Twitter rules have always restricted content to 140-characters. We’ve all learned to write short, pithy comments making every character count. There have been changes in the Twitter look and feel over time, but the character count has always been the main feature.
Last week Twitter announced some new rules that relax the character count.Thankfully the rumors that the limit would be 10,000 characters was just that, a rumor. But there are some changes you can put to good use in brand storytelling.
New Twitter Rules
- Replies: When replying to a Tweet, @names will no longer count toward the 140-character count. This will make having conversations on Twitter easier and more straightforward. Use this to express yourself and engage with more people.
- Media attachments: Adding photos, GIFs, videos, polls, or Quote Tweets will no longer gobble up characters. Make the most of this feature – use more images to tell your story visually.
- Retweet and Quote Tweet yourself: You will be able to Retweet or Quote Tweet yourself when you want to share a new reflection or feel like a really good one went unnoticed. This is a great new feature that can be used to tell your brand story.
- Username tweets: New Tweets that begin with a username will reach all your followers. (That means you’ll no longer have to use the ”.@” convention, which people currently use to broadcast Tweets broadly.) If you want a reply to be seen by all your followers, just Retweet it to signal that you intend for it to be viewed more broadly. Another great way to tell your story to a wider audience.
Stay tuned for when this is rolled out to the entire Twitter user base. Right now it is being tested and tweaked. Subscribe to the Digital PR Tips newsletter to get the latest news in your inbox.
