By Doug Frisbie, Global Marketing Director, Small Business

We’re thrilled to be in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the tenth stop on our Facebook Community Boost tour, on July 18-19! We have a number of exciting events and activities lined up for today and tomorrow to connect local small businesses and community organizations with the digital tools, resources, and strategies they need to be successful.

The Twin Cites area is a tech-savvy hub of innovation, home to businesses ranging from medical device manufacturers to tech startups. Minnesota also has more than 500,000 small businesses, representing over 99 percent of Minnesota’s economy. We’re proud that many of these companies are using Facebook to connect with their customers and grow their businesses. We’re here this week to accelerate that momentum.

A demand for digital skills
In city after city, we see that the future of work is changing.

Minneapolis small businesses see social media skills as critical to their success. Nearly 7 in 10 (69%) of small business workers said that creating a social media presence is important to growing their business, but less than one in eight (12%) said that their skills in this area were excellent. When we spoke to Minneapolis small businesses about what factors are important when hiring employees, nearly 8 in 10 (79%) cited an applicant’s digital skills. Less than half (43%) said that where a job candidate went to school was an important factor.

At Facebook, we’re committed to helping local businesses grow and thrive. We’re looking forward to spending the next two days collaborating with our partners in the Twin Cities and learning even more about how we can boost local businesses and job seekers. We’ve pledged to train 1 million small business owners and people across the country by 2020, and our work on Minneapolis is an important part of reaching that goal.

Training in Facebook, Instagram and more
Today and tomorrow we’ll host events focused on getting started on Facebook, utilizing Instagram stories, optimizing content for mobile, and taking Facebook ads to the next level. We’ll share strategies and tactics to help businesses forge stronger connections with their customers. And we’ll pass the mic to successful local entrepreneurs and social media experts so they can share their experience firsthand.

As part of our #SheMeansBusiness program, we’re hosting a night for independent business owners to learn how to build their brands. Four local solopreneurs who have created their own successful businesses will share their advice about how to shape a strong personal brand, build a robust business reputation, and capitalize on market opportunities.

Come join us while we’re here in the Twin Cities – we’d love to see you! Register for free or stay up to date with the latest city announcements, news and program schedules at facebook.com/communityboost.