Twitter trending news right now:
Twitter announced that their 140 character limit has been nixed and replaced with a double trouble 280 character limit.
The 140 character limit has been in place since Twitter was first launched in 2006; it has been a source of stress for some internet marketers who have a difficult time narrowing their message down to 140 characters plus hashtags.
The last major posting change from Twitter was when they decided that attached images would no longer count toward character limits. This allowed all users to use their full 140 characters plus attach a photograph, video, or animated gif.
So what does this new character limit mean for you? While it’s still important to remain succinct in your tweets, you have a little more wiggle room to improve your calls-to-action. However, we still recommend that you:
- Use URL shorteners like bit.ly whenever possible to avoid character waste
- Keep hashtag use to a minimum to avoid looking spammy
That’s it!
Is Twitter Really Useful for Aesthetic Medical Practices?
Twitter has always been a question mark for medical aesthetics practices trying to decide which social channels are most important. Do we offer Twitter marketing to our clients? Yes. Is it our focus or priority? No.
Several years ago, the target demographic wasn’t even on Twitter. Today, they are, but they prefer to connect with our clients on more visual networks like Facebook and Instagram. Finally, Twitter is now politically saturated with Trump updates, the Russian investigation, fake news, and bot drama.
So while we recommend that you keep tweeting and growing your Twitter audience, we also recommend that you focus primarily on Facebook and Instagram. However, you may find the following opportunities on Twitter very helpful in growing your following, reach, and engagement:
- Award Shows: When celebrities hit the red carpet, you should hit Twitter for a live tweet session. Be ready with facts about what kinds of cosmetic and aesthetic treatments these celebrities have publicly said they love. Use the Twitter trending hashtags for the event and other useful hashtags to help your tweets get more visibility. Retweet others who are commenting on how the celebrities look. There’s always at least one tweet about how celebrities age backwards; reply to them!
- Reality TV Shows: If you know that a reality show will feature a procedure you offer in your practice, you may want to live tweet during the episode. An example could be when the Real Housewives go and try a skin tightening treatment or a new specialty facial. If you can’t live tweet, be sure to schedule tweets ahead of time using the show’s official hashtags.
- Talk Shows: Talk shows get a lot of attention on Twitter as they are also often political. However, many of these shows, like The View, also feature non-surgical cosmetic treatments that are new and popular. If you get the heads up from your vendor representative, you can live tweet during the show or schedule tweets ahead of time to mention how you offer this treatment in your practice. Just like with Reality TV, be sure to use the show’s official hashtags.
- Articles About Politicians and Plastic Surgery: This is a big one right now, as Twitter trending topics are almost always about politics since the 2016 elections. Articles will often pop up talking about politicians getting plastic surgery. This could be an opportunity for you to hit the Twitter trending political topics to get some recognition for your practice. Even better, you can easily tweet a news article out daily for 1-2 weeks for additional reach and retweets. If you have time, write a quick blog article about it with a link to the original source. This way, you can get Twitter clicks that go to your own website.
Have Questions About Twitter Trending Topics and the New Character Limits?
Contact us to learn how we can help you improve your social media marketing strategies for your practice.
