It’s not new news that Twitter has a 140 character limit for each tweet that users write.  This has long since been a hurdle for social media marketers who are trying to make the most of this limit.  How much can we pack into 140 characters? Links and URLs themselves can take up half of that limit in the blink of an eye.  This makes it difficult for content marketers to link to their articles, for marketers to include photo attachments in their tweets, and more.  So, what has Twitter decided to do about it after 10 years of complaining?  They’re fixing it.

Ask and you shall receive.  Twitter has released this statement:

“So, you can already do a lot in a Tweet, but we want you to be able to do even more. In the coming months we’ll make changes to simplify Tweets including what counts toward your 140 characters, so for instance, @names in replies and media attachments (like photos, GIFs, videos, and polls) will no longer “use up” valuable characters.”

This is BIG in the twitter-verse.  This changes the game for marketers and Twitter users alike.  Whether you’re posting directly from Twitter or using a social media management tool like Hootsuite or Tweetdeck –you will have an opportunity to pack more in each tweet without the number of available characters disappearing before your eyes.

What will no longer count towards your 140 character limit?

Tagging people in replies with @name
Photo Links
URLs

A few other changes? The @ symbol will be gone altogether.  Twitter made it famous and now it is fading away.  You can tag followers without using the @ symbol.  Also, you’ll have the ability to retweet or quote yourself.  This is great because you can add a new blurb, view, or opinion to your existing tweets.  Say you posted an article that you wrote – you can go back a week later and RT it with a question to get your followers engaged.

Until all of the changes are unveiled, we’ll keep our eyes peeled for how this will impact the social media marketing and content marketing front.  So far, I’m on board.  Who else is with me? What are your thoughts on the changes?  A good direction or an unnecessary break in tradition? Comment below!