6 Ways to Make the Most of Twitter's 140 Characters

(Updated) Artists from Trent Reznor to Amanda Palmer and Imogen Heap have shown the power of Twitter for fostering and monetizing a more direct relationship between artists and fans. Many startups also use Twitter effectively to spread their massage. But getting your point across in 140 characters or less isn't always easy. Here are 5 Ways To Make The Most Of Twitter's 140 Characters:

1. Substitute letters and symbols for words: “Will I C U @ 2morrow's gig?"
2. Remove unneeded words: “The band just finished in the studio. We really love the new songs. They rock."
3. Use links to draw fans to other content, but shorten URLs using bit.ly or other free tools.
4. Forget what your English teacher told you and use only one or no spaces at the end of sentences.
5. Use contractions like “I'm" or “I'll".
6. Don't forget that you're talking to your friends. They know who the Tweet came from and so there is no need to type out your full name. “I" or “we" are shorter and more personal

You can follow Hypebot on Twitter @ twitter.com/hypebot and let me know how well I'm doing keeping things short and sweet.