The Tories are paying to get you to like them on Facebook

If you’re not wild about the Conservatives, here’s some bad news: expect to see a lot more of David Cameron’s face on Facebook in the next few months.

The Conservatives, who are set to outspend Labour by three to one in this general election campaign, are already using their vast pile of cash to fund adverts helping get their message across on Facebook.

Spending on advertisements encouraging Facebook users to like’ the prime minister has helped the Tory leader’s social media reach in the last 12 months.

Back in February 2014 he only had around 60,000 likes. Now it’s up to 470,000.

That puts him well ahead of the 88,000 likes for Nick Clegg and – oh dear – just 67,000 for Ed Miliband.

Even Nigel Farage only has 70,000, but then he’s probably not going for the online vote, is he?

The Conservatives, on the other hand, definitely are.

Social media is much beloved by politicians, who see it as a great chance to get their message across to voters without those pesky journalists getting in the way.

But all too often it can embarrassingly wrong, as happened last year when Cameron’s all-too-earnest ‘I’m on the phone-with-Barack’ shot got mocked by celebs.

I’ve been speaking to @BarackObama about the situation in Ukraine. We are united in condemnation of Russia’s actions. pic.twitter.com/7Rk2k8iOIK

— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) March 5, 2014

.@robdelaney @David_Cameron @BarackObama I’m now patched in as well. Sorry for the delay. pic.twitter.com/elLQcKcV3w

— Patrick Stewart (@SirPatStew) March 5, 2014

The answer to all this? If you can’t get people to like you, buy it instead. This week the BBC has got its hands on Facebook’s invoices which show just how much cash the Tories are spending.

The bills that show the Tories spending £100,000 a month on Facebook: http://t.co/P0CHCoXraf pic.twitter.com/mrKPlbkhUI

— Ross Hawkins (@rosschawkins) February 5, 2015

It’s a lucrative business model for Facebook, which is trying to persuade politicians of all parties that they should use it to get in touch with voters.

They were even at the parties’ autumn conferences last year, selling their message of offering political parties a helping hand – in exchange for money, of course.

American politicians have been using Facebook in this way for a long time, so it’s no surprise the Tories have realised they can pay to get people liking their leader too.

Money talks in politics. But another American trend gives Labour hope, too.

The viral ad, which costs next to nothing but can very effectively have a real impact, can be used by Labour just as well as the Tories.

As Labour’s mock-up Facebook video for the PM last year showed all too well.