She counsels entrepreneurs, both veterans who are the face of their brand and public figures who might be thought leaders. She educates them how to use their blogs appropriately, how to build a personal brand online and even how and what to write in their social media posts.

LinkedIn is king for professionals, she says, although there is definitely a place for Facebook and Twitter in a company’s publicity plan.

According to Paine, LinkedIn has introduced some positive changes to its products since the beginning of the year. While the initial releases “were bumpy,” she says, the social media platform has worked to iron out some of the issues plaguing their product.  

For example, in July, LinkedIn actually reintroduced native video, an offering Paine calls a “beloved feature.” While users cannot stream live video like they can on Facebook Live, they may record a video up to ten minutes in length. This feature is important to small businesses, she says, because “video is something small businesses should be tapping into no matter if their sales are in a brick-and-mortar location, online or elsewhere,” she says.

Why? Because “video is one of the most effective means of communication,” says Paine. People like to see who you are and what you are selling, and video allows for that.

With video, people “see you, hear you and hopefully, can relate to you,” says Paine.

LinkedIn tips

At its most basic, everyone on LinkedIn should have a “solid, updated” profile, says Paine. And, since LinkedIn uses the same algorithm as Google, utilizing descriptive SEO keywords is key for your profile to be found on the social media outlet. That’s because “LinkedIn rewards you for having certain key words [in your profile]. If you have a good, solid profile on LinkedIn, it will make it more likely you will be found” when someone is conducting an SEO search, she says.

According to Paine, it’s also important for a LinkedIn profile to tell a personal narrative as a way of connecting with people. The story can be about why you choose your particular career, or maybe about problems you see in a particular industry and how you can resolve them for that visitor.  “You can hook people that much more rather than just talking about yourself,” she says.

Most importantly, Paine urges LinkedIn users to be sure they “offer value and invite engagement.”

---

Tami Kamin Meyer is an Ohio attorney and writer who tweets as @girlwithapen. She is the marketing chair of the American Society of Journalists and Authors.