That’s up more than 121% compared to the same period in 2013. Mobile is increasingly important to the social network, as 456 million consumers, roughly 34% of Facebook’s user base, only access the social network through mobile apps or mobile versions of its web site.

Advertisers spent $1.95 billion on Facebook mobile ads in the third quarter, which was about 66% of its total ad revenue during the quarter, Facebook announced today.

The strong mobile numbers helped the social network boost its overall ad revenue nearly 65% during the quarter compared to the same period a year ago. The social network is increasingly focused on catering to mobile consumers because that’s increasingly how its audience interacts with the social network. Facebook has 1.12 billion mobile active users, and 456 million of them, roughly 34% of Facebook’s overall user base, only access the social network through mobile apps or mobile versions of its web site.

Facebook’s results follow a report that suggested that the social network is increasingly requiring brands to pay to reach Facebook users. The report, which was based on data gathered from thousands of Adobe Systems Inc.’s retail clients, found that the percentage of shoppers who see a brand’s typical Facebook post is half what it was a year ago. Recognizing that it’s increasingly hard to communicate for free on Facebook, marketers are paying to boost the visibility of certain posts; the report found that paid impressions on Facebook jumped 5% compared to the previous year.

For the quarter ended Sept. 30, Facebook reported:

 

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  • $3.203 billion in total revenue during the quarter, a 58.9% increase from $2.016 billion in the same quarter of 2013.
  • $2.957 billion in advertising revenue, a 64.5% increase compared with $1.798 billion last year.
  • Mobile advertising revenue represented approximately 66% of all ad revenue during the quarter, up from 49% a year ago. That would indicate mobile ad revenue was approximately $1.952 billion during the quarter, a 121.6% increase compared with $881 million a year ago.
  • $2.22 in average advertising revenue per worldwide user in the third quarter, up 45.1% from $1.53 a year ago. Facebook calculates average revenue per user as its total revenue during a given period, divided by the average number of monthly active users at the beginning and the end of the period; that is why the average revenue per user doesn’t equal revenue divided by its number of active users.
  • $6.64 in average advertising revenue per user in the U.S. and Canada, up 58.5% from about $4.19 a year ago.
  • Net income was $806 million, up 89.6% from $425 million.
  • 864 million daily active users, an increase of 18.7% compared with 728 million last year.
  • 1.35 billion monthly active users, up 13% from the same period last year.
  • Mobile daily active users of 703 million on average for September 2014, an increase of 38.7%.
  • Mobile monthly active users were 1.12 billion, a 28.6% jump. 
  • Of those monthly active users, 456 million only accessed Facebook through mobile apps or mobile versions of its web site. That’s up 79.5% from 254 million.

For the first three quarters of the year, Facebook also reported:

  • $8.615 billion in total revenue, up 63.0% compared with $5.286 billion to the same period in 2013.
  • Net income was $2.239 billion, a 129.2% jump from $977 million.

Facebook aims to be more than just a social network, Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO and founder, said today during a conference call with analysts. It has already taken several steps in that direction having launched standalone apps such as Messenger, acquired Instagram and WhatsApp and developed its Audience Network mobile ad network.

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“Over a five-year time frame, we have a number of services, which we think are well on their way to reaching a 1 billion people,” he said. “Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram and Search are a number of them. … I can’t think of that many other companies or products that have multiple lines of products that are on track to reach and connect 1 billion that have a clear path of how we can turn them into a business.”

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