Google partners with Brooklyn Chamber to give borough businesses online boost

We’ve known for a while that the tech scene in Brooklyn is largely confined to neighborhoods nearest to Manhattan. Now, a partnership between Google and the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce will fund active work to help small businesses in other parts of Brooklyn establish a web presence and build a social media strategy, according to Crain’s.

Starting Jan. 1, chamber employees and Google volunteers will visit small businesses in neighborhoods like East New York, Canarsie and Brownsville to educate business owners about improving their online presence, using social media and improving search optimization results. Ideally, after the consultation, participating businesses will be well-versed in Google, Facebook and Twitter, as well as Yelp, Pinterest and LinkedIn.

“[Ninety-seven percent] of the people use the internet to search for goods and services, but less 50% of the businesses in New York are online,” said William Floyd, Head of External Affairs for Google in New York, in a statement.