Facebook Will Help Small Businesses Put On New Face

Facebook is the most popular social media site for small business owners, a 2011 study showed. So who would better than the folks at Facebook to give your small business a social media makeover and help you put on a new face?

That's what will happen for five small business owners picked as winners of American Express OPEN's Facebook Big Break for Small Business. This national contest is designed to help transform the way small businesses use Facebook to connect and engage with customers in a more authentic and personalized way.

Each winner will receive an all-expense paid trip to Facebook's headquarters in Palo Alto for a two-day, in-depth business makeover and $20,000 to help their business grow through social media . They will be tutored on how to use Facebook to better market their businesses, products and services to existing customers and target new customer segments.

Nearly half of small businesses said they use social networking sites to communicate with customers and market their products, according to the latest semi-annual American Express OPEN Small Business Monitor. This represents a substantial uptick from 2009, when only one-in-ten respondents reported actively using social networking sites.

“Small business owners are experts at customer engagement, but the tools and techniques for finding and engaging customers are quickly evolving,” said Julie Fajgenbaum, Customer Marketing, an American Express OPEN excutive. “It’s critical that business owners understand these new channels and platforms, which is why we are collaborating with Facebook to educate on the benefits of engaging customers through social media and provide real, tangible tips on how to do it effectively.”

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