How does Facebook, Youtube, Google, Twitter, etc. make money?

[Jason]

I've always been curious about that.

For example Face Book. That guy is rich or has money now right? How? Is it from a company that wants to broaden their advertisement range and they pay him for that? Or is there more too it.

What about something like Google? Is it the same thing where they pay someone because they can enlarge their company name? Nobody pays money to use stuff like Google or Facebook because they are all free services (with the exception of some games etc.)

So pretty much how do Google, Yahoo, Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Youtube, and other websites get rich from stuff like that when it's all free?

Same with Tv shows. I mean I know we pay for cable and satellite tv and what not, but it's not like we're paying for each individual show. So how are they making money when we don't pay for everything? Is it strictly from us buying some of the product they actually sell?

[Hamood]

Well they make things that lots of people need at the goverment gives them money to thank them

[DrDave]

You haven't noticed the advertising? Use a little common sense.

[Rika]

Many companies can gain money from advertising, or from stock-holding.
Television gets tons of money from commercials. During the Superbowl, making a 30 second commercial play costs almost $4 million dollars!!

[Loner]

woah!! these guys totally make bank. advertisement. here's how it goes:
you get paid by people who advertise on your site. if you have, saaay 2,000 views on your site, then they give you like twenty bucks. the thing is, how many people are on facebook everyday, a shit-ton. ergo, how much money they're making? who knows. a lot.