Why Size Matters: Twitter’s Compact Marketing Advantage

Twitter has begun to slowly implement their new relaxed coding which no longer counts pictures and videos against the 140 character limit. Now, we can tell even more of our story with the help of engaging visuals. Still, such a small amount of characters can present a challenge for marketers. But what if our marketers’ Twitter limit isn’t a restriction, but an opportunity?

Whether we can thank TV, the internet, or the whole faced-paced world in general, the average human has an eight-second attention span. EIGHT seconds. For marketers, that means you have to get that punchy message out in a flash. Twitter is the answer to our easily distracted minds. Now, you can make a powerfully written message alongside a creative image, and hope to grab someone’s wondering mind quickly.

The casual Twitter user has an incredibly quick moving news feed. If tweets were any longer, the system just wouldn’t work. There would be a digital traffic jam, as new tweets would accumulate to the point where many posts would be missed. These short messages are actually a blessing in disguise. However, writing for Twitter is an entirely different experience than other social media sites.

In the world of SEO, “stop words” is a common term. These are overly broad and often unnecessary words such as “from, the, an, about, for” that water down results. There’s a lesson here for Twitter writers. While these words can be unavoidable, efficiency is king. Get your message out in as little words as possible. Leave room for links, Twitter handles, and of course, enough available characters so someone can Quote Tweet your content.

Some companies try to circumvent the 140 character by sending a series of tweets that, when read all at once, tell a long message. Bad move! If someone sees a piece of the long string of tweets without context, it will make no sense. Refine your message so it can fit into the site’s restraints. After all, if you can shorten your message to 140 characters, imagine how easy Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+ will be!

Does Twitter have you stumped? Don’t let that ground you. Here at The Go! Agency, we work with Twitter every single day! Contact us today to fly high on this popular social media platform.

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