Mobile Twittering can lead to degenerate Twitter addiction – it’s just too easy to check up on your friends and to let them know what you’re doing. The other side of Twitter is its power as a viral marketing and PR channel of sorts. You can update your followers on the latest product developments, launches, and other lesser happenings. So, it was only a matter of time before someone decided to try and hock their Twitter account with Twitter followers included. The practice of building up an online profile and then selling it for profit is not novel, but this is the first time that someone is trying to capitalize on their social network.
That “someone” is Rocketboom founder Andrew Baron. In a publicity stunt, Baron has listed his Twitter account for sale – complete with almost 1,500 Twitter followers – on eBay (where else?).
Baron explains:
I really love my Twitter account but I feel like I haven’t been using it the way I want to. Quite honestly, I feel sorry for all of my followers because they wind up with my tweets in their timelines and I haven’t been able to utilize the medium the way I want to. I also participate in another Twitter account over on Rocketboom so I’m thinking I’ll post more over there and start up a new account to do what I want to do next.
It would be silly to just delete this account I have here, especially if there is someone out there that had like interests and had something to say or wanted to get involved in some relevant conversations. In terms of monetary value, I have no expectations or needs at all so I decided not to put a minimum bid on this. Whatever will be, will be.
So, what do you readers think? Is there a market for an already-followed Twitter account? Bidding has already topped $1,000, so it would seem that the answer might be a speculative “yes.”
Bid on the auction here.
[Via: textually]