Understanding LinkedIn Premium
Most professionals and job seekers are quite familiar with LinkedIn, the world’s largest online professional network. But how many are familiar with LinkedIn Premium? This article aims to provide a detailed walkthrough of the LinkedIn Premium offering.
What is LinkedIn Premium?
LinkedIn Premium is a subscription service offered by LinkedIn that comes with added features not available to free account users. These features are specifically designed to enhance the user’s ability to network, find job opportunities, develop sales leads, and access in-depth analytics. They are divided into four categories: Career, Business, Sales, and Hiring.
Career
The Career tier of LinkedIn Premium is designed for job seekers. It provides users with insights into who is viewing their profile and how they found them. Users can see full profiles of everyone in their LinkedIn network, are granted access to online video courses, and can send three InMail messages per month, allowing them to network with individuals outside their circle.
Business
The Business tier, meant for small to medium-sized businesses, goes beyond Career features. It includes more InMail messages, insights related to businesses and their employees, and the ability to see who has viewed your profile. This can be beneficial in seeking new opportunities and expanding business networks.
Sales
The Sales tier, coined as LinkedIn Sales Navigator, is specifically designed for sales professionals. It includes access to LinkedIn’s own Advanced Lead and Company Search, providing lead recommendations tailored to your sales preferences. It also incorporates real-time insights for accounts and leads, and extends InMail messages capacity.
Hiring
The last tier, LinkedIn Recruiter Lite, is aimed at recruiters. This includes access to advanced search filters for talent hunting, the opportunity to make up to 30 InMail messages per month, and the ability to manage and track candidates.
Is LinkedIn Premium Worth it?
The value of LinkedIn Premium is entirely dependent on the individual or business utilizing it. For active job seekers, the Career tier might be valuable by giving additional insights and networking options. For businesses looking to expand and recruit, the Business and Hiring packages might be more beneficial.
It’s necessary to understand that LinkedIn Premium doesn’t replace regular, active usage of LinkedIn. It doesn’t exempt users from crafting a well-curated, professional LinkedIn profile or from regular interactions with their network. Instead, it operates more like a tool, providing additional features that could give users an advantage in their professional pursuits.
How to Get LinkedIn Premium?
LinkedIn offers a one-month free trial for their Premium services. Users are free to cancel this at any time. If they decide to continue, they will be billed monthly. The process is simple: users only need to click on the ‘Try Premium for Free’ prompt on their LinkedIn profiles.
To Wrap it Up
In essence, LinkedIn Premium offers tools and features intended to help professionals build a robust network, gain additional insights, and find new opportunities. Whether it’s worth the investment entirely depends on how these features are navigated and made use of.