Yes there are many stories like this out there but here is another one. A Canadian student named Kirk Morrison, with the right Twitter handle (‘KirkMorrison’), recently traded his handle for the trip of a lifetime. Another man named Kirk Morrison, who just so happens to be a linebacker for the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, wanted the handle ‘KirkMorrison’ after changing his jersey number from #55 to #58. With his current Twitter handle being ‘KirkMorrison55’, he needed a change and decided to go after his name instead of having to change his handle every time he moves to a new team, has to change jersey #’s, etc.
Realizing nobody is going to give up their name just because someone else wants it, football Kirk Morrison offered regular Kirk Morrison the trip of a lifetime…an all expenses paid trip to any Buffalo Bills game. Before you crack jokes, consider the fact that the regular Kirk Morrison is a big sports fan that actually goes to CFL games…see, now that all expenses paid trip to a Buffalo Bills game seems quite a bit cooler. The trip included airfare, transportation by a limo service, hotel rooms, tailgating with HOF’er Jim Kelly, and field/sideline-access passes that included coming onto the field with the team and walking with Bills great Thurman Thomas while doing it. Oh, and regular Kirk Morrison and a friend also caught a Sabers game while in town as well (you didn’t think the Canadians weren’t going to watch hockey if it was available did you?) Football Kirk Morrison even came to meet regular Kirk Morrison at his hotel and spent time getting to know him. All that for a Twitter handle? Pretty cool.
This just goes to show the value of Twitter handles, very similar to the value of domain names in a sense. If someone wants a name that’s already taken, the only option they have is to negotiate a buyout of some other arrangement. The same goes for domain names. Once a Twitter handle or a domain name is taken, there is only one owner that has the right to use it and anyone else who wants that right needs to pay up. It’s been said many places on the ‘net, including by Michael at DomainSherpa who did a video on the very subject (I realize I just talked about DomainSherpa yesterday, but I have to give credit where credit is due), that owning the Twitter handle that matches your domain name can also do wonders for the resale value of the domain name. When you own the domain, Twitter name, Facebook name, etc., you can market and sell all of those as a brand. Or, you can use the extras to sweeten the deal of someone on the fence at a certain price-point. As I wrote about a few weeks ago, over 50% of small business owners are using Facebook and Twitter to connect with customers and over 50% say that social media plays a large part in driving sales. If you own a domain they want, but can also offer the exact match social media names and explain the benefit of these, your chance of closing the sale on that name (as a bundle) with an interested end-user rises significantly.
I get the twitter handle of my domains that I think have potential. It’s an extra “bump” on the sale.
smart move Dr Vegas. Didn’t think of that one myself.
Great story Chris , if i trade my twitter handle i would prolly end up at some domain registrar in Denmark at some dull office..
I hope to sell mine. I can’t wait until “Buster Hymen” gives me an all expenses paid trip.
As I’m on the phone with a client, I read Shane’s comment and immediately start busting out laughing into their ear….just great.
Fascinating story. I would like to point out to anyone reading this that it is against Twitter’s Terms of Service to *sell* Twitter handles. Which is not to say you can’t find creative workarounds. ;+)
It’s also supposedly against the rules for registrars to “warehouse” domain names , which is not to say you can’t find creative workarounds. ;+)