There is No Killing the Twitter Hashtag

Vanessa Obioha writes that the recent Twitter ban by the federal government will likely disconnect fans from their favourite celebrities but the hashtags which have become an emblem of Twitter may defy the ban

Introduced to us by American blogger Chris Messina, the Twitter hashtag — represented by the octothorpe or the hash sign — is an essential part of communication and disseminating information on the social media site. Want to start a movement? Use the hashtag (#MeTooMovement). Want to start a protest? The hashtag is your microphone (#EndSARS). Have a new song/EP/album? Spread the news with a hashtag. What about a film premiere or a fashion show? Use a hashtag. Want to have a trending topic on Twitter? Just use a hashtag.

The value of the hashtag in spreading information, driving traffic and increasing engagement cannot be overemphasized. The level horizontal strokes and right-tilting vertical strokes symbol is particularly a weapon for fans of celebrities and TV shows on Twitter. For instance, fans of housemates of Big Brother Naija reality TV show have used the tool to mobilise others to vote for their preferred housemates and even after the show. Fans of music artists have also used the tool to spotlight the dominance of their music idol in the industry. A good example is Wizkid’s fans popularly known as Wizkid FC.

With the recent Twitter ban by the federal government, one wonders what will be the fate of Twitter hashtags in Nigeria.

To be sure, hashtags are used on other social media platforms but Twitter seems to have it ingrained in its DNA. It is one platform where the symbol has helped to index topics and keywords. Moreover, most social media users find Twitter easy to navigate. With hashtags, it is easier to find a topic, join a conversation and get information. The conciseness of tweets is another advantage of Twitter, unlike other social networking sites that are mainly designed for images and videos, thereby promoting vanities.

Most Twitter users in Nigeria also find the site a source of entertainment. As a medium of self-expression, people find it easy to express their thoughts although there are downsides to this. Albeit, some find amusement in reading people’s reactions or thoughts on a topic irrespective of their stance.

Apart from the hashtags, the Twitter ban, if fully obeyed — some users access the site through VPN — will affect celebrities with huge followership. It is no secret that most individuals gained popularity on the microblogging site. Social networking sites like Twitter, Instagram birthed the ‘influencer celebrity’ — a group of persons who may or may not have adequate knowledge on a particular product or service but possess an influencing power over his/her audience that can lead to purchase or patronage. These individuals are often patronised by organisations based on their social media following.

For famous persons in the art and entertainment sphere with a good number of followers, the ban will mean losing those followers as the medium was one of the avenues they amplified their star power and sustained their brands. Perhaps, they may want to encourage fans to migrate to another platform to stay connected. Fans who feel close to their idols on the platform will be frustrated by the ban.

Music artists who often use Twitter to drive streams will be particularly hit. A common culture practised by musicians is to tease fans with snippets of their work before release. That way, they whet fans’ appetite before the premiere. That spontaneity to intimate fans on their latest work may be lost with the Twitter suspension.

Also, with the hashtags, an artiste can drive fans to stream or download his music on different streaming platforms. This does not only increase the number of streams but help in popularising the song.

However, Nigerians are defying the ban with their hashtags. One of them at the time of filing this report is #KeepItOn. The hashtag is a sort of solidarity pledge to organisations and institutions who are challenging the ban and keen on using the social media platform despite the threat by the country’s Attorney-General Abubakar Malami to prosecute anyone using the medium.

Perhaps, the hashtags will continue to live another day in Nigeria.