LinkedIn Premium is LinkedIn’s paid subscription service that unlocks additional features beyond the free version of LinkedIn. Some of the key benefits of LinkedIn Premium include seeing who viewed your profile, unlimited InMail messages, expanded search filters, professional learning courses, and more profile views. If you want to try out LinkedIn Premium before committing to a paid subscription, you may be wondering if you can get another free trial if you’ve already used a trial in the past.
What options are available for free trials of LinkedIn Premium?
When you first sign up for LinkedIn, you are eligible for a free one month trial of LinkedIn Premium. This allows new users to test out the Premium features for 30 days before deciding if they want to pay for a subscription. However, LinkedIn’s policy is that you can only avail of one free trial per lifetime. So if you have already used a free trial before, you cannot get another free month trial on that same account.
Here are the options for free trials of Premium:
- New LinkedIn members get 1 month free trial
- Returning members who have never had Premium before also get 1 month free
- Members who have already used a free trial cannot get another one on the same account
So unfortunately, you cannot get an additional free trial if you have already used one on your current LinkedIn account.
What are some workarounds to try out Premium again?
While you can’t get another official free trial with the same account, there may be some workaround options if you want to preview Premium again before subscribing. Here are a few ideas:
Use another email address to create a new account
You could sign up for a new LinkedIn account using a different email address that has never had a Premium trial. Then you could get a 1 month free Premium trial with the new account. The drawback is you would not have your existing profile and network available during the trial period.
Use incognito/private browsing
Some users have reported being able to enable a free trial while logged into their account in an incognito or private browser window. LinkedIn may not recognize that the account has already used a trial before. However, this does not work every time.
Claim a promotional offer
Occasionally LinkedIn runs special promotions that provide free trials. For example, they may offer 1 month free for connecting your LinkedIn account with another service. So it’s worth watching out for any special deals that could get you Premium access for a period of time.
Use a LinkedIn Learning free trial
LinkedIn Learning, LinkedIn’s library of online courses, offers 1 month free access. During this free trial, you also get access to the full Premium features. So you could sign up for a LinkedIn Learning trial to preview Premium temporarily.
What payment plans are available if I do subscribe?
If you decide the Premium features are valuable enough to pay for, here are the subscription options available:
| Plan | Duration | Price per month |
|---|---|---|
| Premium Monthly | 1 month | $29.99 |
| Premium Annual | 12 months | $19.99 ($239.88 total) |
As you can see, the annual plan provides a decent discount compared to paying month-to-month. There are also sometimes promotions where the annual price is discounted by 20-30% for the first year.
What are the key features of LinkedIn Premium?
Here is an overview of some of the most useful features included with LinkedIn Premium:
See Who Viewed Your Profile
One of the most popular Premium features is the ability to see the names of viewers of your profile in the last 90 days. You can sort by recency and industry to gain insights into who is looking at your profile.
InMail Messages
Premium allows you to send unlimited direct messages to any LinkedIn member, even if you’re not connected. This helps you reach out to recruiters and others who may be relevant to your job search or business needs.
Advanced Profile Search
Premium unlocks powerful filters to target your searches by industry, job title, company, location, and other criteria. You can save these searches and set alerts to be notified of new matches.
Who’s Viewed Your Updates
See which LinkedIn members have viewed or engaged with the content you share through posts. This can help you determine what types of content resonates most with your network.
Premium Badge on Profile
Display a PremiumSubscriber badge on your profile to showcase your investment in your LinkedIn presence. This could make your profile stand out compared to non-paying members.
Learning Courses/Videos
LinkedIn Learning comes included with Premium, providing unlimited access to thousands of expert-led courses covering business, technology, design, and more. This can help you build your skills.
What are some downsides of LinkedIn Premium?
While Premium offers some useful upgrades over the free version, there are also a few potential downsides to weigh:
- Cost – $240+ per year may not fit everyone’s budget, especially if you’re currently unemployed
- Spam messages – Some members complain of getting more sales pitches and spam after upgrading to Premium
- Information overload – More data and notifications could lead to decision fatigue if you don’t manage it well
- Addiction risk – Obsessively checking profile views or messages may distract you from real-world networking
What are some alternatives to Premium?
If the Premium features don’t seem worth the price for you, here are a few free alternatives to consider instead:
LinkedIn Sales Navigator
Sales Navigator offers features tailored specifically for sales professionals like social selling tools, lead recommendations, and saved lead lists. They offer a free trial and discounted team pricing.
Free LinkedIn tools/browser extensions
There are various free tools and browser extensions that provide insights into your LinkedIn network and activity. For example, RocketReach shows mutual connections and full profiles of people who viewed you.
Focus on in-person networking events
Rather than obsess over LinkedIn data, double down on building connections through local professional associations, industry events, conferences, and informational interviews.
Google Alerts for career-related topics
Set up Google Alerts to receive email notifications when new content is published related to your occupation, desired employers, or other relevant keywords. This can help you stay on top of trends.
Conclusion
While LinkedIn Premium provides some useful insights and features, the limitation of only one free trial per account makes it tough to continually preview these perks. If you have already used your free trial but are still tempted by Premium, explore whether workaround options like incognito browsing or promotional offers may work for you. But carefully consider whether you really need Premium or if focusing your time on nurturing real-world connections might be more valuable. With creative thinking, you can maximize your professional networking and career development even without an ongoing Premium subscription.