How do free social networking websites make money?

[andiesikana]

i was just wondering, how do they make money?

[Dylan]

people pay to put advertisement and links on their pages

[totallyjay04]

Ads

[Allie]

By the ads put on the site.

[trouble]

Ads and marketting. You will find that very popular sites have advertisers approach them and smaller sites will use google adsense or something similar. Sites like this one you are on right now uses a combination of ads and marketting. If you look at the privacy policy which you agreed to when you signed up, you have allowed them to spy your pc and report to their 'partners' .

[mark s]

Social networking sites earn through data exchange programs where they sell their member profiles to companies who need to conduct a survey. Like suppose if i own a music company and i wish to make a new album. I can proceed to these sites and ask them which kind of music americans like or africans like the most. They search the profiles of all their american or african members and get the results for the most popular music.

The music company pays them for this survey. Likewise many companies keep approaching these sites for thei products. And thats the only reason you are asked for your appearance, preferences etc. while creating an account with these social networking sites.

Ads and affiliate programs also contribute but thats not more than 30% of its total revenue.

[Colton G]

Because of the ads they flash. The company that wants to post an ad about a product, pays the owner of such social websites as FaceBook to advertise. Then both companies benefit from the situation financially.

[Rebecca]

do not ever ever 4 get nothing is vere really free