On Tuesday, Nov. 7, Twitter announced it would roll out 280-character tweets to users around the world. With Twitter being the social media channel of choice for many in the hospitality industry, including planners, who use the platform to promote meetings and events and interact with attendees, you may be left wondering how to best take advantage of the new 280-character limit. Here are some tips to help get you started.
1. Don’t make all your tweets 280 characters. Your first instinct might be to stretch out your tweets simply because you now have the freedom to expand your message beyond 140 characters. Don’t do this. The 280-character limit is a little divisive, and people will catch on if you’re just typing more words to fill up space. Use the 280-character limit in moderation and mix up your message for maximum impact.
2. Definitely keep promoting your event hashtag. By now, most planners have probably heard they should have a specialized hashtag for their meeting or event. For example, those in attendance at IMEX America 2017 could use the #IMEX17 hashtag to connect with a wider audience interested in the event. However, in the past it could be a challenge for attendees to say what needed to be said, while also fitting in a relevant handle or hashtag. Worry no more! The 280-character limit opens up opportunities for attendees to add those in with some room to spare.
3. Don’t be afraid to experiment. The 280-character limit also allows room to explore new options to draw attention to your event. Maybe you want to share a short checklist of what to bring to the meeting before it starts. Or you could expand your tweet to include more information about an interesting session or awesome keynote speaker. There is room to add some detail where it counts, so feel free to take advantage.
4. Switch up your formatting. We’re not saying to go emoji crazy or anything, but the 280-character limit offers some fun opportunities to include graphics or line breaks to make your tweets stand out on people's Twitter timelines. However, once again, it's important to note this should only be done in moderation.
5. Don’t get too attached to 280 characters. At Meetings Today, we’re not among the naysayers who feel Twitter is ruined by the new 280-character limit. However, the digital world is ever-changing, so don’t be too surprised if those 280 characters get scaled back, expanded on or updated in some way in the near future.
The most important takeaway is to not overthink the 280-character limit. You should still work to stay on target with the overall message of your meeting or event and keep things concise where possible.
