The US State Department’s Bureau of International Information Programs apparently spent 630 thousand dollars to become more popular on Facebook.
The US State Department’s Bureau of International Information Programs apparently spent 630 thousand dollars to become more popular on Facebook.
Desiring more likes, the bureau launched an expensive campaign that ended up not being very popular internally despite its outward appearances of success.
Following a review of the tactics, the 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."
Even though the fan count went from 100 thousand to over 2 million, it’s estimated that only 2 percent of that number engage with the page’s activities.
The inspector general was also not pleased with the organization’s apparent lack of a social media plan in general. It was also noted that there was a great deal of redundancy and lack of internal communication among the State Department’s different divisions.
According to the bureau’s own statement, they are in charge of the country’s social media presence. Their purpose is to provide places, both physical and virtual, “needed for sustained conversations with foreign audiences to build America’s reputation abroad.’
