Twitter is planning to expand its “limitation” from 140 to 10,000 characters. What #Twits!

This week, Twitter announced that they are looking to change their product in the first quarter of this year. 

This is nothing crazy-new. They have continually updated their product, allowing attachments and more distribution options. The one constant, from day one, has been its 140 character limit.

That’s all about to change. But why?

There are a million social media options, just like there are a million financial options. But Twitter, along with Facebook, hold the coveted top-of-mind positions.

In my opinion, the 140 character “limit” is one main factor to the company’s success. And it is successful! In a September 2014 Pew Research Study:

  • 23% of internet users use Twitter (up from 18% in ’13)
  • 37% of adult internet users age 18-29 are Tweeting; 25% of 30-49. Two highly desired demos
  • 27% of adult internet users who earn $50K – $75K and 75K+ (both are up roughly 10% from ’13)
  • There is practically no racial divide on Twitter, with: 21% of Whites, 27% of Blacks and 25% of Hispanics Tweeting

Differentiation Through Limitation
As, essentially, the first to market, Facebook owns social media in terms of sharing your opinion, sharing photos, telling the world what to think, passing on jokes, whatever. 71% of adult internet users are sharing limitless posts on Facebook.

Twitter fills a different need, as evidence by a 2011 article siting that 12% of Facebook users update their status daily, but 52% of Twitter users post daily. Let that sink in: More than half of all Twitter users in 2011 posted daily! From a frequency standpoint, they’re killing the mighty Zuckerberg giant.

From a marketing standpoint, Twitter also did the unthinkable, they taught us a new @Language. And redefined an old phone symbol to no longer be a #PoundSign.

Because of its 140 character “Limit,” Twitter is built for our sound bite, time crunched, multi-tasking, attention deficit society.

140 characters are:

  • Noncommittal
  • Low-obligation
  • Noise reducing
  • Simple
  • Most importantly, DIFFERENTIATING!

Why delve into a world of 10,000 characters that would conflict with a space that Facebook owns and would destroy the beautiful brevity that is your domain?

I did my best to write this article in under 140 characters, I guess I’ll just wait a few months and post it on the new and “improved” Twitter.

Take this as a lesson. Don’t be a #Twit. There is surely something about your company that makes you unique. A reason that people walk into your front door. Find it, cherish it, protect and defend it.

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