(Image source: investor.fb.com) Shares of the social media giant Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) are advancing this morning after the company reported first quarter earnings that blew estimates away. Excluding certain items, Facebook earned 34 cents per share in the quarter, which exceeded estimates by 10 cents. Facebook’s earnings this quarter was described by analysts as simply “Blockbuster and Monstrous”. Revenue rose 72 percent to $2.5 billion and nearly 59 percent of advertising revenue was attributable to mobile. Facebook’s monthly active user base is driving growth for the company. The social media giant now has 1.28 billion monthly active users. Every quarter, the monthly active user base expands for Facebook.