Twitter Tips: How to Get the Most Out of 140 Characters

Twitter can be a challenge to people who’re not familiar or used to writing concise and short messages – especially ones that consist only of a few words. I admit, it’s still a challenge for me at times. However, there are a few simple tips you can use to help you get the most out of Twitter’s allotment of 140 characters.

• Use shorthand and abbreviations. Chances are, if you’re used to sending text messages, condensing your thoughts into Twitter sized chunks will be easier. Use the ampersand (“&”) and plus (“+”) symbols where you can. Replace words like “to” with “2.” But, as a caveat, don’t get carried away with it. Your tweets should still be coherent and easy to read.




• Replace long words with smaller synonyms. Some things should go without saying but too many times, I’ve seen a tweet with a three syllable word when one syllable would’ve done just fine. Twitter is an online bar, not a courtroom. Drop the verbiage and use a little slang. Your followers will love you for it.




• Use URL shorteners. Posting a link into Twitter requires a lot of valuable characters. Use URL shorteners to condense those links into smaller, bite-sized morsels of digital goodness. A couple of sites worth checking out are http://snipurl.com and http://is.gd. The former has a nifty bookmarklet that can be placed on your browser window. Click on it and your link will be automatically shortened for you. The latter stands out for having only four letters in the entire domain name.




• Use characters to replace words. Not only is this a good way to make your tweets stand out, it’s also helpful for reducing character counts. Using a symbol for “heart” instead of spelling it out is a life-saver when your character count starts coming precariously close to that cliff of 140 characters. Two Twitter users (@boris and @sandervdv) created a bookmarklet called TwitterKeys that makes these special characters conveniently available in your Internet browser.

There are many more tools, techniques, and tips that’ll help you get the most out of those 140 characters. Feel free to share your thoughts? What are your tips for keeping Twitter messages short and sweet?

About The Author

Carol Hansen, a Twitter specialist focusing on building and monetizing your network. You can connect with Carol on Twitter or Facebook and follow her latest projects, blog posts and cool tips on building and monetizing your Twitter following.

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