Interbrand, a leading international branding firm, published its list of Best Global Brands 2013 today. With profiles of brands from Google to Discovery Channel and Duracell to Louis Vuitton, Interbrand's comprehensive list details which brands are doing all the right things - and where they are going next.
While Interbrand focuses on global brands that are far beyond the reach of most small businesses, there's some great content by branding thought leaders to dig into here. Jez Frampton, writing about the "The New Rules of Brand Leadership," focuses on tips for staying relevant in today's constantly connected, ever-changing digital world. Below are three that are applicable to small businesses as well as the Apples, Coca-Colas, and GEs of the world.
You can’t control the conversation—so join it
Joining the conversation means different things for every small business. At the very least, you should be making sure that your business name, address and phone number are consistent across various search engines and aggregators (Google, Bing, Yahoo!, Yext, YP). If you have more time or resources, consider claiming your business' name on Twitter and setting up a Facebook page as well. Talk to your customers on social media the same way you would when they walked through the door!
Invest in people
This one is simple, but sometimes we lose sight of it. Provide a happy and fulfilling place to work, and you will reap the benefits.
Get comfortable with Big Data
"Big Data" is the phrase that all companies are talking about. How does it translate into something useful and actionable for small businesses? It means using (mostly free) tools to track the performance of your digital campaigns, from your website and social media to your Facebook page. Andy Haynes of FreshBooks has a great primer on these tools in this blog post.
To read more, visit Jez Frampton's article here, and the rest of Interbrand's Best Global Brands 2013 content here.