Bebo – MySpace Alternative

MySpace isn’t the only site riding the social networking trend: rival Bebo is growing like a weed. Bebo even looks set to overtake MySpace in the UK market, according to the Guardian. (Nonetheless, the Guardian published a similar article last month claiming that FaceParty was the biggest threat to MySpace in the UK, so take it with a pinch of salt). From the site:

Bebo is the next generation social networking site where members can stay in touch with their College friends, connect with friends, share photos, discover new interests and just hang out. From previous experience, the people who work at Bebo have learned a lot about what makes social networks fun, and believe that with Bebo they’ve taken social networking to the next level.

Essentially, Bebo is MySpace meets Facebook. It also provides video sharing (via VideoEgg widgets) and built-in Skype presence. While the designs may be more controlled than MySpace pages, most of Bebo’s success seems to arise from network effects – users join Bebo because everyone else is using the site. By the same token, Bebo may have trouble expanding to other markets, since these networks can be self-reinforcing.

Filed under: International