Hoyer Attends Facebook's Small Business Boost Workshop
LA PLATA, MD – Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-5) attended Facebook's Small Business Boost workshop at the College of Southern Maryland, which Facebook co-hosted with the Maryland Small Business and Technology Development Center. At the event, Facebook's Small Business Team demonstrated to over two hundred small business owners from the Fifth District how to optimize their presence on the world's largest social network. Congressman Hoyer kicked off the event and met with attendees.
"Today, Facebook visited Southern Maryland to demonstrate to small businesses how they can best use Facebook services to connect with customers and increase sales," stated Congressman Hoyer. "The internet's role in our economy will continue to grow, and an online and social media presence is quickly becoming a must-have for businesses of all sizes. Platforms like Facebook can help businesses connect not only with the world, but with new customers down the street. Through social media, businesses can maintain and develop relationships with customers even further, and help customers recommend businesses to others. I thank Facebook for choosing to visit Southern Maryland, as well as the Maryland Small Business and Technology Development Center for partnering with Facebook, and for providing the tools local businesses can use to grow, hire more employees, and strengthen our economy."
"For decades, small businesses have relied on the recommendations of friends and family to acquire new customers and grow sales. Today, Facebook can take word-of-mouth marketing and makes it work at scale," said Bess Yount, Facebooks' Small-Medium Business Associate. "Our Small Business Boosts are intended to help small businesses leverage our platform to grow."
At the event, attendees heard first-hand from Fifth District businesses and nonprofits that have found success through Facebook. These community representatives included Project Healing Waters, a nonprofit that uses fly-fishing as occupational therapy for veterans and soldiers; Nourish Now, an organization that works to alleviate food insecurity in Maryland; and the Loft Salon, a beauty salon in La Plata.
There are more than two billion connections between local businesses and people who use Facebook and there are more than 25 million small businesses that use Facebook to connect with customers. In an average week, there are over 645 million views of local business Facebook pages. Facebook has held over 30 Small Business Boost workshops throughout the country.