Facebook has selected Greenville as one of the first five cities to launch its new Community Boost program, according to a release.

In an announcement Thursday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg said Facebook Community Boost is a new program designed to help U.S. small businesses grow and to equip more people with the digital skills they need to compete in the new economy.

"Since 2011, Facebook has invested more than $1 billion dollars to support small businesses. This is the next step," Zuckerburg said in a Facebook post.

"We're going to bring Facebook Community Boost to 30 US cities in 2018 -- including St. Louis; Albuquerque; Des Moines; Greenville, South Carolina and Houston. And we'll work with local organizations to make sure we're meeting the specific needs of the communities we invest in.

"One of the things I'm most proud of is that 70 million small businesses use Facebook to connect with customers. That's 70 million people who now have access to the same tools the big guys have. Now we need to make it easier for people to start and build new businesses or find jobs and opportunities, and in the process strengthen their communities," Zuckerburg said.

According to the release, 46 percent of small and medium businesses say Facebook is an essential tool for running their business. Another 62 percent of small and medium businesses say that Facebook allows them to find customers in other cities, states and countries.

“We are excited that Greenville will be one of the first cities to host Facebook’s Community Boost event," Mayor Knox White said in a statement. "I look forward to working with the Facebook team to help local residents developed stronger digital skills, train people how to safely use the Internet, and help local businesses and nonprofits operate more successfully online.”



For more information, visit facebook.com/tellcommunityboost.

