Yesterday I sat through The Message is the Messenger panel with Sarah Evans/Mashable, Jeremiah Owyang/Altimeter Group, Leslie Bradshaw/ JESS3, and Sarah Sevans/ Sevans Strategy.

The panel touched on personal branding when it comes to social media. Essentially there are three types of social media accounts – corporate, hybrid and personal. The panelists agreed it’s important to have a mix but for representing a corporate brand – hybrid accounts are most beneficial. Hybrid accounts – a mix of personal and corporate – give a personality to a brand. Take GSD&M, we have several people that tweet agency happenings with their personal accounts. I am one.

Panelists went on to say that it’s also important for brands to invest more in thought leadership when it comes to social media. Brands should spend more time listening, observing what’s being said rather than spitting out tweets. Observing what is being said about your brand will pay off in the end. You will have a better understanding of your followers and what they are trying to get out of your brand.

Courtesy of Online Marketing & Promotion Basics