Facebook wouldn't exist in its current form without globalisation, and the company wants to give back to its community.

Small businesses can now reach potential customers around the world thanks to an update to Facebook's Lookalike Audiences tool.

Foreign friends

Lookalike Audiences already allowed Page Managers to find more users within their home country, but they can now select a region of their choosing.

Small businesses can look overseas for people similar to those who already like their Page, or target a new audience if they feel it would benefit them.

The new tool could be a boon for brands, who can take advantage of Facebook's data collection as opposed to going through the research process themselves.

No limits

On top of that update, page managers can set multiple regions to target and Facebook will automatically narrow the campaign's focus to the best-performing areas.

Facebook says more than 60 per cent of American-based users are linked with an overseas business, while the figure rises for Australians: 75 per cent of Aussies are connected to a foreign Page.

With users here and abroad likely to see a greater number of relevant ads from overseas Pages, those percentages – and businesses' returns – might be on the up very soon.