Congressmen Kinzinger, Schock, Shimkus, and Davis To Appear At Events
Between Monday, August 11 and Wednesday, August 13, Facebook’s Small Business Boost will hit Rockford, Peoria and Collinsville, Illinois, to teach small business owners in those areas how to optimize their presences on the world’s largest social network.
The events will be co-hosted by Rockford Chamber of Commerce, Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce and the Collinsville Chamber of Commerce, respectively.
Additionally, Rep. Adam Kinzinger will kick off the Rockford event; Rep. Aaron Schock will greet attendees in Peoria; and Reps. John Shimkus and Rodney Davis will welcome entrepreneurs in Collinsville.
“In our increasingly digital world, small businesses have the ability to enter entirely new markets by leveraging social media to share their ideas and communicate with consumers in ways that didn’t exist just a few years ago,” said Congressman Adam Kinzinger. “Facebook’s team of experts will share the latest techniques folks can use to sharpen their social media skills and grow their customer bases. I hope to see a great turnout by Rockford-area small businesses for this fantastic opportunity to learn from the best in the business.”
“The most successful small businesses must learn to operate in today’s 21st century marketplace where the strategic use of social media can make the difference between competitors, both locally and around the world,” said Congressman Aaron Schock. “The Facebook Small Business Boost event will provide valuable resources to entrepreneurs looking to increase their online footprint and more effectively utilize social networking technologies to grow their companies. I look forward to joining leaders in our community for the Facebook Peoria workshop and learning how this transformative digital platform can strengthen Illinois-based businesses in our region.”
“As more people shop online and search for business information on the Internet, Facebook has become more important, especially for small businesses,” said Congressman John Shimkus. “I use it to reach my constituents, and I’m sure locally businesses will want to learn more at this upcoming workshop in Collinsville.”
“Small business owners have both limited time and resources, so they need to be armed with the tools that will enable them to maximize both, especially in this 21st century economy,” said Congressman Rodney Davis. “The most effective way for our office to communicate with our constituents is through Facebook, it’s truly changed the way government and politics operates forever. This workshop will show area business owners how to harness the capabilities of Facebook to get the most bang for their buck and easily interact with current and potential customers alike.”
Each Small Business Boost workshop will feature a panel of several local small businesspeople who, having found success on Facebook, will share their own tips, tricks and suggestions.
Attendees of each event will also get a chance to network with one another.
How does Facebook partner with small businesses?
- There are more than 2 billion connections between local businesses and people who use Facebook.
- There are more than 30 million small businesses using Facebook to connect with customers.
- In an average week, there are over 645 million views of, and 13 million comments on, local business Facebook Pages.
- Facebook advertising reaches 89% of its intended audience, on average, compared to just 38% of online ads at large.
To read success stories from small- and medium-sized businesses that have used Facebook to grow their enterprise, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/business/success.
WHEN AND WHERE:
Rockford, IL – Monday, August 11 – Radisson Hotel & Conference Center, 200 Bell School Rd., Rockford, IL 61108.
- Check In/Networking: 12:30 PM
- Program: 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
To register and for more information: https://fbrockford.eventbrite.com
Peoria, IL – Tuesday, August 12 – Embassy Suites – East Peoria, 100 Conference Center Dr., East Peoria, IL 61611
- Check In/Networking: 4:00 PM
- Program: 4:30 – 6:00 PM
To register and for more information: http://fbpeoria.eventbrite.com
Collinsville, IL – Wednesday, August 13 – Gateway Convention Center (Ballroom C), 1 Gateway Dr., Collinsville, IL 62234
- Check In/Networking: 1:30 PM
- Program: 2:00 – 3:30 PM
To register and for more information: http://fbcollinsville.eventbrite.com
WHAT: FREE Workshops On How To Use Facebook To Grow Your Small Business
WHO: Representatives from Facebook; Congressmen Kinzinger, Schock, Shimkus and Davis; local business development organizations; and small business owners.