By Janelle Irwin published on Saint Peters Blog on Oct. 8, 2014

With a lot of election promises centering on growing jobs and supporting small business, a group of U.S. Representatives are coming together to urge businesses to tap into social media to grow. 

In a series of statewide workshops, a Facebook event called “Small Business Boost” will be in Tampa October 16 to teach business owners and leaders how to build a strong social media presence.

“In today’s digital economy, having a social media strategy is quickly becoming essential to any small business looking to build a competitive edge,” said Congressman Ted Deutch. “That’s why I am so excited to welcome Facebook to South Florida for a workshop that will help our local entrepreneurs and small business owners expand their reach online, promote their goods and services, and connect with new customers.” 

According to Facebook there are more than 2 billion connections between local businesses and people who use the social media giant. In addition, more than 30 million small businesses use Facebook with a total average of more than 645 million views and 13 million comments.

While traditional advertising costs money and only targets certain demographics, Facebook reaches across ages, income levels and culture and into a much broader word of mouth-type of mentality through “shares” and suggested pages. And in most cases, Facebook is free. 

“I encouraged Facebook to visit Tampa to showcase modern communication tools for our local small businesses and entrepreneurs. Small businesses are the heart and soul of our community and provide a wide variety of job opportunities. I want them to grow and succeed,” said U.S. Representative Kathy Castor. “Facebook will provide hands-on training on how to grow business by connecting to new, potential customers. I encourage our small business owners to mark their calendar for this free event.”

The Greater Tampa-area Chamber of Commerce will co-host the event at the Cuban Club’s second floor theater. The workshop starts at 10:30 a.m. with registration starting a half hour earlier. 

The Facebook workshops will target other Florida cities as well. Trainers will be in Boca Raton October 15 at Florida Atlantic University and Miami October 17 at Intercontinental Hotel at Doral Miami. Both events begin at 9:30 a.m.

“Southern Florida’s small businesses are a vital part of the local economy. With the rise of social media, businesses have been able to extend their brand and their message with the click of the button, resulting in more growth and opportunities,” said U.S. Representative Mario Diaz-Balart. “By attending this event, business owners will be able to bring their companies to speed with the latest and greatest promotion tools offered by Facebook.” 

While the workshops focus on Facebook-specific tools, other online networking tools are available for businesses like Twitter, Instagram and website databases and reviewing sites like Angie’s List.