LinkedIn is an excellent free service that aids in the development of a professional network. However, if you’ve used the platform, you’re probably aware that it frequently attempts to convince you to upgrade to LinkedIn Premium. Is LinkedIn Premium, then, worth it?
We’ll cover all you need to know about LinkedIn Premium in this article. This includes the price of LinkedIn Premium, the services it provides, and if LinkedIn Premium represents excellent value for money.
What Is the Cost of LinkedIn Premium?
LinkedIn Premium is available in four distinct price tiers:
- Premium Career: $29.99/month
- Premium Business: $59.99/month
- Sales Navigator Professional: $99.99/month
- Recruiter Lite: $139.99/month
Bear in mind that the price does not include any relevant sales tax. Additionally, you can pay annually and save a significant amount of money.
Each tier has its own set of features, which we’ll discuss later. However, because the majority of LinkedIn users will be interested in Premium Career, you should budget $29.99 a month (or $239.88 per year for the annual plan).
You may sign up for a free month-long trial of LinkedIn Premium. This trial will give you an idea of how the features will benefit you in your job search. Many of the benefits, though, are long-term, so keep that in mind. And remember, whether you’re a Premium or non-Premium user, LinkedIn is useful for more than job searching.
LinkedIn Premium Features
Let’s begin with the most fundamental Premium Career features:
- Five InMail messages per month.
- See how many searches you appeared in and how many people have viewed your profile in the last 90 days.
- Applicant Insight.
- Additional information on posted jobs and Top Applicant Job recommendations.
- Additional salary information.
- Access to on-demand learning videos.
- Interview preparation.
The first two features are almost certainly the most alluring aspects of Premium Career. The ability to message other users without first connecting with them (or joining the same group) is a significant perk of LinkedIn Premium.
The following summarizes the benefits of each level of LinkedIn Premium:
- Premium Business offers you access to more business information and unlimited people searches. Additionally, you receive 15 InMail messages per month.
- Sales Navigator Pro includes powerful search filters, twenty InMail messages, and the option to add comments to user profiles, in addition to a slew of other sales tools.
- Recruiter Lite provides you with comprehensive search tools, project management capabilities, and other recruiting-related services. Additionally, this top tier includes an increase to 30 InMail messages per month.
Bear in mind that you can always terminate your LinkedIn Premium subscription at any moment.
Benefits
Given that the majority of readers are likely to be interested in Premium Career, we’ll concentrate on the benefits of that specific LinkedIn membership.
In a nutshell, Premium Career assists you in making connections and securing employment. That is why LinkedIn Premium may be worthwhile for you.
If you’re job hunting, Premium Career’s InMail credits, insight into who visited your profile, and more job information will all be quite beneficial.
InMail enables you to contact individuals who work at companies in which you are interested without first attempting to connect with them. It’s an amazing networking tool.
If you haven’t connected with someone and are seeing their profile without LinkedIn Premium, you’ll notice a padlock beside the Message option. With InMail, you will not see that icon, which means you can message them regardless of whether you have a connection.
It is impossible to stress the importance of knowing who has viewed your LinkedIn profile. You can connect with those individuals, contact recruiters who have expressed interest or use your InMail credits to offer assistance to those who appear to be valuable connections.
Additional job information is optional; when you’re browsing job postings, LinkedIn will indicate whether you appear to be a good fit for a certain opportunity.
Premium Career, on the other hand, has some constraints. If you conduct a large number of person searches in a short period of time, LinkedIn will cease returning results and prompt you to upgrade to a Business subscription. And if you’re serious about networking, you’re going to need additional InMail credits.
That is where the contrast between Premium Career and Premium Business comes into play. Premium Business subscribers receive 15 InMail credits and limitless persons searching, which is ideal for networking. Additional information about businesses, on the other hand, may or may not be valuable to you.
The following two levels are for professionals in sales and recruiting. If you’re considering purchasing one of these things, you’re undoubtedly already familiar with it. Segmentation, suggestions, email integration, and projects, among other capabilities, can assist you in performing your job more effectively.
Why Is LinkedIn Premium Worth It?
If you’re still unsure if you should pay for LinkedIn Premium, consider the following three particular reasons:
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Determine Who Views Your Profile
The first reason is that you can see who has viewed your profile. That may not seem significant, but it is critical for establishing valuable connections.
Numerous people are perusing LinkedIn accounts. Several of them are recruiters. Others are hiring executives and managers. Many are professionals in your field trying to expand their professional networks. All of these individuals contribute to the value of LinkedIn Premium.
Even if you are not now looking for work, you very certainly will be in the future. Additionally, being well-connected with others in your field offers numerous benefits that extend beyond job hunting.
When you see that someone has viewed your profile, it indicates that they are interested in learning more about you. That alone is reason to contact you, either via InMail or a connection request. This is the proper approach to message recruiters on LinkedIn.
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Obtain Improved Metrics
When applying for employment, you can utilize it to learn about your competition. With Applicant Insight, you can discover how many applicants submitted their resumes for a position, their qualifications, and whether your skill set matches theirs.
These data can assist you in determining what a prospective employer is searching for and determining whether you have a possibility of landing the job.
Additionally, it enables you to examine your search appearances and profile views.
Again, this may not appear to be a significant issue. However, if you’re attempting to improve your LinkedIn profile (and you should! ), this is an excellent indicator for determining your success. This means that when you update your LinkedIn profile, you will receive immediate feedback on whether the changes were successful.
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Activate your LinkedIn Premium Badge
Finally, having a LinkedIn Premium account can help you increase your LinkedIn profile’s visibility. It may seem insignificant, but the small gold emblem in your profile and search results indicates that you are committed to utilizing LinkedIn to establish relationships.
You may be amazed at how much more seriously people regard you with that badge. That alone makes it valuable for professional networking and job searching.
Summary
Investing in LinkedIn Premium is effectively an investment in your professional development. If used properly, LinkedIn Premium can assist you in advancing your career and/or finding your next job.
Before you begin utilizing LinkedIn Premium, you should confirm that your profile is optimized for the service. If your profile isn’t up to par, you’re going to struggle to build meaningful relationships on the site.
