More than 250 members of the Rhode Island business community weathered the cold rain on Wednesday morning to attend the Providence Business News Social Media and Marketing Summit. more

Slowly but surely, many business owners are realizing that Twitter is a terrific (and free) tool for a variety of business purposes, including marketing, customer service, branding and PR and generating leads. Those who use it effectively are generating traffic for their websites, building networks and getting closer to their customers. more

Measuring the ROI of social media? There’s a laugh, and a joke. more

The Miami Heat just won the NBA title, and LeBron James, aka “King James,” won the Finals MVP award. more

As the director of marketing and new-business development for Union Studio in Providence, Emily Hall is responsible for brainstorming marketing strategy and finding new clients. The work is part of the ongoing evolution of the Rhode Island School of Design graduate and her interest in the business side of art and design, she said. more

The Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce has pulled out of a planned partnership with the R.I. Economic Development Corporation to lure out-of-state, knowledge-based companies to … more

Four students from the University of Rhode Island – Ryan Pincince, Richard Kalhofer, Jill-Ann Hewins and Kelsey Finegan – won recognition for their entries in the 7th annual public service announcement contenst, PSAid. more

Catalyst Inc. has completed its acquisition of Assonet, Mass.-based MediaConcepts, a marketing communications agency specializing in biopharmaceuticals, food and beverage and technology. more

When a new sales representative is hired, a company provides what is known as orientation and ramp up. Once those elements are complete, the company believes the salesperson can go out and begin earning money. more

Millions of small-business owners use some type of paid search advertising to attract customers and prospects to their business or website. Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising – also called search-engine marketing or simply paid search – can be an effective, low-cost way to gain visibility online. more