Like it or not, it’s official…Twitter has made the move to 280 characters. By raising the count from 140 to 280, Twitter hopes it will give users the ability to better express themselves and encourage more people to use the network. So why all the hoopla over a few extra characters? While the update may seem insignificant to some, it’s a pretty drastic change that will affect how users interact with the app. Some may enjoy the freedom to share more. Alternatively, brevity has always been part of the allure of Twitter and with longer Tweets, users may have less patience for what others have to say.
And what does this mean for brands? Brands have spent time and money creating effective Twitter strategies molded into 140 characters. But with floodgates open, how will they handle the freedom? Some are sure to adapt and find new success, some will inevitably blunder, and some may not change a thing. For now, it’s up to brands to start experimenting in this new landscape and testing what does and doesn’t work. And they aren’t wasting any time! Many brands were quick to jump on the #280character bandwagon, and while it might be getting some mixed responses from its users, brands are taking it as an opportunity for some cheeky promotions.
Brands have everything to gain by staying on top of relevant and trending topics. Click To TweetCheck out the fun use of the expanded tweets from some of the more popular brands on social media.
Delta Airlines and NASA’s Goddard Space Center had a little fun with characters and space to create 280-character pictures. Meanwhile Charmin and Krispy Kreme had a little fun with some images. DiGiorno Pizza, well, maybe they got a little extra cheesy on the pizza emojis, and Kit Kat learned that it can sing a little more with Twitter’s character-limit increase.
What can we learn from this? Brands have everything to gain by staying on top of relevant and trending topics. Don’t rule a topic out just because it doesn’t have anything to do with your brand. More often than not, there’s a way to make it work – it just takes a little creativity. And have fun with it! These brands sure did!
