If you run a business and still think of Google only for search and AdWords, you may be missing something that could help your business work smarter and cheaper. The search giant is really a softy when it comes to small business, and has been working to woo biz owners and startups into its Google Apps for Business bundle. more

The digital world is changing rapidly with profound implications for how small businesses are found online, in search, on mobile devices and in social media. Here’s my list of some of today’s key digital trends with the greatest potential impact: 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

No doubt about it. Business owners and startups are piling into social media marketing like never before. But the most successful businesses don’t go naked. They deploy a variety of digital tools to amplify and monitor their efforts. more

Dear Jeffrey, I am a huge fan. I recently had a WOW experience that completely coincides with your philosophy on customer loyalty versus satisfaction. Today, I received the following email from Amazon: more

Social media networks such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Google+ present benefits and dangers for businesses, according to panelists at the third annual Providence Business News Social Media & Marketing Summit. The Feb. 27 event at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Providence-Warwick attracted more than 250 members of the Rhode Island business community. more

In case you haven’t noticed, the book-publishing industry is about half of what it used to be. There is now a mad scramble by publishers to discover what tomorrow will look like. more

Social media has already had a huge impact on businesses both large and small. But according to the latest projections from the research firm International Data Corp. (IDC), there’s a lot more change coming. IDC analysts expect the coming year to be pivotal for social media in business with (among other things) a new emphasis on using social to grow profits, not just gather followers. more

PROVIDENCE – Union Studio’s rebranding from Donald Powers Architects to its current incarnation won it first-place honors for corporate identity at the 35th Annual Society for Marketing Services 2012 Marketing Communications Awards. more

Jamie Lohr, a co-owner of Guardian Fuel in Westerly, was recently named 2012 marketer of the year by the Independent Connecticut Petroleum Association. The award recognizes her involvement with industry-related issues and her ability to serve as an active and articulate marketer, unafraid to address legislators. Lohr is a resident of Stonington, Conn., a lifelong environmentalist and an advocate for the use of biofuels. more