Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) is set to release its earnings today, and analysts at Trefis expect to see “healthy revenue growth driven by improved mobile monetization and a growing user base.” They believe the company’s mobile ad revenues will be improved as it pushes efforts to integrate more ads into its mobile platform.
They point out that Facebook reported that its mobile ad revenue contribution grew from approximately 14 percent in the third quarter of last year to 23 percent in the fourth quarter. As a result, they expect to see that percentage grow again in the most recently completed quarter.
Trefis analysts said they’ve noticed that the number of ads in Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB)’s mobile feeds has increased significantly. They said the company also appears to be capitalizing on its user data to provide better targeting for its advertisements.
Updates On Facebook’s Graph Search
In addition, they’re looking for early signs of success with Graph Search, which could become one of the social network’s key features. Graph Search was unveiled earlier this year, although its usability is restricted because of privacy concerns and also the inconsistency of usage across the site’s users.
The analysts said if Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) is going to make money from the feature, it will need to encourage users to use the “like” button more often. They also said the site will need to integrate some sponsored search links within Graph Search results while also making the results of searchers more meaningful, which they believe can only be done by using a larger sample of data..
Lighter Margins For Facebook Expected
Trefis analysts warn that the company’s margins will probably shrink because of higher costs related to headcount and infrastructure investments.
