On Wednesday last week, Facebook announced record Q2 earnings of $4 billion, attributing 76% of this figure to mobile. With these results, the site announced what changes users and marketers can expect to see over the coming year.

The Earnings call made it clear that Facebook’s focus is firmly on mobile, with plans to target the company’s three subsidiaries- Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. It was announced that part of this plan would be to increase the amount of Instagram adverts shown, and make these available for purchase by a greater number of advertisers. Markerters would also be presented with new ad formats, better ways to target their audiences, and the opportunity to buy these both online and through third-party providers. Although mobile has proven to be the biggest revenue driver, the call did not outline any concrete plans to add direct advertising features to either WhatsApp or Messenger, although it was made clear that this is at the forefront of the company’s mind. While there’s been some pressure on the company’s part to place ads on WhatsApp in particular, Mark Zuckerberg announced that this would require further thought. The founder acknowledged the importance of this step, but made it clear that there needed to be an “organic interaction between people using the product and businesses”, if ads were to be successful on the platform.

In order to drive further revenue, Facebook itself will also be stepping up its advertising efforts, launching new autoplay ads in Newsfeed, as well as different types of video adverts including a “suggested videos” feature, mentioned by the company’s chief financial officer, David Wehner. As far as video is concerned, Mark Zuckerberg also stated that this type of content will be a crucial part of Facebook’s future, and already, users have posted 40% more videos to their networks than in the previous quarter. In line with this, Zuckerberg made it clear that Facebook’s NewsFeed algorithm had also been updated to show users more relevant video content. Looking to the future, Zuckerberg also excitingly announced that the next big thing after video would be “immersive 3D content”, giving a nod towards Facebook’s other past acquisition, Oculus.

It’s clear that Facebook is very much using its companies and updating its features in line with digital trends. The focus on mobile in particular lends itself to the way in which we’re now logging onto the site- 85% of US users accessed Facebook via mobile, while this jumped to a staggering 95% in India- the country ranking top for mobile visits. And of course, prioritizing mobile adheres to Facebook’s plans to reach a global audience including developing nations, regardless of their level of Internet connectivity. It’s also therefore the best platform to place ads on, because marketers will know that they’re reaching a greater audience. But video is where Facebook hopes to position itself in future- in fact, last year, Mark Zuckerberg announced that within five years, most of Facebook would be video based. With this in mind, can we expect Facebook to become the next YouTube?

What do you think about Facebook’s latest news? How do you think its new focus on advertising, mobile and video will impact marketers and users alike? We’d love to hear your thoughts, so please tweet to us @PracticeDigital and share your comments on our Facebook page.