In November, Twitter rolled out its biggest development since the first ever tweet in 2006, the 280-character limit. The new model has replaced the traditional 140-character ‘pièce de résistance’ which forced users to send short and concise yet engaging updates to the masses.

Twitter justified its decision by pointing out that linguistic disparities affect how much different users around the globe can say in a 140-character tweet. Many twitter enthusiasts welcomed the move, crediting it for allowing users to share more information – but many feared the change would lend itself to users such as Donald Trump, who use the platform for long and nonsensical twitter rants. 

Donald Trump and his infamous ramblings aside, the change on the second biggest platform has also had its repercussions on the PR world, an industry which relies heavily on social media.

On the plus side the increased space allows more room for key messages to be shared in a single tweet and some may find it useful for more detailed announcements and statements. But the downside is that longer messages could also lose your followers’ attention.

Short, concise and witty tweets are what everyone has loved Twitter for most and we have 5 tips for Twitter enthusiasts – read them before composing a month’s worth of 280-character tweets!

• Less is more. Even though it is useful to use the longer character feature when more detail is needed in a post, to engage your audience, less is definitely more. Make sure to be concise with your posts and use Twitter and other platforms the way they should be used. For example, if you would like to put lots of content in one post, then Facebook is a great tool.
• Tone of voice. What’s your Twitter personality and does it reflect the tone and style of your company’s brand? Craft the language in your tweets carefully to create a consistent ‘voice’ which your Twitter followers can relate to – it will help you to build engagement.
• Use #hashtags. The increased character limit gives more room to use #hashtags. These help users discover organic content, which in turn gives more impressions and drives more earned conversation. Don’t use too many though – and make them relevant to your messaging.
• Drive traffic. How do you want your social media followers to respond and are you including some of your keywords? Think about your social media as part of an integrated PR and digital approach and use it to drive traffic to your website and improve SEO by inserting the right link.
• Get creative. Just because there is more room for content, it doesn’t mean you can’t be creative. Infographics are visual aids which help users consume more content and information all at once. Make them consistent with your brand and they’ll help you to connect with your audience, whilst also increasing brand awareness. Use great photos and video too.