Facebook has just released official data that out of its 128 million daily users in the United States, 101 million or nearly 80 percent access it via mobile devices. Facebook said in a statement that it is releasing country-wise official figures to help “brands and businesses think differently about how people engage with Facebook, especially on mobile.”

Facebook officials say that it is no longer sufficient for a business to feel good about how many people are connected on its Facebook page. That is an old way of looking at social media. Instead, the focus of businesses should shift towards people who come back repeatedly and become an active part of their community.

Healthcare marketers should take note of the fact that four in five Facebook users accesses it via mobile devices. That gives an indication of the growing marketing power of the mobile devices. Medical and dental website designs should be responsive to multiple mobile devices. Medical marketing strategies should be geared more towards mobile users to create more effective and targeted campaigns.

When the mobile explosion began, many people thought that it would sound the death-knell of social media, and Facebook in particular. However, the company survived the shift, corrected its strategy, and put “mobile first” before other things. The result is that with 80 percent of daily visitors and 41 percent of advertising revenues being generated via small screens, “mobile first” strategy is paying off for Facebook.

Healthcare marketers simply need to take a cue from how Facebook has effectively transitioned in a new ‘mobile centric’ world, and apply the same principles for medical and dental practices. The very first question to ask in a medical website audit should be: Is the website mobile device compatible? If the answer is “No,” it may be time to implement a site design revamp and make the website mobile friendly.