Social networking naysayers reckon the biggest online phenomenon ever remains a flash in the pan. But new numbers, straight out of Facebook HQ, tell a very different story. Not only does the site now have 300 million users. It’s also making money independently for the first time. So what does it mean? Keep reading and we’ll tell you.
On the face of it, nabbing 300 million users is today’s hottest Facebook story. But dig a little deeper and the announcement by Mark Zuckerberg that his now huge startup is cash-flow positive is an even bigger deal.
The fact that Facebook is now making money independently means not only is it less reliant on benevolent cash, but also that it can continue to slay rivals, including Twitter, which isn’t making money yet, or MySpace, which is increasingly irrelevant.
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As Zuckerberg says in an official blog post: “[Bring cash-flow positive] is important to us because it sets Facebook up to be a strong independent service for the long term.” And that means Facebook is here to stay. Forget stories of it all being over. With Facebook making money on its own, expect Twitter to follow and the world of social networking to grow ever bigger.
Out now | Free | Facebook
