This article from Fortune Magazine does a great job summarizing 6 “best practices” that thriving companies are executing. I especially like #5 that discusses thought leadership-
5. Write!
Flood the digital market space with blogs, white papers, YouTube videos, and Twitter messages that align with the phrase you own (check out The Shipping Bloke blog). Then enhance your authority by writing a book like Chris Krause’sAthletes Wanted. Published content is king in driving education-based marketing programs and in establishing you and your company as the authorities in your industry.
A to-the-point article on what all small businesses should be doing. Hope it helps!