What's ahead for Bebo?

Bebo.com was incredibly popular, especially outside the US, when AOL paid $850 million in 2008 to acquire it. However, AOL didn't invest heavily enough in new features even though competitors like Facebook were aggressively expanding and adding enhanced services month after month. Facebook roared ahead in user numbers and media coverage.

AOL sold Bebo earlier this year (for a paltry $10 million) and now the new CEO insists that the site is "here to stay, and grow." He points to a recent increase in membership (bringing total users to 117 million worldwide) and notes that the personalisation features will help Bebo attract and retain users; he sees MySpace as eventually fading away.

Bebo recently introduced a new instant messaging service and says it has even become profitable. Meanwhile, MySpace is redesigning its site to hold onto users, and Facebook continues to innovate, even as its privacy policies and control of personal data draw attention and, at times, controversy.

What's ahead for Bebo, and how will it affect competition among social media in the coming years?

[Updating coverage of social media marketing in Chapter 9 of Essential Guide to Marketing Planning 2d edition]