Here’s a question I’m getting more often from business owners and startups: What’s the difference between “paid, owned and earned” media for marketing? And how do I use them together? more

Though holiday-season tourism in the state encompasses much more than December tidings, it still comes down to tying up a package with a nice, pretty bow. Only when you’re talking tourism, the package is a grouping of activities, attractions, eateries and hotels. more

Mike Doyle, one of the founders and current chairman of RDW Group Inc., the communications agency, has retired. Doyle is being succeeded, effective Monday, as chairman by the firm’s chief operating officer, James Malachowski. more

The first thing to know about Indian cooking, said Sanjiv Dhar, executive chef at and owner of Rasoi in Pawtucket, is that chefs can’t just throw together the ingredients, turn the oven up and go watch a football game. more

When it comes to measuring marketing success, many business owners (and professional marketers) prefer to think that results are more magic than math. But that’s just not so. The digital era – with it’s easy (relatively) access to analytics – has introduced a whole new way of thinking. more

Happy New Year! more

When someone tells me to “Have a nice day,” I don’t think they mean it. I think they’re just saying it as a kind of mundane, almost impolite, form of politeness. Forced nicety. Said out of habit, not sincerity. To me, it’s not just thoughtless, it’s also meaningless. Heck, half the time people don’t even look at you when they say it. more

Are you passive, aggressive or assertive? Only one way wins. more

With more than 618 million active, daily Facebook users, 500 million registered Twitter handles and more than 200 million LinkedIn profiles, it’s easy to see why companies from boutiques to big-box stores have realized the importance of a strong online presence in today’s society. more

Small-business owners are continuing to try social media as a marketing channel. But with so many options – and limited time and resources to use them – which ones are working best? more