Direct messages are a private message sent directly to a specific user on Twitter, that nobody else is able to see unless they have access to that account. There are three key things that you need to know about direct messages:
- You can only send a direct message to someone that you follow and follows you in return, unless the Twitter user has opted to allow message requests for their profile.
- Direct messages can now go up to an incredible 10,000 characters! Go forth and write essays.
- You can send up to 1,000 direct messages a day - this shouldn’t be a problem, unless you’re particularly chatty.
So how can you use direct messages on Twitter? Not only are they a great way to privately connect with friends, but they can also help generate leads and drive traffic to your website by engaging with potential customers in a more discreet manner, rather than clogging up your Twitter feed with Tweets.
How to send a direct message
Sending a direct message is a super simple process. As mentioned earlier, make sure before you attempt to do this that you are following the user you’d like to send a direct message to, and that they are following you back. If they do not follow you, try sending a polite Tweet @ them asking if they could follow you so you can send a message. Then follow these steps:
- Click the envelope icon, which should be visible in the top-right of your navigation bar.
- A pop-up window will appear, showing you the history of all your direct messages, select New Message to start composing a message.
- In the Address box, type the name or the username of the person you’d like to send a direct message to.
- If you’d like to attach a photo to your message, click Add Photo. Remember, since direct messages are only visible to you and the message recipient, photos that you send through direct messages are also private.
- Type your message (don’t forget about the character limit!) and click Send.
Though Twitter doesn’t inform you of when your direct message has been read, you can use bit.ly (or any other trackable link tool) to track click-through rate from your direct messages to monitor how often they are being opened - this is particularly useful for marketers hoping to branch out in to Twitter campaigns.
How to delete a direct message
Do you want to clean up your direct message history and reach inbox zero? No problem. You can delete direct messages, although be aware that deleting the conversation will only delete things on your end - the direct messages will still be visible on the recipient’s Twitter account.
- Click the envelope icon to see your conversation history.
- Find the direct message you want to delete and hover over it with your mouse, a trash can will appear for you to click.
- Confirm that you want to delete the message - all done!
Hopefully we’ve covered everything you need to know about direct messages in this comprehensive beginner’s guide. Got any more questions? Let us know in the comments!
