The Twitter Gift You Never Knew You Wanted #280

Twitter, Blog, Boelter Lincoln, Social Media
12.07.2017|Boelter Lincoln|,

Most of you have heard the news by now. Twitter officially rolled out a new 280 character limit this past month and the internet was abuzz, wondering what this means for bloggers and brands alike. Many went out of their way to write up ridiculous tweets, most throwing in more than a *few* emojis, before sending them into the Twittersphere.

So what does this mean for marketers?

Well first off, you’re sure to be able to respond to customer inquiries with ease. Most point out that the hospitality industry in particular will benefit, as they will be able to address concerns, complaints and questions in one tweet, simplifying the customer experience. Another point to be made for the increase in characters? Far less editing and abbreviations than ever before.

In the same breath, some are saying this may not entirely be positive. Twitter was built on brevity and the ability to convey a message concisely and quickly. Double the characters means double the need to keep attention when tweets are now often met with minimal listening ears, or in this case, reading eyes. The need remains for brands to get to the point – quickly.

One upside? More room to market your brand. With a solid plan of action and some basic internal rules [i.e. not using emojis and repetitive wording at every opportunity] there is plenty of room to use this as a resource in your Twitter strategy.

Another note-worthy change is the bump in users joining and using Twitter. Since July, Twitter’s user count has plateaued. This change is likely to drive user growth, which can have positive results for your brand. More eyes on your content means more engagement.

Ultimately, the increase in characters shouldn’t make waves for your Twitter page. Sticking to business as usual, and adding an extra thought or two when it’s reasonable or necessary, will likely prove to be the most successful tactic. In short: keep your content relevant, newsworthy and concise. If anything, it could makes you stand out now more than ever.