Is Linkedin Premium Worth it? (All the benefits and features explained)
LinkedIn is a powerful networking tool. It can be used to make connections with other professionals, find jobs, and promote your business.
But is the LinkedIn Premium subscription worth it? What are the benefits of Linkedin Premium, Is it worth paying for a subscription?
In this blog post, we will take a look at the pros and cons of Linkedin Premium and help you decide if it is right for you.
How a LinkedIn Free Account Works
To comprehend the benefits of LinkedIn Premium, you must first understand what comes with a free (Basic) account.
You can use a free account to:
- Develop and maintain a professional online reputation.
- Build your network
- Connect with your LinkedIn connections and recommend them.
- Find people, jobs, companies (with a restricted number of advanced search capabilities)
- You'll be able to save your search results and receive weekly updates on them.
- InMail messages are limited to a certain number, and you can only receive (but not send) them.
The Linkedin Basic account will be enough if you only want to use the platform occasionally or if you are just starting out.
But, as your career progresses, and you need to use LinkedIn more frequently, you may find that a Basic account is not enough.
This is where a LinkedIn Premium subscription comes in.
How Much Does LinkedIn Premium Cost?
Linkedin Premium subscriptions are available with varying prices depending on the plan.
- Premium Career: $29.99/mo
- Premium Business: $59.99/mo
- Sales Navigator Professional: $99.99/mo
- Recruiter Lite: $139.99/mo
You can also pay annually to save some money.
Each level comes with unique features, which we'll look at in more detail later. However, most LinkedIn users will want to pay $29.99 per month (or $239.88 per year for the annual plan) for Premium Career.
You can sign up for a free trial of LinkedIn Premium to see if it's right for you. This trial will let you test out the features to see how they may assist you in finding a new job or generate more leads.
There are, however, a number of long-term benefits of Linkedin Premium to consider.
LinkedIn Premium Features and Benefits
Custom Profile
Linkedin Premium allows you to choose a larger profile picture and a customizable background. You may enable this feature as a premium member by navigating to the settings page.
The benefit of a larger profile picture is that it helps you stand out from the crowd of job-seekers. You may customize your background to target certain professional fields or even specific recruiters.
Featured Job Application Status
Linkedin Premium members get preference when it comes to employment. As a premium member, your job application will always be shown above non-premium members. This is comparable to Google sponsored search status.
Full List of Profile Views
Only the most recent five views of a basic member's profile are visible. You may upgrade to a Linkedin premium membership and view everyone who has looked at your profile in the previous 90 days.
With LinkedIn Premium, you can receive detailed reports that show who has viewed your profile and when. These insights provide you with valuable information about potential clients and help you to customize your message to their preferences.
You may also contact them. However, you can only do these things if you know who is monitoring your profile in the first place.
Linkedin InMail
InMail is LinkedIn's personalized message service, which lets you communicate with individuals outside your personal LinkedIn network. This can be useful when looking for a job.
The probability of a response is greater than with regular email, which is another incentive for InMail users to subscribe. The Linkedin Premium Career account gives you the ability to send up to five InMails each month. However, Linkedin users may purchase more InMail messages if they wish.
How You Rank
The How You Rank function (available to basic members) allows you to compare your performance against a restricted number of your connections, as well as provide recommendations on how to improve it.
As a Linkedin premium member, you'll have access to the top 100-plus ranks for professionals in your field.
Advanced Search
To make the most of your job search, use the Linkedin premium search filter to fine-tune searches and save time hunting for appropriate employers or recruiting professionals who would be interested in your expertise.
People may be classified by company size, region, job function, and a variety of other characteristics.
Job Listing Breakdown
This is a fantastic way to see how your fellow job candidates stack up against one another based on their level of expertise, skills, and even degrees.
Applicant insight also shows you how many people have applied for the position, what kind of skills they possess, and whether or not you can outperform them.
LinkedIn Learning Courses
Linkedin Premium comes with unlimited access to the company's library of expert online training courses, which you may complete to enhance your abilities.
Open Profile
With the Open Profile function, anybody can contact you without having to be introduced or linked. Members who are not premium have to be connected via an introduction or connect through another user.
The advantages of being more approachable may not be immediately apparent, but over time, it can prove to be a significant benefit.
Connecting With Senior Executives
Many top executives insulate themselves behind privacy settings. InMail, in particular, owing to its reliability, can assist you to establish contacts with individuals you would not otherwise be able to reach.
A basic account allows you to receive an unlimited number of InMail messages, but only sends InMails if you have a Linkedin premium membership.
Higher Response Rate to InMail Messages
One of InMail's primary selling features is that, because of the trust factor, the response rate is higher than with a regular email.
The response rate varies greatly—mostly depending on how extensively the InMail is personalized—but many job seekers have found that the reply rate improves when they utilize InMail.
Increase In Profile Views
Small things like "profile views" might make a big difference.
After all, as with ads, more profile views put you in front of more individuals, increasing your chances of obtaining a new job or bringing in additional sales.
Recruiters feel that someone who has gone through the effort of purchasing a Linkedin premium membership is more serious about a professional presentation. As a result, it's more probable that the recruiter will take the time to look at the profile.
Get the LinkedIn Premium Badge
If you've been using LinkedIn for a while, you're undoubtedly familiar with the Linkedin Premium badge.
This is a tiny visual cue that tells your audience that you've joined the special club of Linkedin Premium members. This means greater exposure for your brand and an increased presence in your network.
And one last thing: wearing the badge makes you appear more professional.
Is LinkedIn premium worth it for job seekers?
You may also contact recruiters directly with the Linkedin premium account, which shows you who has viewed your profile in the last 90 days.
This can assist you in connecting with people who are genuinely interested in hiring you. Furthermore, by gaining access to information on applicants and receiving salary insights, one may compare to other applicants.
Is LinkedIn premium worth it for sales?
The LinkedIn sales premium is a valuable instrument for meeting sales goals. It may be used to improve lead creation and prospecting activities.
The most significant feature of LinkedIn Premium for Sales is the InMail credits, enhanced search capabilities, and the capacity to interact with your various degrees of connections.
Is LinkedIn premium worth it for small businesses?
Creating leads, making personal connections, and reaching out via emails are all crucial aspects of establishing a successful business.
The Linkedin premium version will allow you to do it all by having better connections and more sophisticated searches. As a result, the premium edition is the ideal alternative for small businesses.
Is the LinkedIn premium worth it for students?
Students may be put off by the cost of the LinkedIn premium. However, once you've graduated, it will let you make more contacts, allowing you to get hired quicker.
Students can also benefit from taking online courses since they may update their talents and knowledge. Fresh graduates who wish to get ahead in the job market may even apply for openings as top-rated prospects, allowing them to be seen first.
Conclusions: Why LinkedIn Premium Is Worth it
While those who aren't actively looking for a job and don't need to reach out to individuals all the time may not require LinkedIn Premium, many do. For them, the answer is almost always yes when it comes to whether LinkedIn Premium is worth it.
LinkedIn InMail is an incredibly helpful and fast way to communicate.
InMail is a must-have for both sales and marketing professionals. The capacity to contact anybody with InMail, whether they are a potential client, partner, influencer, or staff member, is a no-brainer.
At some point, nearly everyone in these industries will want to contact prospects directly via LinkedIn. While the monthly allotment doesn't allow for a lot of InMails, they're still useful for important prospects.
Improve your results by understanding who visits your profile
Who's viewed your profile is a great way to know if your outreach efforts, regardless of the goal, are producing results.
An increase in the number and quality of profile views might assist salespeople to determine if they are becoming more well-known.
Job seekers can learn how frequently recruiters are browsing their profiles. They'll also find out if recruiters from the company they've applied to have looked at them.
The advanced search feature is a lifesaver
Unlimited searches might save you time and money.
Whether you're looking for the next great employee, someone who can help you find your ideal position, or a crucial sales decision maker, you'll save time and money by implementing this strategy. In addition to that, it allows you to be more competitive as a result of how quickly it saves time and money.
LinkedIn Premium is a smart investment
If you want to preserve your job or achieve a six-figure income, a modest monthly payment is strongly suggested.
Professionals in sales can quickly locate the right person with a simple keyword search. Job seekers may use this capability to filter out unsuitable opportunities and obtain a competitive advantage over the competition.
Next Steps: How to Build Your Authority on Linkedin
That's fantastic! We went over all of Linkedin Premium's features and benefits and how to make the most of them.
The next step is to demonstrate that you're an industry expert to those who visit your Linkedin page. Or, that you are a reference for your network of contacts.
One of the most effective ways to build authority on Linkedin is to share content and get engagement.
If you publish relevant posts with a large number of likes and comments, it can get your visitor's attention.
The best way to keep up your Linkedin automation and consistently have more engaging posts is to use a tool like Linkboost.
With Linkboost you can generate qualified engagement and increase up to 10x the usual reach of your publications on Linkedin.
Still not familiar with Linkboost?
Watch this introductory video to learn your first steps!
Ready to get started? Click here and take the test!