LinkedIn is one of the most prominent platforms used for professional networking and career development. With over 850 million members across the globe, LinkedIn connects professionals across various industries and career levels. While LinkedIn offers premium paid plans like LinkedIn Premium Career and LinkedIn Premium Business, it does not offer any military discounts on these plans as of now.
Does LinkedIn Offer Any Discounts?
Yes, LinkedIn does offer discounts and promotions from time to time. However, these are usually targeted offers and may not be available to all users. Some of the common discounts offered by LinkedIn include:
- New user sign up offers – LinkedIn often offers discounts for first time Premium subscribers. These can range from 20-50% off for the first year.
- Seasonal offers – Occasional discounts may be offered during holiday seasons like Christmas, New Year etc.
- Special bundled offers – LinkedIn partners with other brands and platforms to offer bundled deals on subscriptions. For example, bundled offers for LinkedIn Premium with Wall Street Journal subscriptions.
- Group or corporate discounts – Special discounted rates are offered for group subscriptions by companies or institutions for their employees. Educational institutions also get access to discounted Premium plans.
However, these discounts are usually limited time offers and may not be universally available. They are also subject to terms and conditions. Unfortunately, LinkedIn does not seem to offer any exclusive or long-term discounts for members of the military community.
Does LinkedIn Offer a Military Discount?
No, as of now LinkedIn does not offer a military, veteran, or armed forces discount for its paid services. Both the monthly and annual subscription plans for LinkedIn Premium career and business do not have any special military pricing or discounts.
There are no separate membership options or exclusive discounts for active duty service members, reservists, veterans, retirees or military spouses. The regular published subscription rates apply for LinkedIn Premium plans regardless of military status.
Why Doesn’t LinkedIn Offer a Military Discount?
There are a few potential reasons why LinkedIn may not offer military discounts currently:
- Niche user base – The military community comprises a very small percentage of LinkedIn’s overall member demographics. Offering exclusive military discounts may not fit into LinkedIn’s broad mainstream pricing strategy.
- Premium not essential – LinkedIn Premium provides some added features and benefits but the core LinkedIn platform is free to use. Military discounts are perhaps not imperative to drive Premium subscriptions from this niche group when the basic service is free.
- Administrative overheads – Validating military status and implementing exclusive military pricing could involve additional administrative processes. LinkedIn may have assessed this to not be a worthwhile investment.
- Business strategy – Providing military discounts could set a precedent for offering specialized pricing to other user segments like students, seniors etc. LinkedIn may have strategically chosen to avoid segment-specific pricing for simplicity.
Unless offering military discounts aligns closely with LinkedIn’s business goals in the future, exclusive military membership rates seem unlikely. LinkedIn does offer free Premium access to some nonprofit veterans organizations but individual military discounts do not seem to be on their radar as of now.
How to Get the Best Deal on LinkedIn Premium
In the absence of military discounts, what are some ways the military community can get the premium features of LinkedIn without overpaying? Here are a few tips:
- Claim new user offers – Grab any limited time discounts offered to new Premium subscribers when signing up for the first time.
- Wait for seasonal sales – Consider subscribing during peak sale periods like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, holidays etc. Discounts up to 50% may be available during seasonal sales.
- Check for bundled deals – Bundled subscriptions with newspapers, magazines, or learning platforms can offer a lower effective per month cost.
- Opt for annual plans – The annual Premium subscription has a lower monthly equivalent cost than paying month-to-month. Pay annually to save.
- Split costs for group plans – If your company or institution has Premium, check if you can piggyback on the group discounted rates.
- Leverage free Premium trials – Some companies and higher education institutions offer free Premium trials to students. Make the most of free access during student years.
While periodic discounts and new user promotions are helpful, the free version of LinkedIn still offers ample scope for professional networking and profile building. Premium provides some nice additional features but is not essential to derive core value from the platform, especially for cost-conscious users from the military community.
Pros of Getting LinkedIn Premium
Here are some of the notable benefits of upgrading to LinkedIn Premium for military personnel and veterans:
- Expanded profile views – Premium allows you to see full profiles of anyone who has viewed your profile. This helps understand who is looking at your profile and their roles. Useful for targeted networking.
- Advanced profile searches – Premium unlocks unlimited searches with filters like company, title, location etc. Great for targeted recruiting and job searches.
- In-depth business insights – Get exclusive access to salary and company intel to evaluate job offers and negotiation leverage.
- Networking boost – View up to 700 profiles from non-connections. Increased InMail messages help cold message recruiting prospects.
- Skill assessments – Certify your professional skills through online skill assessments. Valuable for pivoting careers or re-entering civilian workforce after military service.
For transitioning veterans and reservists entering the civilian workforce, Premium can offer a valuable edge in leveraging the full power of LinkedIn for networking and career advancement. The costs may be worth it for active job seekers provided the value derived exceeds the monthly or yearly fees.
Cons of LinkedIn Premium
Here are some of the limitations to weigh before purchasing LinkedIn Premium:
- Cost – The annual plan costs around $300, which could be expensive upfront for some. Monthly plans are costlier in the long run.
- Limited exclusive benefits – Several key LinkedIn features like profile building, searches, groups etc. are available for free to all members.
- Hard selling – Some users report LinkedIn aggressively pushing Premium subscriptions through persistent emails and in-app offers.
- Spam risk – Features like InMail could increase unsolicited outreach. There are concerns over bot and spam risks.
- Data privacy – LinkedIn Premium requires sharing additional professional data which raises privacy concerns for some users.
A free LinkedIn account provides ample networking scope for many military users, retirees and spouses. Veterans should weigh the additional features against the recurring fees to determine if Premium offers good value for money based on individual career needs and budgets.
Conclusion
LinkedIn does not presently offer any military, veteran or armed forces discounts on its paid Premium subscription plans. While periodic seasonal offers, new user promotions and bundled deals are available, there are no special military rates. LinkedIn Premium provides helpful advanced features but is not essential, as the platform’s core networking and profile building capabilities remain free for all members. Veterans and military personnel can benefit from LinkedIn even without Premium, especially if cost is a concern. Unless military discounts are offered in the future, careful evaluation of Premium’s utilities versus its costs is recommended for members of the military community.