In a week that includes a few huge social media buys ($689 million is nothing to scoff at, right?) Google has acquired Meebo. Meebo’s flagship product, the Meebo Bar, is designed to allow companies to engage their customers, via social media and other pop-up information, on their site.
“For more than seven years we’ve been helping publishers find deeper relationships with their users and to make their sites more social and engaging,” Meebo’s team posted on its blog. “Together with Google, we’re super jazzed to roll up our sleeves and get cracking on even bigger and better ways to help users and website owners alike.”
Mountain View, Calif.-based Meebo started in 2005 as a chat service on websites. It has since evolved into a social media integration service.
On Meebo’s website, the company details how consumers can use Meebo to build an “interest profile.” By placing an emoticon, such as <3, :) :(, within Meebo's stream on a website, the consumer is able to tailor the content that appears and match it to his or her interests. Sounds a lot like how you're able to customize your Facebook and Twitter feeds, doesn't it?
Knowing that, it comes as little surprise that Meebo’s team will be joining Google+, Google’s answer to Facebook and Twitter. Google+ was introduced in July 2011 and has struggled to gain a foothold in the social media space.
If Meebo’s team can turn that around, perhaps the company was worth the reported $100 million for which it was purchased.
Erin Dostal is a reporter at Direct Marketing News.
