Is it better to tweet as an individual or a company?

[CMC-SD]

When using Twitter to generate interest in company blog posts, is it better to do it on a company account like @AcmeWidgets or a personal account like @JoeSmith, the owner of Acme Widgets?

[EGOL]

I think that it depends more upon the style of the posting than the name behind it.

If JoeSmith is a curmudgeon you better keep him off of twitter... but if he is a friendly, helpful person who generously gives his time then the boss being helpful with the public can be a very strong statement.  But if he is too busy on twitter and not runnin' the biz then you better keep him off of twitter.

The problem arises when you give the job to JoeSchmoe and he posts on his own account.  Then after he builds a following and gets hired away by smart competitor his following is now out of your control.  Same could happen when JoeSmith retires or sells the biz.

I think that it would be cool if AcmeWidgets had a mascot like Wiley Coyote and he would be helpful funny and owned by the company.

[RebekahMay]

It depends on what your branding strategy is, are you trying to develop more of a brand and reputation as Joe Smith, owner of Acme Widgets, or do you want Acme Widgets to be a well known resource for all things widget related?

I personally think doing both is a great idea - it takes more time but you get the benefits of both.

You will have a little bit of a harder time as a business rather than an individual though, people want to see  human faces in their stream, not logos - you should still use a logo or mascot that represents the business though, otherwise this will be confusing.

People are generally leary about following businesses and dont want to be marketed to.  Due to this uphill battle you will have to really focus on a great content strategy to connect with users, provide useful information and go out of your way to find and answer questions.

It also doesn't hurt to humanize your brand a bit.  Use words like "We" a lot and not "our company" or "Acme Widgets" - make jokes and be transparent.  You can also add a picture of the individual behind "@AcmeWidgets" to the twitter background to help give it that human element.

Also regardless of which account you are on, concentrate on connecting to users and sharing great content - don't spend the majority of your time talking about yourself, your company or your widgets.  People will get turned off by the over-promotion.