Warren Knight — November 28, 2017 — November 28, 2017
As you may know from a previous article, or from the engagement online around this topic, Twitter has released its long-awaited character upgrade.
Instead of the constricted 140 characters, we, as Twitter users, now have an extra 120 characters to play with. This means that we can do a lot more and most importantly, say a lot more with 280 characters on Twitter.
So… What Does This Mean?
1. More Characters
The most obvious change here is that you gain 120 characters to use when engaging so in total, you have 280 characters on Twitter.
2. A Change In What “Counts”
Before the update came into play, @names in replies, photos, GIFs, quoted tweets and polls all counted in your character count.
Now, all of the above mentioned (bar the @name in replies as this has yet to be introduced) will not count against you, meaning you have gained a whole lot more than a total of 280 characters on Twitter.
There have been a few other changes including the ability to retweet and quote retweet posts and not having to put the @ sign before a Twitter user (unless you’re responding to someone)
The big question is; how can you maximise this?
1. More Doesn’t Always Mean More
Just because you have extra characters, it doesn’t mean you have to use every single one of them. Yes, be less sparring with your character counting and be aware that Twitter is still a micro-content network in the sense that short pieces of written content are how Twitter users most like to see information.
2. Use Great Visuals
Remember that every single Twitter user now has 280 characters and most will be using them to their fullest so newsfeeds are going to be filled with more written content than ever before. Utilise this and create great visual content that will engage your audience.
3. Be More Open With Your Community
You have more space, and won’t have to split what you want to say into two tweets or more. Use this as a way to be more open with your community, and engage with them in a two-way conversation.
I am personally very happy to see this change from Twitter and because it is my favorite social network, I will be testing out the best ways to maximise the new character limit and as always, write about it later!
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