Twitter's 140-character limit has defined its usage since its inception, identifying it as the brief way to engage followers and spread news and information. However, starting in September 2016, Twitter has redefined what is being counted as a character in the 140-character limit, effectively allowing users to add more to each Tweet. Formally, anything that got added to a Tweet was counted including usernames, hashtags, URLs, images and other inclusions. Twitter has finally decided to open up Tweets to allow more room for the message by no longer counting some of those items.
What has Changed
Twitter announced that it is no longer counting the following items as part of the 140 characters that you are allowed to use on a single Tweet.
- Images
- GIFs
- Videos
- Polls
- Quote Tweets
- Usernames in replies
Omitting these items from the 140-character limit is great news for everyone on Twitter since it means that you will have a lot more room to actually say something in your message. Instead of having the add-ons reduce room, they can be supplemental to the 140-character message. Since images, GIFs, videos and polls add interest to Twitter and they enhance engagement, rewarding users who add them with more characters is beneficial to the platform and users alike.
What Do the Changes Mean for Marketers?
Twitter's expanded Tweets give marketers a lot more room to post interesting information on this popular platform. Combining text and imagery or activity to any post will increase engagement and get followers more involved with brands. Marketers can offer better answers to questions when they don't have to restrict their text due to used-up characters from usernames. Interaction will be less frustrating offering a higher level of satisfaction to both sides of a conversation.
Adding imagery to Tweets will no longer limit the message alongside them, allowing marketers much more leeway in branding and advertising on Twitter. While 140 characters still limit the message, it is more room than they had before.
One new aspect is that you will now be able to Quote Tweet and Retweet your own Tweets. This action will offer more space for every user by combining two Tweets together. Marketers can easily use this concept to post a video with commentary, then Retweet it to a large group of followers with a note attached. In this scenario, a user can double the amount of character space for a message to followers.
Usernames no longer count as part of your character limit which allows you to send a Tweet to a larger group without needing to worry about running out of room for your message. This change is very valuable and saves a lot of time for people who no longer need to redirect a Tweet several times to a list of users.
Future Developments
Twitter has also announced that more changes are being developed although they haven't given any specifics to look out for. You can expect that they will carefully note how these current changes are accepted and used, before they make any more. For those who haven't taken a look at Twitter for a while, it has definitely expanded since it began. You may not even recognize it if you haven't been on it for a while.
