Seven things we learned from Facebook's latest financial results

Native video growing rapidly, mobile advertising is still very big, and there's no release date for Oculus Rift yet

Remember the days when Facebook was criticised for failing to make enough money from mobile advertising? The social network's latest financial results emphasised how far in the past those days are.

Here's what we learned from the results, and the ensuing earnings call with financial analysts

1.No Facebook-flight just yet

Despite regular predictions that Facebook is about to peak and (possibly) head into a Myspace-like decline, it continues to grow

"Time spent per person per day across our services [grew] this quarter by more 10% compared to last year," said Facebook's chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg. "And that doesn't even include WhatsApp, which joined us late last year."

Last quarter, Facebook had 1.39 billion monthly active users and 890 million daily active users - up 13% and 18% respectively compared to a year ago, even if its quarterly increases are smaller these days than they were

2. Video is growing fast for Facebook

Watch out, YouTube: Facebook is parking its tanks on your lawn. "Video grew significantly this year, to an average of more than 3bn video views per day on Facebook," said Zuckerberg

Startling, considering that when his company last announced a video milestone in September 2014, it was 1bn daily views. These are views of videos uploaded directly to Facebook, too; they don't include views of embeded YouTube videos, for example.

"Today, over 50% of people in the US who come to Facebook daily watch at least one video per day and globally over 65% of Facebook video views occur on mobile," said the chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg. "We are certainly exploring some premium content." She adds that the video being uploaded by Facebook users (including celebrities and brands ) is providing plenty of growth for now

3. Mobile is still driving Facebook's business

Facebook had 1.19 billion mobile monthly active users in the final quarter of 2014, which equates to more than 85% of its total users, and it counts 745 million people as mobile daily active users

"Mobile remains the primary driver of our growth," David Wehner, chief financial officer, told analysts. Mobile accounted for 69% of the company's $3.59bn of advertising revenues in the quarter, up from 53% a year ago. There's even more potential in Facebook's 300 million Instagram users, who could soon see video ads, 500 million Facebook Messenger users and 700 million WhatsApp users too.

4. Watch out for Facebook's search ambitions

Facebook's next battleground could be search. It's clearly a long-term priority, with Zuckerberg describing it as " another important effort that we expect to create a lot of value over the next few years"

"We're on this multi-year voyage to basically index all the content and make it available to people and rank it well," he said. That will put it on a collision course with Google, if plans for video domination haven't already. Zuckerberg talked up its billion-a-day searches, Graph search and Post search, all small fry in Google terms, so far.

5, Facebook in virtual reality

Having spent $2bn on the company, Zuckerberg is hell-bent on persuading westerners to buy and use Oculus Rift virtual reality headsets. But it won't be any time soon as it falls into the "10-year plans".

"Oculus continues to make progress towards the future of immersive VR experiences that are part of daily life for millions of people," said Zuckerberg, failing to give any information on when non-developers will be able to actually buy one. How Facebook is going to actually plug into a VR headset is still as clear as mud.

6. Connecting the next billion people

Facebook's other long-term plan is its Internet.org initiative, which is aimed at getting the next billion people who don't have access to the internet online

Zuckerberg pointed to Zambia, Tanzaniz, Ghana, Kenya and Colombia as flagship countries for Internet.org, saying Facebook has aleady got six million people online who previously had no internet access

That sounds noble, but for Facebook to continue growing beyond the 20% of the world's population it aleady claims, it'll need more people online

7. How much are you worth to Facebook ?

The financial reports also tell us how much each person on Facebook is worth to the company, which varies by country.

A user in the US or Canada was worth $9 in the final quarter of 2014, but Europeans were only worth  $3.45 and users in Asia-Pacific $1.27. Users in the rest of the world including Africa and Latin America - which is the big potential growth area - were only worth 94 cents

Of course, as advertising revenues grows, each person outside the US might be worth more, though users themselves are unlikely to benefit: the time has not yet come when they can cash out their work to Facebook

has not yet come when they can cash out their work to Facebook

users themselves are unlikely to benefit

as advertising revenues grows

is the big potential growth area

users in the rest of the world including Africa

was worth $9 in the final quarter of 2014

varies by country

is worth to the company, which varies by country

how much are you worth to Facebook ?

to continue growing beyond the 20% of the world's population it already claims

that sounds noble

as flagship countries for Internet.org

pointed to Zambia

is aimed at getting the next billion people who don't have access to the internet online

is its Internet.org initiative

as clear as mud

is going to actually plug into VR headset is still as clear as mud

failing to give any information on when non-developers will be able to actually buy one

are part of daily life for millions of people

continues to make progress towards the future of immersive VR experiences

won't be any time soon as it falls into the 10-year plans

bent on

is hell-bent on persuading westerners to buy

having spent $2bn on the company

all small fry in Google terms

talked up its billion-a-day searches

if plans for video domination haven't already

collision course

will put it on a collision course with Google

make it available to people and rank it well

are on this multi-year voyage to basically index all the content

another important effort that we expect to create a lot of value over the next few years

is clearly long-term priority

Facebook's next battleground could be search

accounted for 69% of the company's $3.59bn of advertising revenues in the quarter

remains the primary driver of our growth

counts 745 million people as mobile daily active users

equates to more than 85% of its total users

in the final quarter of 2014

for now

is providing plenty of growth for now

being uploaded by Facebook users

are certainly exploring some premium content

globally over 65% of Facebook video views occur on mobile

don't include views of embeded YouTube videos

startling, considering that when his company last announced a video milestone in September 2014

to an average of more than 3bn video views per day on Facebook

grew significantly this year

is parking its tanks on your lawn

its quarterly increases are smaller these days than they were

up 13% and 18% respectively compared to a year ago

daily active users

monthly active users

doesn't even include WhatsApp, which joined us late last year

Time spent per person per day across our services [grew] this quarter by more 10% compared to last year

head into a Myspace-like decline

possibly head into a Myspace-like decline, it continues to grow

despite regular predictions that Facebook is about to peak

the ensuing earnings call with financial analysts

emphasised how far in the past those days are

was criticised for failing to make enough money from mobile advertising

is no release date