Twitter Embraces Long-Form Digital Content

It’s tempting to think of the digital world as a fleeting one. One of the world’s most popular apps, TikTok, thrives off short videos that hold our attention for a few seconds. On streaming services such as Spotify, users form snap judgments about the songs they want to listen to within milliseconds. But in reality, long-form content is alive and well. Blog posts are getting lengthier as businesses seek to build trust with meaningful insights. Social sites such as LinkedIn are encouraging writers to contribute longer-form content such as articles and posts. And now, even Twitter, which has arguably defined the standard for short-form microblogging, is embracing longer-form content. 

Twitter Tests a New Format  

Twitter has built a global user base by owning short-form content. For many years, Twitter restricted tweets to no more than 140 characters. In 2017, Twitter doubled the available character space to 280. But it looks like times are changing. Twitter recently announced it is testing a writing format known as Notes, which is intended to allow content creators to post longer on Twitter. According to Twitter, a select group of writers is using Notes by having access to a new “Write” tab. Notes permits writers to: 

• Publish posts that are up to 2,500 words. 
• Embed rich content such as video. 
• Edit content after publishing it – which is also a huge departure from Twitter’s longstanding policy of not allowing content to be edited once it is live. 
• Have their content read on or off Twitter. 

Twitter is also launching a Twitter Write team that will improve the Twitter experience for writers. Stay tuned for more details about that, but it is reasonable to expect that Twitter Write will include resources such as badges and content curation and amplification as LinkedIn has been doing through its news team. 

Implications for Content Creators 

Assuming that Twitter officially rolls out Notes following a test period, there are many implications for content creators, including businesses. Granted, it is not yet clear whether Notes will be available to corporate accounts, but even if it isn’t, it’s reasonable to assume that business thought leaders such as CEOs who represent brands will have access to it. Content creators should: 

• Consider how Twitter fits into your publishing ecosystem for long-form content. The rules you’ve been following all along – such as avoiding duplicate content – will apply to Notes. Always view that strategy in the context of your home base for content sharing, your website. Remember: when you publish content on someone else’s site, you need to play by their rules, and Twitter is no exception. 
• Think through a short-form versus long-form strategy. When will it be more useful to share short-form content such as tweets, images, and videos to your audience on Twitter, and when will longer-form content be better? 
• Ensure that you apply sound SEO best practices for Notes. SEO becomes even more critical for longer-form content. 
• Monitor the outcomes of the Notes trial. In the coming weeks and months, Twitter will undoubtedly report the results of the testing period. 
• Follow the Twitter Write team. Watch for tips and ideas for building your following with longer-form content. 
• Don’t create longer-form content just because you can. Always apply a Connected Content approach for building trust with content. 

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