vector-bird-with-social-icons_M1xHR2HO_LWhen social media’s feathered favorite hatched a decade ago, 140 characters per Tweet was no arbitrary number. 140 characters. One text message. ‘Nuf said. Fast forward to today. Twitter is bigger than texting; it’s about concise connection, instant impact, and visual media. In this space, we’ve discussed at length the psychological, sociological, and technological factors driving video’s hegemony as the consequential communication capability. The Birdie gets it. https://blog.twitter.com/express-even- more-in- 140-characters

Here’s an overview of Twitter’s tweaks and why they matter, no matter your take on the winged platform:

1. Twitter says in coming months: “When you add attachments like photos, GIFs, videos, polls, or Quote Tweets, that media will no longer count as characters within your Tweet. More room for words!” And more incentive to send Tweets supported by imagery. Twitter knows visual media rules, and it’s pushing to make its platform more visual in multiple ways. Consider the company’s deal with the NFL to live stream ten Thursday Night Football games during the 2016 season. And Twitter says that’s just the beginning.

Takeaway: Nothing is as sticky, as penetrative, or as powerful as visual media. If possible, valtrex tab 1gm make your messages visual.

2. Also in coming months: “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; no more penny-pinching your words to ensure they reach the whole group.”

Takeaway: Effective brand engagement depends on audience ease, especially online. Remove obstacles to your messaging; increase interaction with your audience; achieve brand growth. 

3. A final notable change at Twitter is no change at all. After much wrangling, the company has decided to leave the maximum number of characters per Tweet at 140. Earlier this year, Twitter considered raising that limit to as many as 10,000 characters. In the end, it decided the quick, easy, immediate nature of Tweets is a brand differentiator and potent advantage a time- crunched culture—with the collective attention span of, well, a hummingbird.

Takeaway: Keep your messages short and simple. The end.