Business Networking Site Biznik Pivots ? News To News

SEATTLE?(BUSINESS WIRE)?

After six years of offering free membership, Biznik.com
has determined that the proliferation of spam, phony accounts created by
SEO organizations stuffed with keywords, and abandoned profiles was
undermining engagement for those who are serious about using Biznik to
network with other business peers.

Biznik cofounder and CEO Lara
Feltin found herself asking herself, ?Does freemium
work??

?When I visit Biznik, I want to know that everyone on the site is a
business professional, serious about engaging and collaborating with
other business professionals. Biznik isn?t about broadcasting status
updates to potential customers. On Biznik that?s just ?noise,?? said Feltin.

Since Biznik was launched in May 2005, the site has been virtually
ad-free to ensure focus on the member-businesses. Membership was also
free with a paid premium option. Last week members still enjoy a site
free from advertising and affiliates, but membership is no longer free.

For independent businesses, traditional social sites designed to convert
a fraction of their audience into customers do not work. Biznik provides
a forum for entrepreneurs to connect and engage with peers
for a mutually beneficial business relationship.

Members constantly say how they know they get nothing from Twitter and
LinkedIn, nor should they ? Twitter is a broadcast tool, LinkedIn hosts
a professional graph. Biznik is home for your business graph.

?We have a core customer base successfully connecting and collaborating
on Biznik. We intend to make Biznik more valuable for that core ? with
enhanced functionality and new tools to help leverage their relationship
capitol and grow their business,? said Andrew
Lippert, Biznik?s Chief Technology Officer.

In a recent comment on the Biznik
blog, popular author Carolyn Higgins said, ?I can?t tell you how
great joining Biznik has been for my business ? and all the exposure I
get from my articles has been amazing. I got 10 new sign-ups for my
newsletter today alone ? and requests for a consultation. Can?t beat
that!?

Lara Feltin, CEO, wrote a seminal essay on the freemium business model: http://biznik.com/articles/how-to-do-a-freemium-business-model

View infographic: http://biznik.com/about/flight_manual_infographic

Article source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/business-networking-biznik-pivots-enhancing-140000324.html

Source: http://www.newstonews.com/2012/02/24/business-networking-site-biznik-pivots/

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