Three tips to communicate in 140 characters
Twitter’s character limit is a double-edged sword: on the one side, it is in the network’s DNA, making users transmit direct, clear and concise concepts. On the other side, 140 characters can be too little, especially when we want to include a link and a picture together with our text. For writers, community managers and copywriters, reaching the top limit is especially frustrating, and with time we have learned and adopted several tricks to squeeze all the information into one single tweet.
There are some aspects to consider if you want to avoid basic mistakes. Put them into practice!
1. Squeeze the language’s richness
Not only is Spanish one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, but it is also very rich. We are lucky to speak a language where the same thing can be said in many different ways. Take advantage of this!
If a tweet is too long, find synonyms and alternative expressions to say the same thing. Turn the expression around. You may have one idea from the start, but if you try to reformulate it not only will it fit in 140 characters, but you may also find a different way to say it that you like more and which communicates better what you wanted to say. Ideas have to be plastic, not fixed!
2. Be careful with spelling and avoid abbreviations
This is not 2002 any longer: the time of SMS is over. So despite how much limitation there is on Twitter, and especially if you are a brand, avoid at all costs abbreviations like on the SMS – they transmit a childish and careless impression. Be careful with spelling and punctuation, and avoid the temptation of abbreviating for the sake of space – you might be sacrificing your brand image.
3. Select the key info
When we want to communicate on Twitter, we have to go to the point. Going around in circles does not work here. There is little space to write, so use it wisely and transmit your idea from the start.
Música y moda: así implementan las marcas a @Spotify en su estrategia de #socialmedia ► http://t.co/U1up5uu4JE pic.twitter.com/7jIIwg0MtI
— Internet República (@i_Republica) agosto 20, 2015
If your publication includes the link to a post from a blog, the best is to use the tweet to create expectation. Do not give all the details on the tweet, but give a teaser of what you are going to talk about or what the post can offer the reader if they click on it.
Adivina adivinanza, ¿quiénes son los 10 deportistas que más cobran por un tuit promocional? ⚽ http://t.co/YXqt1OtDa2 pic.twitter.com/tPSWRIHOGi
— SocialPubli_es (@socialpubli_es) septiembre 8, 2015
Nobody said that writing would be easy, but it is possible to communicate a lot in little space. You just have to know how! So get hands on with it and let the 2.0 writer inside you emerge.
Internet República
Latest posts by Internet República (see all)
- New Instagram update: reel achievements - 19 October, 2023
- Elon Musk has bought Twitter. What does this mean? - 27 April, 2022
- NFTs ARE ARRIVING ON SOCIAL MEDIA - 21 February, 2022
