Facebook has announced the creation of a new program designed to help small, local businesses—like eyecare practices—to connect with their customers via social media. Details of the program still are pending, but it is expected to consist of $10 million in advertising credits and a special marketing program to help businesses to target their audience to hyper-local audiences. It is estimated that 9.2 million businesses have Facebook pages on the leading social network hub that claims 750 million registered users. This year, Facebook will earn $2.0 billion from display ads in the U.S., up 67 percent from 2010, according to eMarketer Inc.
