LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 690 million users worldwide. As the leading platform for professional networking and career development, there is tremendous value in learning how to use LinkedIn effectively to grow your professional brand, network, and opportunities.
The good news is that you can learn to use LinkedIn at no cost by leveraging the platform’s built-in learning resources, online courses, content creators, and communities. With some time and focus, you can become a LinkedIn expert even without spending any money.
Learn from LinkedIn’s Learning Resources
LinkedIn provides many free learning resources right within the platform to help you get started and master LinkedIn. Here are some of the key free LinkedIn learning resources to leverage:
- LinkedIn Help Center – This is LinkedIn’s repository of articles, guides, and tutorials covering every aspect of the platform. Search for help on topics like optimizing your profile, growing your network, finding a job, marketing a business, and more.
- LinkedIn Learning Videos – LinkedIn Learning is LinkedIn’s vast on-demand library of expert-led courses on professional topics. While a paid subscription is required to unlock most of the content, LinkedIn makes select videos free for all members.
- LinkedIn Blog – Follow LinkedIn’s official blog, which regularly publishes tutorials and tips from LinkedIn experts on maximizing your use of the platform.
- LinkedIn Newsletter – Subscribe to LinkedIn’s newsletter emails, which frequently include tips and best practices for LinkedIn.
- LinkedIn Creator Mode – This free dashboard provides data and insights to help creators optimize their LinkedIn activity and growth.
Leveraging these free first-party learning resources offered by LinkedIn is a great way to start understanding how to use the platform to achieve your professional goals.
Take Free LinkedIn Learning Courses
While LinkedIn Learning offers paid premium courses, there are also select free LinkedIn Learning courses accessible to all members. Free LinkedIn Learning courses to teach you LinkedIn best practices include:
- LinkedIn Learning Path: Upgrade Your LinkedIn Profile
- Networking Foundations
- Learning LinkedIn Features
- Building Your Brand on LinkedIn
- Marketing Yourself on LinkedIn
These courses offer structured video lessons from LinkedIn experts that walk you through tips and strategies for profile optimization, networking, branding, marketing, and more. Take advantage of these free courses to supplement what you learn from LinkedIn’s built-in help resources.
Follow LinkedIn Influencers
Dozens of LinkedIn thought leaders, influencers, and experts regularly share advice and education for maximizing your use of LinkedIn. Follow LinkedIn influencers like:
- Guy Kawasaki – Entrepreneur/Author
- Blair Decembrele – LinkedIn Expert & Consultant
- Viveka Von Rosen – LinkedIn Expert & Author
- Josh Turner – LinkedIn Coach & Speaker
- Pete Vargas – Online Expert & Coach
By engaging with these top LinkedIn authorities, you can absorb their posted articles, videos, and presentations to further expand your knowledge. Many also run their own training programs and share samples of their premium education for free.
Join LinkedIn Groups
LinkedIn Groups make it easy to connect with like-minded professionals in your industry and engage in valuable discussions. Here are some great LinkedIn Groups to join to continue your LinkedIn learning:
- LinkedIn Power Users
- LinkedIn Enthusiasts, Experts & Coaches
- LinkedIn Marketing & Social Selling Strategies
- LinkedIn Profile & Networking Group
- LinkedIn Job Search Secrets
Once you’ve joined groups relevant to your learning interests, regularly interact through posts and conversations with other members to ask questions, share advice, and stay on top of new LinkedIn developments.
Take Free LinkedIn Classes on External Learning Platforms
Many external learning platforms and creators offer free classes to teach LinkedIn skills as well:
- Udemy – Courses like “LinkedIn Marketing 2020” and “LinkedIn Learning Secrets”
- Skillshare – Classes like “LinkedIn for Business” and “Nail Your LinkedIn Profile”
- YouTube – Hundreds of creators offer free LinkedIn video tutorials
- Free online publications – Publications like Social Media Today, Social Media Examiner, and more routinely publish articles with actionable LinkedIn tips.
Curating a list of go-to external resources like these, which regularly publish free LinkedIn-focused classes and content, can supplement what you learn directly from LinkedIn.
Practice and Refine Through Experimentation
While guides, videos, courses, and articles are all useful, there is no teacher like experience. After learning the fundamentals, the best way to master LinkedIn is to simply start practicing!
Here are some ways to gain practical experience:
- Apply learnings by optimizing your profile, expanding your network, messaging contacts, posting content, and more. See what works for you.
- Examine other great profiles and take inspiration from professionals excelling on LinkedIn.
- Set goals and check data in Creator Mode to see your growth and engagement.
- Don’t be afraid to experiment with new features and initiatives to find what resonates.
With an experimental, growth-focused mindset, your hands-on application of knowledge will quickly accelerate your LinkedIn learning and success.
Conclusion
With free built-in resources, courses, influencers, groups, external learning platforms, and real-world practice, you can absolutely master LinkedIn without spending any money. While paid offerings like comprehensive courses can add value, they are by no means necessary for LinkedIn success. By mixing and matching from the abundance of free LinkedIn learning options, anyone can develop the high-level LinkedIn skills needed to boost their professional brand, network, and career opportunities.
