How Facebook Makes Money

Facebook Inc. (FB) primarily makes money by selling advertising space on its various social-media platforms. Those platforms include websites and mobile applications that allow users the ability to connect and communicate with family and friends. The company's sites and apps include social networking site Facebook, photo- and video-sharing app Instagram, and messaging apps Messenger and WhatsApp. Facebook also provides an ecosystem that allows users to connect through its Oculus virtual reality products.1




Facebook competes with other companies that sell advertising to marketers, as well as companies that provide platforms for communicating and sharing content among users’ various social networks. Major competitors include Apple Inc. (AAPL), Alphabet Inc.’s (GOOGL) Google and YouTube, Tencent Music Entertainment Group (TME), and Amazon.com (AMZN).1

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