Is LinkedIn Premium Worth It?

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Is LinkedIn Premium Worth It? Full Review

Since its launch in 2003, LinkedIn has helped millions of professionals connect, learn, and find new job opportunities. But, of course, when a platform becomes popular, new paid services appear. That’s why you might be at the stage of wondering if LinkedIn Premium is worth it.

The answer depends upon how seriously you use LinkedIn in the first place. It’s important to think carefully about your career and networking goals before spending cash on this new service. But if you are serious about connecting with others within your field and finding work opportunities, LinkedIn Premium certainly offers some useful benefits.

We’re talking about access to advanced job search tools, exclusive resources unavailable in the free version, and enhanced networking opportunities. It’s clear that it brings a lot of bang for your buck. So, is it worth it? Let’s explore.

TL;DR

Subscribing to LinkedIn Premium gives access to exclusive tools and features for recruiters, sales professionals, job seekers, and personal branding needs.

LinkedIn Premium isn’t for everyone; it’s important to think carefully about your goals before subscribing.

It’s likely that recruiters and job seekers will find LinkedIn Premium useful. Specific features may help sales professionals and personal branding.

Subscription prices range from $29.99 to $59.99, depending on your chosen plan.

Criteria	Rating (1-5)	Explanation
Expectations	4	There are many features available within LinkedIn Premium, and you can tailor these to specific needs.
Cost	3	LinkedIn Premium subscription costs depend upon the plan chosen, but the higher-end prices are expensive. It’s important to weigh the pros and cons before making a decision.
Range of Features	4	The paid subscription offers many features. Some of the most popular include applicant insights, InMail, extra learning resources, and advanced search filter options.
Alternatives	3	There are alternatives to LinkedIn Premium, some of which are free. However it’s essential to do your research to understand whether those free options actually offer the features you need.

What is LinkedIn Premium?

What is LinkedIn Premium Best Known For?

LinkedIn Premium is (pardon the pun) linked to LinkedIn as their paid subscription product. For users who want to get a little more out of the platform, LinkedIn Premium offers advanced search filters, applicant insights, and InMail, to name just a few features.

So - is LinkedIn Premium worth it for job seekers? Yes, but it’s about weighing up the features versus the subscription fee, to ensure you get the best value for your cash. Overall, LinkedIn Premium is designed to help professionals, whether recruiters, sales professionals, people wanting to focus on personal branding, or job seekers. LinkedIn Premium benefits help take the platform to a new level for those who don’t get enough from the basic version.

Features

Is LinkedIn Premium career worth it? A good place to start is breaking down its unique features.

Advanced Search Filters: This feature is a game changer as it allows you to tailor your search to your specific needs. Not only do you save time, but you also access personalized opportunities.

Applicant Insights: When applying for a role, it’s not only about you; it’s also about the quality of other applicants. This particular feature gives you insights into the competition.

Learning Resources: LinkedIn Premium gives you access to a wide range of resources and even courses to help you improve your current skills.

InMail: Networking is made easier with InMail, a function that allows you to send direct messages to people outside your current network.

Featured Applicant: If getting lost amongst a sea of other applicants is your fear, this function ensures you appear at the top of the list.

Profile Viewing: With this feature, you can see who has viewed your profile, giving you valuable information on who to follow up with.

Pros

Expanded Networking and Messaging Capabilities

InMail is a revolutionary function of LinkedIn Premium. This function allows you to message people outside of your regular network directly. As a result, you can network with far more people, without restrictions on who you can message.

Deeper Insights and Analytics

Enhanced analytics make LinkedIn Premium worth it for sales. See who‘s viewed your profile, so you know who is interested in your product. As a job seeker, you can also make use of the Featured Applicant function, allowing you to feature at the top of the applicant list. Similarly, Applicant Insights gives you important information on who you’re up against.

Access to Premium Learning Resources

Another key benefit of LinkedIn Premium is access to a huge library of learning resources. This includes online courses you can take to improve your current skills and knowledge while staying up to date with new trends in your particular industry.

Cons

Cost

Of course, premium services don’t come for free, and the price of a LinkedIn Premium subscription is quite high. There are several plans on offer, so it’s vital that you take the time to explore your options and choose the features that best suit your needs. However, the highest monthly fee is a huge $119.95.

Potential Information Overload

LinkedIn’s paid-for service offers a huge amount of content and features, and it’s likely that you won’t use all of them. It’s very easy to feel overwhelmed by the number of features and the amount of information on offer. This is another reason why it’s important to choose the pricing plan that suits your needs, to avoid having access to information you simply don’t need.

Limited Free Trial Period

The good news is that there is a trial period. The bad news is that it’s only for a month. This may not be enough time for you to decide whether LinkedIn Premium is something you want to continue with once the trial period ends.

Criteria Evaluation

Meeting Your Goals and Needs

One major advantage of choosing LinkedIn Premium is that there is something for everyone. This does mean you need to spend time perusing features and choosing your plan. It all comes down to which group you fall into and what you want to achieve.

For instance, if you’re a job seeker, the Premium Career plan may be a good choice for you. This will give you access to the Featured Applicant and Applicant Insights functions, as well as the huge library of resources on offer. The Sales Navigator plan is a good choice for salespeople, and the Recruiter Lite plan is an excellent option for recruiters.

Each plan offers specific features that suit that particular group, so choosing carefully is important to maximize the advantages of LinkedIn Premium.

Rating: 4/5

Budget

If you’re on a tight budget, you may find the cost of LinkedIn Premium is simply something you can’t justify. In that case, you can take advantage of the free version. However, if you want to take advantage of the benefits, you may find the cost justified.

Rating: 3/5

Desired Features

The sheer number of features available on LinkedIn Premium is quite mind-blowing, and they are designed to suit specific professional groups. Again, this is where choosing your plan carefully comes in.

Rating: 4/5

Alternative Options

Free LinkedIn is still enough for many, without paying for a subscription. There are also many other platforms online that suit specific needs, such as networking and perusing job listings.

Assess whether the features associated with LinkedIn Premium give you an advantage over the free platforms. If yes, it’s a good idea to subscribe. If not, you may be better off keeping the cash in your pocket for now.

Rating: 3/5

Community Reviews and Expert Recommendations

When deciding to purchase a subscription to any site or to purchase a product, reading reviews is a must. This gives you a first-hand account, away from the sales pitch that the product will inevitably send your way.

Of course, it’s important to balance reviews with your personal needs and goals, but taking them into account is always a good way to go.

The reviews from previous users of LinkedIn Premium are overall very favorable, and most people particularly like the advanced search feature, as well as the Featured Applicant function. Most people agree that these features allow them to have the edge when it comes to applying for jobs that suit their skills and experience.

Many sales professionals praise the Sales Navigator plan and believe that it gives them access to LinkedIn Premium benefits that benefit their businesses. Similarly, the Recruiter plans are big hits with recruitment professionals, many of whom believe that the process of finding and reaching out to talent is made a lot easier.

Of course, it’s not all five star reviews, and it’s important to balance the good versus the bad. Some users feel there are simply too many features to be able to make the most of them. As far as personal branding goes, some people believe that the premium version doesn’t give much more value than the free LinkedIn platform.

Price

There are several plans available, all with different pricing options. Let’s take a look at the main plans and how much they cost. Please be aware that these prices are current and may change over time:

Premium Business Plan: $59.99

Premium Career: $29.99

Recruiter Lite: $180

Recruiter - $835

Sales Navigator - $99.99

As you can see, prices vary according to the package you choose. Job seekers can take advantage of the cheapest plan at just $29.99 per month. However, recruitment professionals who want access to the full plan will need to pay $835 per month. As such, remember to consider the cost versus the benefits of each plan.

While you can cancel your plan at any time, it’s still a large amount of money to pay for one month if it turns out to be the wrong choice.

Where to Find

To access LinkedIn Premium, you simply need to head to the regular LinkedIn site or via the app. There you will see an advertisement to sign up for the premium service. Simply click on that link and you will be taken to an information page which tells you about the different plans available.

Remember, there is a trial period, although it’s only for a month. This will allow you to try before you commit to a plan, but do remember to cancel your trial before it ends; otherwise, you’ll be charged for your first full month.

To take advantage of the benefits of your premium plan, you simply sign in to LinkedIn and your plan will automatically load. For the first few times you login, you’ll be given virtual tours of the various functions and advice on how to find what you’re looking for.

Alternatives to LinkedIn Premium

As beneficial as LinkedIn Premium is, it won’t be the right choice for everyone. For that reason, remember to search around before making a final decision.

Job Search Platforms

If you’re a job seeker, it’s a good idea to look at other sites, such as Glassdoor and Indeed and compare them to what you’ll gain from LinkedIn Premium. These sites give you access to job listings for free but you won’t get the added functions of the premium choice.

Sales and CRM Tools

LinkedIn Premium offers some great features for sales professionals, but if you want to try a cheaper or free version first, you could look at sites like Hubspot or Salesforce. These are sites which offer a few features, including helping you manage clients and for lead generation purposes.

Recruitment Platforms

The recruitment plans offered by LinkedIn Premium are extremely high quality; however, they are also very costly. Before committing to an expensive monthly plan, take a look at Lever and ZipRecruiter. These sites have useful tools for recruiters, although, as with sales and job seekers, their functions aren’t as in depth as those offered by LinkedIn’s premium option.

Some users state that LinkedIn Premium doesn’t offer the largest benefit to people looking for help with personal branding. Therefore, it’s a good idea to see if anything else fits better. There are countless content creation and social media tools on the market these days. Two notable options include Postwise.ai and Buffer.

If you're on a tight budget, these lower-cost choices could help you achieve your goals without breaking the bank. For instance, Postwise.ai allows you to create and schedule ai generated posts proven to increase engagement. Try it free and test it yourself! Important things to consider are the best times to post on LinkedIn. Postwise.ai allows you to remain consistent on LinkedIn - no matter how busy your schedule is!

FAQs

Is LinkedIn Premium worth it for job seekers?

To give you a balanced LinkedIn Premium review, let’s take a look at what it can give to job seekers in particular. This is one of the largest groups of users on LinkedIn, and if you fall into that category, there are some useful functions available within the subscription version.

The Premium Career plan gives you access to several valuable features, including Applicant Insights. This is a very sought-after function because it allows you to look at your main competition and understand how you compare. You can use that information to improve your situation, therefore boosting your employability. The Featured Applicant function also allows you to appear at the top of the applicant list. This tool is useful when there is a large number of people applying for the same role.

Additionally, InMail is a fantastic tool that allows you to message people outside of your industry directly. This is an extension of free LinkedIn, which only allows you to message people within your network. As such, you have greater opportunities to network and find jobs.

Is LinkedIn Premium worth it for sales professionals?

Job seekers certainly get the advantage here because that particular plan is a lot cheaper than those designed for sales professionals and recruiters. However, these plans also come with a huge range of features to boost performance.

If you’re a sales professional, the Sales Navigator plan is your main option. Within this, the advanced search filters give you access to all the information you could need, personalized to your goals. Additionally, this plan is ideal for helping to boost your lead recommendations while also allowing you to connect with potential clients through InMail.

Of course, the downside is the cost. It’s important to weigh up the benefits against the cost for your specific situation.

How does LinkedIn Premium compare to the free version?

You can certainly choose to stick with the free version of LinkedIn and not subscribe to the premium option. That’s something many people will still decide to do. However, the benefits of LinkedIn Premium are wide-ranging and very attractive.

The main difference between the paid and free versions is that you can message people outside of your network, whereas the free version places limitations on that. As a job seeker, you can find plenty of opportunities on the free platform, but again, it’s limited. The paid version allows you to look at what you might be lacking compared to others and rectify it accordingly. You can also access a massive library of resources, all for free.

As far as sales and recruitment goes, the extra tools go the extra mile. Lead recommendations and advanced search filters are big wins here, but if you choose to stick with the free platform, you’re still getting advantages.

In the end, if your budget is tight and LinkedIn Premium is a stretch too far, there is still plenty of benefit to gain from the free version. But, if you can afford it and you believe the features will take your efforts to the next level, the benefits of LinkedIn Premium speak for themselves.

Can I try LinkedIn Premium before subscribing?

All of LinkedIn Premium’s plans come with a free one month trial period. You can use the platform as you please during this time. However, if you decide it’s not for you, you must cancel your subscription before the trial ends to avoid being charged for the next month.

The free trial does exactly what it says on the tin: it gives you a month to decide whether the LinkedIn Premium benefits are right for you or not. It doesn’t cost you anything, so it’s certainly worth a try. If you find that it’s a great fit, you can simply stick with your subscription, and your first fee will be charged to your payment method once the free trial is over.

What are some tips for making the most out of LinkedIn Premium?

Before you decide whether or not to subscribe, and which plan to choose, think carefully about what you’re trying to achieve. What are your goals and needs? The more you understand them, the easier it will be to target specific functions that allow you to maximize their potential.

Once you know what you want to achieve, spend some time exploring the different features of your plan. Choose the ones which will allow you to reach your goals. For instance, if you’re a job seeker, you can use the Applicant Insights tool to find out what areas you might need to improve. If you’re a sales person, utilize the InMail function and reach out to potential clients. The same goes for recruiters: spend some time exploring the dedicated tools for recruitment and allow them to streamline your processes.

There are a lot of features in the premium service, and it can be overwhelming at first. For that reason, take it a step at a time and tailor those features to your particular needs. That way, you’re not spending time on functions that aren’t going to benefit your particular goals.

Finally, remember that you have access to a huge library of resources and online courses as part of your LinkedIn Premium benefits. That is certainly something to explore as it will give you the chance to continually expand your skills and knowledge, making you a more attractive candidate for jobs.

Final Thoughts

Well, is LinkedIn Premium worth it? What do you think now you’ve reached the end of this review?

There’s no denying that if this paid subscription service suits your goals and needs, and if you have the budget for it, it’s a great addition to your repertoire. There are certainly features there that will change the game for job seekers, recruiters, and sales professionals alike. It’s all about leveraging their benefits to the maximum.

Is it for everyone? No. If you have limited needs or you’re simply focused on personal branding, it might not offer enough value to justify the subscription fee. In that case, you can optimize the free version for LinkedIn success and use other platforms alongside it.

In that case, certainly explore Postwise.ai to help you create authentic and engaging content for sites such as LinkedIn and X. As a high quality LinkedIn AI tool, you can save time on writing and focus on the other aspects of your work that require a better fit for your skills.

Ultimately, LinkedIn Premium doesn’t offer a ‘for everyone’ solution, but for those it does fit, it’s a great investment.

Is LinkedIn Premium Worth It? Full Review

Is LinkedIn Premium Worth It? Full Review