LinkedIn is undoubtedly the best networking site for jobseekers, business owners, sales professionals, and recruiters. But the social media network has certain limitations in place when it comes to free accounts, which is why many users upgrade to a LinkedIn premium account. The premium option is popular among users, especially recruiters and sales professionals. But some folks are unsure about the LinkedIn premium benefits.
So, is LinkedIn worth it? Let’s have a look!
What Is LinkedIn Premium?
As a professional or student, you can open a free account on LinkedIn to enjoy the basic features and benefits. But soon, you’ll start to experience the limitations of a free account. And you may want to upgrade to a premium LinkedIn account to overcome those limitations and get your hand on more opportunities. This leads us to the next natural question: how much is LinkedIn premium?
Well, the LinkedIn premium cost varies according to the plans. The price can range from $29.99 to $59.95 per month for those seeking jobs. The cost is $79.99 per month for sales professionals, and for recruiters, it bumps up to $119.95 per month.
When you choose annual billing, you’ll get a discount on your premium package. It is a good idea to register for the one-month free trial to see if the plan suits you. You’re free to cancel your subscription anytime.
The premium plans offer standard and custom features tailored to each account type. Following are the three features that you will be able to access regardless of what plan you’ve chosen:
- InMail Credits: Being 2.6 times more efficient than emails, this premium subscription will allow you to message anyone. You can even send messages to people that you are not connected with. Each InMail plan gets a certain number of credits that are renewed monthly.
- Profile Viewers: This feature allows you to convert your views into opportunities by seeing who has viewed your profile over the last 90 days. You can access information on the names and accounts of your viewers. This can also be done in invisible mode.
- LinkedIn Learning Courses: Every premium account comes with access to LinkedIn’s library of over 15000 expert online learning courses that you can undertake to sharpen your skills.
Can LinkedIn premium see anonymous? This is a question that we hear every day and the good news is that you can browse LinkedIn profiles anonymously if you have a premium account!
LinkedIn Premium Pricing Breakdown
| Premium Subscription | Price |
|---|---|
| LinkedIn Premium Career | $39.99 /month |
| LinkedIn Premium Business | $59.99 /month |
| LinkedIn Sales Navigator | $99.99 /month |
| LinkedIn Sales Navigator Advanced | $149.99 /month |
| LinkedIn Sales Navigator Enterprise | Custom pricing |
| LinkedIn Recruiter Lite | $180 /month |
| LinkedIn Recruiter | $835 /month |
| LinkedIn Learning | $29.99 / month |
Why Use LinkedIn Premium
LinkedIn Premium gives users an edge to help them achieve their goals and grow their careers or businesses.
Here’re some reasons why it is good to use a LinkedIn premium account:
- Premium profiles stand out to employers and make you appear more authentic and reliable.
- Greater profile visibility brings more traffic to your profile, increasing your chances of employment.
- Reach out to business leaders directly using the InMail feature and build connections.
- Premium insights on job listings and the associated companies.
- Extensive lead generation will benefit businesses as they can expand their clientele.
- Easy inbound marketing increases business credibility
LinkedIn Premium Features
Some of the significant premium features according to different plans include the following:
Career Plan Features
- 5 InMail credits that are renewed every month
- Access to the information on who has viewed your profile over the last 90 days
- Access to above 16.000 online learning courses
- Featured applicant optioned for a profile that stands out
- Deeper insight into other applicants’ profiles to weigh your chances
- Access to salary details while searching for jobs
- A deeper insight into a business or a company and information on employment trends
Business Plan Features
- 15 InMail credits that are renewed every month
- Access to the information on who has viewed your profile over the last 90 days
- Access to above 16.000 online learning courses
- Ability to view a limitless number of profiles in search and the ones suggested in your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-degree connections
- Access to company insights to assess growth and develop marketing strategies
Sales Navigator Professional Plan Features
- 50 InMail credits that are renewed every month
- Access to the information on who has viewed your profile over the last 90 days
- Ability to view 2.500 of profiles in search and the ones suggested in your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-degree connections
- Recommended leads and a greater number of saved searches that can be beneficial to a sales pipeline
- Advanced search filters and access to lead builder tool
- Access to sales insights in regards to the leads you generate
Recruiter Lite Plan Features
- 30 InMail credits that are renewed every month
- Access to the information on who has viewed your profile over the last 90 days
- Ability to view a limitless number of profiles in search and the ones suggested in your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-degree connections
- 20 advanced search filters that can help recruit the best candidate for the job
- Intelligent suggestions for top talent suited to your need
- Ability to track candidates
- Advanced applicant management provided
- Provides an enhanced recruiter design
- Access to sales insights in regards to the leads you generate
LinkedIn Premium by Industry
LinkedIn offers premiums in tiers, each for different niches. The most basic premium is for job seekers looking to start their careers, while the most advanced premium option and most costly is the Recruiter Lite Plan. Also, did you know that the LinkedIn premium for veterans also exists? Yes, the network offers a free one-year Job Seeker Career premium account for US military veterans and service members.
Is LinkedIn premium worth it for job seekers?
With the premium feature, you can directly message recruiters and access information on who has seen your profile over the last 90 days. This will help you connect with relevant people who might actually be interested in hiring you. Moreover, one can even compare to other candidates by accessing the information on applicants and getting salary insights.
Is LinkedIn premium worth it for sales?
LinkedIn sales premium is a powerful tool to achieve sales targets. You can use it to boost your prospecting and lead generation efforts. And by combining a premium account with Octopus CRM LinkedIn automation tool, you can supercharge your B2B lead generation and sales.
The most significant feature of LinkedIn premium for sales is the InMail credits, advanced search options, and the ability to visit and contact your different degrees of connections.
Is LinkedIn premium worth it for small businesses?
Building a successful business is about generating leads, making personal connections, and reaching out via emails. The premium version will allow achieving it all by having better connections and advanced searches. Therefore, the premium version is the best option for small businesses.
Is the LinkedIn premium worth it for students?
Students might be discouraged by the high price of the LinkedIn premium. But, it can help make more connections once you graduate, increasing your likelihood of getting hired. Plus, students can benefit by keeping their skills up to date with the online courses offered. Fresh graduates can also apply for jobs as featured applicants to appear at the top of the list.
Why You Don’t Need a LinkedIn Premium
If you haven’t used all the features of your free LinkedIn account or haven’t come across a limitation using the social network, a LinkedIn premium may not be worth it. As such, it is a good idea to use your free account’s features to advance your career to the point where you feel like you seriously need to upgrade.
Make sure to add a profile photo and cover image to your free account. Plus, write a good profile summary, add your portfolio items, and ask your connections or colleagues for recommendations. Also, you’d want to send a message or two to people in your network to see whether they respond.
And even after doing all of the above, if you don’t get positive responses on LinkedIn, you may give the premium option a shot.
How to Unsubscribe From LinkedIn Premium
If, after upgrading, you think the LinkedIn premium isn’t worth the money, you can cancel your plan whenever you want to. Here you will find complete information on how to cancel LinkedIn Premium subscription and what consequences you will face.
In short, here’s a couple main steps to unsubscribe:
- Click on the “Me” icon on your LinkedIn homepage.
- From the dropdown, select “Access My Premium“.
- Click the option on the right, which says “Manage Premium account”. By doing so, you will be directed to the “Premium Subscription Settings“.
- Click on “Cancel subscription” under Manage subscription, and follow the prompts to remove LinkedIn premium.