Hashing out Our Problems

HASHING OUI PROBLEMS With a pair of recent high-profile Twitter trends, the effectiveness of hashtag activism is once again being debated. But this is not a new discussion – it goes back nearly to the advent of Twitter. While many believe there's little effect of such campaigns, such trends can make their way to the real world. #3 #3 23 #3 #3 History of Hashtivism Here's a look at some of the most prominent hashtag campaigns over the past several years: #standwithPP 14203 Sparked by a January 2012 decision by the Susan G. Komen Foundation to pull more than half-a-million dollars in funding from Planned Parenthood, THE TREND DREW MORE THAN 100,000 TWEETS IN LESS THAN A WEEK AND LED KOMEN TO RESTORE THE FUNDING. "I absolutely believe the exposure on Facebook and Twitter really drove a lot of coverage by mainstream media," Planned Parenthood's Angeles Times. (like this)." president, Cecile Richards, told the "I've never seen anything catch #Kony2012 KONY 2012 Named for a documentary film, the hashtag was meant to raise awareness of Ugandan militia leader Joseph Kony and drew more than 2.4 million tweets in March 2012. THE CAMPAIGN ACCOMPLISHED LITTLE BEYOND RAISING AWARENESS IN THE U.S. OF DECADES OF AFRICAN ATROCITIES.' #JusticeforTrayvon When black teenager Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman, it didn't make national news. But when details of the case and scant investigation of Zimmerman began to trickle out on Twitter, the campaign #JusticeforTrayvon DREW MORE THAN 2.8 MILLION TWEETS IN ABOUT A MONTH (MARCH-APRIL 2012) and is credited with boosting signings of a Change.org petition. Authorities did eventually reopen their investigation of Zimmerman and he went on trial and was acquitted on all counts. After the trial, it was revealed that one of the jurors had signed a book deal; a social media uproar eventually led to the woman pulling out of the deal. #CancelColbert OLBERT REPORT A joke on the "Colbert Report" drew ire from Asian-American activists with the hashtag #CancelColbert GETTING 100,000-PLUS TWEETS IN MARCH 2014. Stephen Colbert's show wasn't canceled, and several months later, he was named the new host of the "Late Show."! #BringBackOurGirls About a week after the abduction of hundreds of #BRMGBACK OUR GIRLS schoolgirls from a Nigerian community in April 2014, the hashtag gained speed around the world, with First Lady Michelle Obama joining in the campaign (and being widely mocked by conservatives). MORE THAN 3 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE TWEETED WITH THE HASHTAG. ? ALICE LINE OG KaTo #YesAlIWomen The campaign that started in May 2014 after the revelation of a misogynistic screed by Isla Vista, California shooter Elliot Rodger, the effort is aimed at shining light on the chilling and dangerous effects of anti-woman sentiments. THE HASHTAG HAS DRAWN MORE THAN 2.2 MILLION TWEETS SO FAR. OLICE LINE DO NOT The Audience is Listening If you know how to say the right things, that is. Not all hashtag campaigns will be successful, but a well-executed one absolutely can effect change. 100 MILLION =1 million 80% Percentage of world leaders who Daily active Twitter users 3 use Twitter 3 5X 44% Increase in engagement when a tweet includes an image 3 Americans who hear about tweets every day through other media 3 Keys to Success Social activists can take a page from marketers in considering hashtags to help pursue their causes: 4 Keep it short: Have a goal in mind: Do your research: %23 Go too long with your hashtag and nobody will remember it (or get it right). Make sure Raising awareness? Raising money? Want someone fired? Then say that. Make the hashtag about what you want to achieve. another similar tag isn't already being used. SOURCES 1. http://www.washingtonpost.com 2. http://topsy.com 3. http://expandedramblings.com 4. http://blog.tagboard.com INFO GRAPHIC WORLD www.InfographicWorld.com %23