Why Marketers Are Concerned That 280-Character Tweets Will ‘Dilute’ Twitter’s Marketing Potential

But it could help with customer service and legal issues

On Tuesday, Twitter said it is beginning to test longer tweets, doubling the site’s signature pithy 140-character tweets to 280 characters.

The company is testing the new format because 140 characters can be limiting and may keep people from using the site altogether. With more characters, ideally Twitter can lure in new users to keep the company growing amid years of missed expectations from Wall Street.

CEO and founder Jack Dorsey sent out a 280-character tweet explaining why Twitter is testing the feature, saying the 140-character cap “was an arbitrary choice” based on text messages, which were cut off at 160 characters in the early days.

AW+

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

To Read the Full Story Become an Adweek+ Subscriber

View Subscription Options

Already a member? Sign in