CorpComms Magazine

Barack Obama has launched a new Facebook campaign ahead of the 2012 elections in the hope of gaining support and being re-elected to stand for a second term.

The United States president posted a message to his Facebook page on 3 April, addressing his 18.9 million followers, which is more than the population of Florida. 'The 2012 campaign is just getting started,' he said. 'It will only succeed if we work together. Help shape it from the very beginning by saying you're in.'

Facebook members can link their accounts to Obama's re-election campaign website, and then ask their friends to do the same, by stating that they are 'in', meaning that they are in support of Obama.

The first step is for the user to announce their support, by posting 'I'm in - are you? Join the Obama 2012 campaign,' to their Facebook page.

When the user connects the 'Are you in?' app with their Facebook account, they are then invited to choose which of the people on their friends list they wish to send the wall post to. The post will say that '(friend's name) is in', and will contain a link to the website that will show Obama's campaign video, lasting just 130 seconds, entitled 'It begins with us.'

Obama hopes to raise a massive $1 billion (£600 million) a significant increase on the $750 million he raised during the 2008 campaign. He expects to raise half of the total via small donors.

The president has already received a great response to the campaign. One Facebook user, Joan McKniff, posted, 'I'm in and have invited 500 more!' While another user, Rojer Kern said: 'I'm continuing to support this truly great president.'

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