STATE DEPARTMENT SPENT $630K FOR FACEBOOK LIKES

Our government acts like a criminal with a stolen VISA card

STATE DEPARTMENT SPENT $630K FOR FACEBOOK LIKES

http://cdn.breitbart.com/mediaserver...ok-reuters.jpg


by WILLIAM BIGELOW
3 Jul 2013
The State Department’s Bureau of International Information Programs spent $630,000 to get more “likes” on Facebook in order to stimulate interest in their product. The agency’s Inspector General said, "Many in the bureau criticize the advertising campaigns as 'buying fans' who may have once clicked on an ad or 'liked' a photo but have no real interest in the topic and have never engaged further."

Although the money raised the English-language Facebook page likes from 100,000 to more than 2 million and spiked the foreign-language pages to 450,000. The IG said it was not useful, as the target audience for the bureau is older than the youngsters registering “likes.”

As the report stated:

In September 2012 Facebook changed the way it displays items in its users’ news feeds. If a user does not interact with a site’s postings, after a time these posting will no longer appear in the user’s news feed unless the site buys sponsored story ads to ensure their appearance. This change sharply reduced the value of having large numbers of marginally fans and means that IIP must continually spend money on sponsored story ads or else its “reach” statistics will plummet.

The IG also stated that the bureau's social media outreach shows poor planning for reaching the target audience:

The absence of a Department wide PD [public diplomacy] strategy tying resources to priorities directly affects IIP's work. Fundamental questions remain unresolved. What is the proper balance between engaging young people and marginalized groups versus elites and opinion leaders?" the IG said.

The report also stated of the Bureau: “Morale is low. Leadership created an atmosphere of secrecy, suspicion and uncertainty. A pervasive perception of cronyism exists in the bureau.”

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/07/03/State-Department-Spent-630K-for-Facebook-Likes

You can't buy love but you can buy "Likes"


JULY 2, 2013

BY: STEVEN H AHLE

http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/def...?itok=6DWH9b_T

The State Department has revealed that it spent $630,000 to purchase Facebook "Likes"between 2011 and 2013. Employees at the State Department complained to the watchdog that the State Department was buying "likes" to the tune of over half a million dollars.

The Inspector General remarked, "Many in the bureau criticize the advertising campaigns as 'buying fans' who may have once clicked on an ad or 'liked' a photo but have no real interest in the topic and have never engaged further."

The spending raised the number of "Likes" from 100,000 to over 2 million. In spite of the spending, they were unable to reach the targeted audience of older and more financially independent Americans. And of the ones they did get, only 2% get involved in discussions and other activities.

In September 2012, Facebook changed the way their user news feeds worked, which made the expensive "like" buys obsolete and they started paying for sponsored ads. The IG said that another major problem is that the State Department had no strategy for reaching their desired audience.

Not only does the department lack any coherent strategy, but they have more than 150 accounts which aren't coordinated.

http://www.examiner.com/article/you-...-can-buy-likes


Payback money to Zuckerberg ??