When it comes to Twitter marketing, brands usually fall into one of two categories, and you've probably seen and heard from both types. First, there's the Whisperer, a type of business that uses Twitter more intimately for customer service needs and interaction. Then there's the Bullhorn, the business that shouts news across the Twittersphere (often times for self-promotional purposes) with little to no direct interaction with followers/customers.

While the Bullhorn typically tweets and retweets links with far more frequency than the average Whisperer (nearly 300 times as often), Dan Zarrella concludes in his new book, “The Science of Marketing”, that the more a company talks about itself — using words such as “I”, “me”, “mine” — the fewer followers it will end up having.

The best strategy? Balance. Tweeting quality content throughout the day is key for brands, so it's a good idea follow the Bullhorn model when it comes to your tweeting schedule. But remember to stay genuine when it comes to engagement with your customers. The Whisperer never ignores followers, and that personalized online customer service always pays off.

Which category do you fall into: the Whisperer or the Bullhorn? How often are you directly responding @ followers?