A coordinated campaign on Facebook has seen a dramatic surge in ‘likes’ on Barack Obama’s page on the social networking site, with more than one million being added in a single day.
It represents a hugely successful implementation for the SEO used by online marketers. Previous to the launch, the page was attracting 30,000 per day.
However the efforts, which saw ‘Sponsored Stories’ placed on news feeds, have angered some users of the site. One, directly messaging the US President on his Twitter account, wrote:
“Quit trying to promote yourself on my Facebook and Twitter feeds. I never ‘liked’ or ‘followed’ you.”
Many commentators have also warned the drive could backfire, while recent research has indicated much the same.
A study by the University of Pennsylvania’s school of communications showed that 86% of American internet-users did not want to see tailored political messages. Further still, 70% said seeing such adverts could even result in them withdrawing their support.
However, the use of social media is not likely to halt, with both Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney both increasing their efforts. Indeed, Obama was much lauded back in 2008 for the success of his social media campaign, which generated the biggest ever election fund.
In the UK, the presence of politicos on social networking platforms is also increasing. Notably, David Cameron last week joined Twitter, a move likely to be well-used if General Elections and Conservative Leadership elections are to be seen by the end of 2013.
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