Hey guys, Is it okay to use an abandoned Twitter page for your startup because it has 16k followers? I know the name and previous posts can be deleted just curious if this is allowed or should it be used as a method for startups? More info taking about buying the old domain of the user and access the account with
It the twitter account has be idle for a while people probably won't remember why they followed it and will quickly decide if your new content is ok or not. Don't be disheartened if you lose followers for a while.
It won't be illegal. You'd need to read Twitters TOS to see if they object, otherwise you could lose the account Followers might find it unethical but they won't be able to sue you or have you arrested.
You'll be kicked off if they find out, but if you follow the pattern of the original owner then should be OK
It depends on how closely your current topic is to the previous one, I think. I have seen some accounts get re-branded into something else. Pretty sure you can even change some of your personal social accounts into a business ones?
Also I notice that Google seems now to index only around 5% of Twitter acccounts, presumably based on the ones with the most followers / activity, so as netstar says its got to be ontopic and interesting to the existing followers or otherwise no value at all.
It may be okay, but it may not matter that the account has 16K followers. First, it's important to know if the account will fit your niche, which is more than just the niche of the old account. Second, you should know how the followers were gained. Were they paid for? Are they niche specific? Are they random? You may be starting with 16K followers, but they could mainly be followers that don't make any sense for what you need. Too many questions not answered to simply say yes or no.
I understand that. Whether something is "okay" to do or now needs to be defined, however. While it may not break terms and conditions, it may still not be "okay" to do.