their online presence virtually overnight, using the immense power of video, as well as greatly improve the ranking, search engine marketing and search engine optimization of their site.

For companies wanting increased online visibility, to attract new customers and acquire the consequent increased sales, this unique new service is one of the fastest, most powerful and best value-for-money internet marketing or web promotion methods available anywhere.

“Our new Local Video Ads product massively undercuts the traditional price for such a service and goes much much further – offering the complete package from story-boarding to filming, editing, production and even includes extensive targeted online marketing of the video. We do not contract outside companies for any step of the process; the entire service is carried out in-house by our own staff,” explains Dave Ingram, CEO of Brownbook.

“It’s a complete streamlined end-to-end turnkey service that is simple - with absolutely everything taken care of for the client - and fast too, with a turnaround time of only 48 hours,” Ingram adds.

Here are some reasons why using online video is such a powerful method of advertising for small to medium sized businesses today:

• Video ads increase response advertising rates by five to nine times, with twice the conversion rate
• The second largest search engine, after Google, is YouTube which means it even beats Yahoo! and MSN in terms of number of searches per month
• 15 hours of video are uploaded onto YouTube every minute
• 11 billion videos were viewed online in July 2008
• 75% of all American web users viewed online video in July 2008
• Online video achieves higher attention levels than TV today
• Today’s technology has reduced the cost of all aspects of video production and marketing, making video online advertising accessible to all
  

From only £2 per day, the service provides: advice about the video style best suited to each individual business, story-boarding, on-site filming, editing, production, hosting and placement on Brownbook and Friday-Ad, online distribution to 50 video and social web sites such as YouTube, Google Video and MySpace Video. Videos can be 30 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes or 3 minutes in length as required. In addition, clients also have own-use unlimited rights to their video.

Here are some examples of Brownbook and Friday-Ad-produced Local Video Ads, as well as an explanation of the service on video by Dave Ingram, CEO:
http://blog.brownbook.net/2009/04/02/video-profiles-get-more-business-fact/

About Friday-Ad
Well known for its classified ad publications, every week Friday-Ad produces 1.5 million magazines which are read by 2.5 million people. Friday-Ad is now the largest Independent publisher in the UK and its 20 websites display over 130,000 ads every day, with 350,000 visitors per week. http://www.friday-ad.co.uk

About Brownbook
Brownbook is the free global online business directory that anyone can edit. Business owners claim their listing to optimize it, get alerts and customize it with photos, videos, logos, widgets, and any additional information. Brownbook, which offers a unique business model that rewards contributors with a lifetime share of revenue, was launched in the UK in May 2008 with 2.2 million UK businesses listed. It expanded to USA, Australia and Canada in July 2008 with an additional 25 million records. It now lists 27 million businesses in 240 countries, is currently receiving 650,000 monthly visitors with a 40% growth rate and is available on the web at http://www.brownbook.net and on the mobile web at http://m.brownbook.net.

For more information, please contact:

Marc Lyne, Co-Founder
Brownbook.net
London Road
Sayers Common
West Sussex
BN6 9HS
United Kingdom
+44 (0)208 1235 466
marc[AT]brownbook[DOT]net
http://www.brownbook.net

Brownbook and Friday-Ad Launch Turnkey Local Video Ads Package

Brownbook.net is The First Ever Business Directory to Support Google Street View

Companies that enhance their listing in Brownbook.net can now take advantage of Google Street View by adding it to their page - as if it were a widget- showing users exactly where their business is located

United Kingdom -- Brownbook is the first business directory in the world to support Google Street View.

Using Brownbook’s enhanced listings, any business can simply embed Google Street View code directly into their business page to provide a 360 degree view of their business location, in addition to its map location. It is very easy to grab the code from Google Street View’s “Paste HTML to embed in website” field and paste it into a Brownbook HTML Page Unit of an enhanced listing.

“The fact that Brownbook users can take advantage of the very latest technology on the internet such as Google Street View,” says Dave Ingram, Brownbook CEO, ”shows that Brownbook really is on the ‘cutting edge’. To be able to add photos, videos, reviews, widgets, bidgets, text, a map, and now Google Street View lets business owners show off their business in much greater detail than a typical directory listing, and it’s shockingly good value for money at just $22 a year.”

Brownbook was also the first to include the following fields, all available in the free listing: Blog url, Twitter username, VoIP address and instant messaging username.

Here is an example of a Brownbook listing that includes a Google Street View Page Unit: http://www.brownbook.net/business/31015039/pulse-light-clinic

Screen shot of Google Street View and map
within a Brownbook listing

About Brownbook

Brownbook is the free directory that anyone can edit. Anyone, in any country, anywhere in the world, can add, edit and review businesses in any country. Business owners claim their listing to optimize it, get alerts and customize it with photos, videos, logos, widgets, and any additional information. They can also use Brownbook Bidgets (Business widgets) to easily add features like reviews, maps, and video on all their other web presences. Free access to Bidgets is the latest in a constant stream of enhancements to the site. Other recent enhancements include the introduction of a 30-day free trial, an affiliate scheme, the addition of a field in business listings for a Twitter username as well as a field for a company blog url – with many more enhancements to come. Brownbook, which offers a unique business model that rewards contributors with a lifetime share of revenue, was launched in the UK in May 2008 with 2.2 million UK businesses listed. It expanded to USA, Australia and Canada in July 2008 with an additional 25 million records. It now lists 27 million businesses in 240 countries, and is available on the web http://www.brownbook.net and on mobile http://m.brownbook.net Brownbook.net has a totally open ethos with its OpenSearch API and Micro Formats that allow Brownbook.net data to be used everywhere by anyone. The site is currently receiving 650,000 monthly visitors with a 40% growth rate. Blog: http://blog.brownbook.net Press and Images: http://blog.brownbook.net/press

Please contact Marc Lyne to arrange an interview and/or for additional quotes:

Marc Lyne, COO
Brownbook.net
London Road
Sayers Common
West Sussex
BN6 9HS
United Kingdom
+44 (0)208 1235 466
marc[AT]brownbook[DOT]net
http://www.brownbook.net

Brownbook.net is The First Ever Business Directory to Support Google Street View

Business Owners Can Try Brownbook.net Advanced Features FREE for 30 Days

Business owners can now try fully customizing their listing in Brownbook’s business directory to enhance their presence online as well as create a professional website using Brownbook’s ‘web site creator’, before making any financial commitment

February 23, 2009 – Worldwide

NEWS FACTS

• Brownbook.net’s advanced features are now available on a FREE 30-day trial basis.

• Advanced features are:
  

1. Claim the listing - lock it down so only the business owner can update it, and get alerted anytime anyone reviews or tags their business (usually US $10/year)
2. Bold, Boxed and Priority in search results (usually US $2/year each)– to make it stand out, visually
3. Customized listing (allows rich media i.e. photos, videos, logos, detailed information, widgets and bidgets) plus reviews and map with drag-and-drop page layout (usually US $6/year) – to enable a unique presentation of the business
4. Standalone business website using Brownbook’s ‘web site creator’ (usually US $98/year) with the business’s own design and brand – not a Brownbook logo in sight
   

• The 30-day free trial is available by simply clicking the ‘This is my business’ link at the top of all unclaimed listings.

• Towards the end of the 30-day period, the business receives an email reminder to pay via Paypal.
  

• If the business decides not to pay by the end of the 30 days, their listing reverts to the free listing format which comprises full address with map, telephone, cell phone, fax, e-mail, live web link, VOIP, IM, business tags and location tags.
  

• Businesses listing on Brownbook improve their search engine optimization (SEO). The advanced features give the business an opportunity to really showcase their services and consequently their search engine ranking. Bownbook is used by many businesses as a powerful online marketing tool.

• 7 out 10 small businesses still do not have a website. By offering Brownbook’s ‘web site creator’ free of charge for 30 days, business owners will find out for themselves how easy it is to create a professional-looking web site.
  
  
  

• Click here to watch Marc Lyne, Brownbook’s COO, introduce the free 30-day offer: http://blog.brownbook.net/2009/02/20/30-day-free-trial-video/

ATTRIBUTABLE QUOTES

Attributable to Marc Lyne, co-founder of Brownbook

• As founders of Brownbook, David and I have always shared the view that Brownbook must be free or almost free, low cost or no cost. To that end, we created Brownbook where all businesses anywhere in the world can add all their details for FREE. To support that ethos, weve just introduced a FREE 30-day trial for the advanced Brownbook features that help businesses generate more business. This means that businesses can try all our products for FREE before making any commitment whatsoever.

• We’re so confident that people will like all of the Brownbook advanced features that we’ve introduced a FREE 30-day trial for all Brownbook’s promotions. This means businesses can actually try out what they are getting before making any commitment.

• We are making available, free of charge for 30 days, $120 worth of advanced business promotions to give people a chance to try before they buy.

• Our advanced business promotions are already markedly less expensive than similar services in traditional business directories and consequently represent incredible value for money, but we’ve just pushed the boat out even further by making them all available free of charge for 30 days.
  

Marc Lyne, Co-founder of Brownbook

BROWNBOOK KEY FACTS

• Brownbook is the free directory that anyone can edit. Anyone, in any country, anywhere in the world, can add, edit and review businesses in any country
• Business owners claim their listing to optimize it, get alerts and customize it with photos, videos, logos, widgets, and any additional information
• Business owners use Brownbook Bidgets (Business widgets) to easily add features like reviews, maps, and video on all their other web presences
• Unique business model that rewards contributors with a lifetime share of revenue
• Launched in the UK in May 2008 with 2.2 million UK businesses listed. Expanded to USA, Australia and Canada in July 2008 with an additional 25 million records
• On web (http://www.brownbook.net) and mobile web (http://m.brownbook.net)
• Brownbook.net has a totally open ethos with its OpenSearch API and Micro Formats that allow Brownbook.net data to be used everywhere by anyone
  

USEFUL LINKS
Examples of premium listings:

• Miamism.com - Miami Beach Real Estate Resource http://www.brownbook.net/business/31014168/miamismcom---miami-beach-real-estate-resource
• Celebrity Lipstick http://www.brownbook.net/business/30991528/celebrity-lipstick

Examples of Brownbook’s ‘web site creator’ sites:

• Jolly Gnome Garden Services http://www.brownbook.net/businesspage/view/31012971/jolly-gnome-garden-services/3/Home
• Kuen Kung Fu http://www.brownbook.net/businesspage/view/31013261/kuen-kung-fu/10/Home

• Website: http://www.brownbook.net
  

• Blog: http://blog.brownbook.net

• Press and Images: http://blog.brownbook.net/press

• Brownbook interview on Fast Company: http://tinyurl.com/ct5qby

• Brownbook overview by Wikinomics: http://tinyurl.com/6omb2s

CONTACT US
Please contact Marc Lyne (marc[AT]brownbook[DOT]net) to arrange an interview and/or for additional quotes:

Marc Lyne, COO
Brownbook.net
London Road
Sayers Common
West Sussex
BH6 9HS
United Kingdom
+44 (0)208 1235 466
marc[AT]brownbook[DOT]net
http://www.brownbook.net

Business Owners Can Try Brownbook.net Advanced Features FREE for 30 Days

Brownbook is listed in Outsell Inc's Top 30 Companies to Watch in 2009

Brownbook earns its place on Outsell Inc's list for demonstrating that there is a new business directory business model that works and can lead to new pricing architecture

February 5, 2009 - Worldwide

NEWS FACTS

• Brownbook.net (http://www.brownbook.net) has been included in this year's prestigious Outsell Inc's '30 to Watch' list.

• In Outsell's "Information Industry Outlook 2009: No Guts, No Glory" report in which the 30 firms are listed, the reason for Brownbook.net's inclusion is "For demonstrating that there is a new business directory business model that works and can lead to new pricing architecture."

• Any company included in Outsell's 30 to Watch list is considered to be in the right place at the right time, where new competition and threats are emerging, and in tune with way in which the landscape of information delivery is changing.

• Outsell's analyst team selects 30 firms that are doing particularly innovative things - shaking up their respective marketplaces and challenging publishers and information providers to re-evaluate their activities - and publishes them in the list.

• Outsell Inc (http://www.outsellinc.com), the only research and advisory firm focused on the publishing, information, and education industries, every year, looks at firms that they believe will have an important impact on the publishing and information-provider community.
  

• The other companies in the list are: Apple, CNN, Elsevier, The Guardian, Thomson Reuters and Google BBN Ad Network, Blurb, British Medical Journal, CNN, Collexis, Critical Media, Data Explorers, Demand Media, Exact Editions, Flat World Knowledge, Google, The Guardian, Hakia, Hulu, IHS, LiveMocha, MarketTools, Nature Publishing Group, Public Library of Science (PloS), Safari, Thomson Reuters, Wood MacKenzie, and ZoomInfo.

• These firms exemplify Outsell's theme - No Guts, No Glory - in the leading stance they are taking. It is, indeed, an honour to be included in Outsell's 30 to Watch list.
  

Dave Ingram, Brownbook CEO

ATTRIBUTABLE QUOTES

Attributable to Dave Ingram, CEO, Brownbook.net

• We're very proud to have been recognised by Outsell as the company that is turning the online directory business model on its head. We're taking this as a nod from on high that we're doing good things.

• Brownbook helps a business get found all over the web by heavily optimizing its listings for all the major search engines. In this way, our business customers are benefitting from what we call bread-crumbing - leaving calling cards that direct enquiries to their website from all over the internet.

• Brownbook adopts the concepts of crowd sourcing, collaboration and peer production to offer a unique business model that doesn't rely upon advertising sales or large on-the-road sales forces and expensive call centres. This allows us to pass huge savings on to our business customers, as well as pay our members a generous lifetime share of our revenue.

• Brownbook is different, primarily because it grants users the freedom to update their directory listings immediately and as often as they wish, as well as add rich media like photos, videos, and widgets. Everyone shares in the site's success through our lifetime revenue share program.

BROWNBOOK KEY FACTS

• Brownbook is the free directory that anyone can edit - anyone in any country anywhere in the world can add, edit and review businesses in any country
• Business owners claim their listing to optimize it, get alerts and customize it with photos, videos, logos, widgets, and any additional information
• Business owners use Brownbook Bidgets (Business widgets) to easily add features like reviews, maps, and video on all their other web presences
• Unique business model that rewards contributors with a lifetime share of revenue
• Launched in the UK in May 2008 with 2.2 million UK businesses listed, expanded to USA, Australia and Canada in July 2008 with an additional 25 million records
• On web (http://www.brownbook.net) and mobile web (http://m.brownbook.net)
• Brownbook.net has a totally open ethos, with its OpenSearch API and Micro Formats that allow Brownbook.net data can be used everywhere by anyone.
  

USEFUL LINKS

Website: http://www.brownbook.net
Blog: http://blog.brownbook.net
Press and Images: http://blog.brownbook.net/press
Founders' Twitter pages: http://twitter.com/daveingram, and http://twitter.com/marc_lyne
Brownbook interview on Fast Company: http://tinyurl.com/ct5qby
Brownbook overview by Wikinomics: http://tinyurl.com/6omb2s
Dave Ingram interview on Intruders.TV: http://tinyurl.com/5vfos7

CONTACT US

Please contact Marc Lyne (marc[AT]brownbook[DOT]net) to arrange an interview and/or for additional quotes:

Marc Lyne, COO
Brownbook.net
London Road
Sayers Common
West Sussex
BH6 9HS
United Kingdom

+44 (0)208 1235 466
marc[AT]brownbook[DOT]net
http://www.brownbook.net

Brownbook is listed in Outsell Inc's Top 30 Companies to Watch in 2009