I have to say that I was pretty sceptical when Twitter announced it would be increasing the character count of tweets to 280 today.
Double the characters enables double the waffle, in a move that sees Twitter take a step closer to the rambling tirades and nonsense that is commonplace on Facebook.
I liked the fact that previously on Twitter, statements, information or irrelevant opinions were limited to 140 easily digestible characters. Even so, many people were still just wasting space in the newsfeed, myself included, in an attempt to keep their digital footprints fresh in the snow of social media.
But then I started to see the benefits of upping the count, particularly as a Twitter user in my role as a digital communications officer for an NHS Trust.
Firstly, it now means there's less need to abbreviate and less decisions about which details to omit to save on space. Why force someone to click on a web link to find further details, when they can have it all right in their face? (Without having to add a designed graphic).
It's also going to reduce the amount of time I spend arduously reviewing a draft tweet to trim an excess character. Seeing '-3 characters' in red after thinking I've perfected a Tweet must be the bane of my working day.
There's also now the opportunity to add more relevant hashtags without eating into the message, or the chance to mention more accounts to engage without duplication.
When engaging with people, you can now get or give more thorough feedback or responses to tweets from clients, customers, patients or whoever your audience is.
Today's unveiling of the increased character count also saw #280characters trending worldwide, providing an opportunity for accounts to achieve quick wins and build their identity.
It was a chance to do something new and get creative with their first crack at 280 characters, piggybacking on the hashtag to easily increase reach and engagement.
Many of these chose monotonous waste, simply filling the box because they can, yet others maximised this fresh approach and won at Twitter (for today at least).
Here's some of the winners:
Double the characters enables double the waffle, in a move that sees Twitter take a step closer to the rambling tirades and nonsense that is commonplace on Facebook.
I liked the fact that previously on Twitter, statements, information or irrelevant opinions were limited to 140 easily digestible characters. Even so, many people were still just wasting space in the newsfeed, myself included, in an attempt to keep their digital footprints fresh in the snow of social media.
But then I started to see the benefits of upping the count, particularly as a Twitter user in my role as a digital communications officer for an NHS Trust.
Firstly, it now means there's less need to abbreviate and less decisions about which details to omit to save on space. Why force someone to click on a web link to find further details, when they can have it all right in their face? (Without having to add a designed graphic).
It's also going to reduce the amount of time I spend arduously reviewing a draft tweet to trim an excess character. Seeing '-3 characters' in red after thinking I've perfected a Tweet must be the bane of my working day.
There's also now the opportunity to add more relevant hashtags without eating into the message, or the chance to mention more accounts to engage without duplication.
When engaging with people, you can now get or give more thorough feedback or responses to tweets from clients, customers, patients or whoever your audience is.
Today's unveiling of the increased character count also saw #280characters trending worldwide, providing an opportunity for accounts to achieve quick wins and build their identity.
It was a chance to do something new and get creative with their first crack at 280 characters, piggybacking on the hashtag to easily increase reach and engagement.
Many of these chose monotonous waste, simply filling the box because they can, yet others maximised this fresh approach and won at Twitter (for today at least).
Here's some of the winners:
Bravo to those social media teams who seized the opportunity for some free and easy publicity, but if you haven't done yet there's still time to.
While the scepticism has not completely waned, you can certainly utilise this character increase. By the very nature of Twitter, it only takes one good tweet to skyrocket your cause into the limelight - for free.
While the scepticism has not completely waned, you can certainly utilise this character increase. By the very nature of Twitter, it only takes one good tweet to skyrocket your cause into the limelight - for free.