Meaning:
“打” means “to hit,” and “榜” refers to “a ranking list.” The term may have originated from pop music ranking lists. We come across all types of ranking lists every day, from most-downloaded music, top-streaming TV shows to best-selling products. Companies will try hard to get their products onto certain most-favored lists, as the status will persuade more consumers to choose them. Fans also try to get their idols onto top-searching lists to help drive their popularity. The Chinese term “打榜” refers to the efforts, such as liking and forwarding posts, to help certain people or things get to the top of rankings.
Example:
A: 微博明星超话榜榜首终于易主了。
Wēibómíngxīng chāohuàbǎng bǎngshǒu zhōngyú yìzhǔ le。
The top-ranking celebrity on Weibo’s “Super Topics” finally has a new face.
B: 这么多粉丝打榜，周杰伦的号召力可不是一般人能比的。
Zhèmeduō fěnsī dǎbǎng，zhōujiélún de hàozhàolì kě búshì yībānrén néng bǐ de。
With so many fans rooting for him, Jay Chou has unparallel influence compared with other idols.