Hoyer pushes businesses to get on Facebook

Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) has some kind words for Facebook’s efforts to target small businesses.

At a workshop at the College of Southern Maryland in La Plata, Md., on Monday, the No. 2 House Democrat praised the web giant’s efforts to help grow the local economy.

“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,” he said in a statement.

{mosads}“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.”

There are more than 25 million small businesses on Facebook. Monday’s workshop was one of more than 30 the Menlo Park, Calif.,-based social network has held around the country to help businesses increase their presence on the site.

“Today, Facebook can take word-of-mouth marketing and makes it work at scale,” Bess Yount, Facebook’s small-medium business associate, said in a statement.

Facebook co-hosted the event with the Maryland Small Business and Technology Development Center.

More than 200 local organizations attended the event, including a beauty salon, an anti-hunger group and a nonprofit that takes veterans fly-fishing as a form of therapy.