LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 850 million members worldwide. A LinkedIn subscription provides access to additional features and insights that can help take your career and business relationships to the next level. Whether you’re looking to find a job, market your business, or build your professional brand, a LinkedIn subscription unlocks premium tools to help you meet your goals.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about buying a LinkedIn subscription, including:
- The benefits of a LinkedIn Premium subscription
- LinkedIn Premium pricing and plan options
- How to purchase a LinkedIn Premium subscription
- Tips for evaluating if Premium is worth the investment
- How to cancel a LinkedIn Premium subscription
Let’s get started!
The Benefits of a LinkedIn Premium Subscription
A LinkedIn Premium subscription provides the following key benefits:
Enhanced Profile and Networking Features
Premium allows you to view more profile information about others, see who’s viewed your profile, and get introduced to contacts through Premium members in your network. This gives you greater visibility and insight into networking opportunities.
Advanced Search and Messaging
Premium unlocks LinkedIn’s most powerful search filters to help you quickly find the right people and jobs. You can also send unlimited InMail messages to connect with anyone, even if you’re not connected.
Business Insights and Lead Generation
Premium provides sales intelligence on companies and contacts to help you generate more leads. You can also create tagged lists to organize and segment your connections.
Skill Assessments and Courses
Premium includes access to LinkedIn Skill Assessments to showcase your expertise and LinkedIn Learning courses to build new skills. This can boost your professional brand and career opportunities.
Salary Insights
With Premium, you can access salary data for specific job titles. This gives you useful context for negotiations or determining market value.
Premium Badges and Profiles
Premium members get badges on their profile to highlight their subscription status. You can also display up to 15 rich media experiences on your profile like presentations, books, patents, and more.
LinkedIn Premium Pricing and Plans
LinkedIn currently offers four paid subscription plans:
Premium Career
Priced at $29.99 per month, Premium Career focuses on job seeking and professional branding. Key features include:
– Profile badge
– Unlimited profile views of others
– Insights on who’s viewed your profile
– Unlimited InMail messages
– Advanced profile search filters
– Interview preparation and coaching
Premium Business
Priced at $59.99 per month, Premium Business focuses on sales, recruiting, and business development. Key features include:
– Profile badge
– Unlimited profile views
– Unlimited InMail
– Advanced search filters
– Contact and company insights
– Lead recommendations
– Saved search alerts
– Contact tagging and lists
Premium Hiring
Priced at $59.99 per month, Premium Hiring focuses on recruiting and talent acquisition. Key features include:
– Profile badge
– Unlimited profile views
– Unlimited InMail
– Talent pools and pipeline analytics
– Advanced search filters
– Contact insights
– InMail templates
– Candidate recommendation engine
Premium Sales
Priced at $59.99 per month, Premium Sales focuses on sales leads and intelligence. Key features include:
– Profile badge
– Unlimited profile views
– Unlimited InMail
– Lead and company recommendations
– Contact insights
– Sales prospecting tools
– Saved lead lists
– Contact tagging and tracking
Discounts for Annual Subscriptions
You can save up to 25% on LinkedIn Premium by purchasing an annual subscription upfront instead of going month-to-month. Annual plans include:
– Premium Career: $239.88/year (saves 25%)
– Premium Business: $479.88/year (saves 20%)
– Premium Hiring: $479.88/year (saves 20%)
– Premium Sales: $479.88/year (saves 20%)
Consider going annual if you know you’ll use Premium long-term.
How to Purchase a LinkedIn Premium Subscription
Purchasing a LinkedIn Premium subscription is quick and straightforward:
Step 1: Visit LinkedIn Premium
On LinkedIn’s homepage, click “More” in the top toolbar and select “Premium.” This will bring you to the Premium plans and pricing page.
Step 2: Select a Plan
Browse the Premium plans and features. Click “Buy Now” on the plan you want to purchase. Consider going annual for the savings if you know you’ll use it long-term.
Step 3: Checkout
Enter your payment information. LinkedIn accepts all major credit cards. Be sure to accurately enter your card details.
Step 4: Confirm Purchase
Double check the plan details, billing frequency, and price. Click “Purchase” to finalize the transaction.
Step 5: Access Premium
Once purchased, you’ll have immediate access to Premium features. A “Premium” badge will display on your profile signaling your status. Enjoy the benefits!
Is LinkedIn Premium Worth It?
When considering if a LinkedIn Premium subscription is worthwhile, weigh the benefits against the monthly or annual cost to determine the potential return on investment:
Worth It If:
– You’re actively job seeking and want enhanced tools to find the right opportunities
– Networking and building strategic connections is crucial for your business
– You need to source and contact sales prospects at scale
– Showcasing your expertise through skills assessments and online courses is beneficial
– The profile badges and extras help establish credibility and authority
May Not Be Worth It If:
– You just use LinkedIn casually or infrequently
– You have a limited professional network and don’t need advanced search/messaging
– You already have established sales processes and lead generation tactics
– You aren’t actively looking to make a career change in the near future
– Profile badges and extras don’t align with your professional brand strategy
Do a cost-benefit analysis. For many professionals, the premium features warrant the relatively low monthly or annual fee to amplify opportunities. But assess your specific needs and budget to determine if the investment is justified.
How to Cancel a LinkedIn Premium Subscription
You can cancel a LinkedIn Premium subscription at any time if you decide it’s no longer providing enough value. Here are the steps:
Step 1: Access Your Premium Settings
On LinkedIn’s homepage, click “Me” > “Settings & Privacy.” Next, click “Account preferences” then “Purchase history & billing.”
Step 2: Select Your Subscription
Under “Your Recurring Charges” locate the Premium subscription you want to cancel. Click “Cancel subscription.”
Step 3: Confirm Cancellation
LinkedIn will ask you to confirm cancellation. Select a reason for canceling (optional). Click “Yes, cancel subscription.”
Step 4: Check End Date
Your subscription status will update to “Canceled.” Make note of the end date – you’ll retain access until then.
Step 5: Consider Downgrading
If you still find value in some Premium features, consider downgrading to a free Career subscription instead of an outright cancellation.
And that’s it! Following these steps will cancel your LinkedIn Premium subscription while retaining access until the paid term expires.
Conclusion
A LinkedIn Premium subscription can be a wise investment if you want to maximize the platform for your career or business. Weigh the benefits against the monthly or annual costs to decide if upgrading is worthwhile for your needs.
If you do subscribe, take full advantage of all the premium features available to get your money’s worth. And you can always easily cancel or downgrade later on if you no longer find enough value from the paid subscription.
With smarter search tools, expanded profiles, advanced messaging, and more, LinkedIn Premium empowers professionals to build meaningful connections and new opportunities. Evaluate if the premium upgrade makes sense for where you’re at in your career journey today.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Premium Career and Premium Business?
Premium Career focuses more on job seeking, professional branding, and skill development while Premium Business provides sales tools, lead recommendations, and business insights. Evaluate which plan aligns better with your goals.
Is Premium worth it for job seekers?
Yes, Premium can be very beneficial for active job seekers by allowing unlimited InMail messages to recruiters, seeing who viewed your profile, and using advanced job search filters.
Can I try Premium for free first?
Yes, LinkedIn offers one month free trials with no credit card required for Premium Career, Premium Business, and Premium Hiring plans. Take advantage of the free trial to evaluate the benefits firsthand.
What billing periods are available?
You can pay monthly or get an annual discounted subscription. Annual billing saves you 20-25% compared to monthly plans.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes, you can easily cancel Premium at any time while retaining access until your current billing period expires. Simply access your account settings and subscriptions.
What happens when my Premium trial ends?
Once your free trial concludes, your subscription will automatically end unless you enter billing details to continue on a paid monthly or annual plan.
Can I use Premium on mobile?
Yes, LinkedIn Premium is fully accessible via LinkedIn’s mobile apps for iOS and Android. All premium features are available while on the go.
Do Premium badges expire?
No, the “Premium” badges remain on your profile indefinitely, even after you cancel Premium. However, they won’t display the specific plan once downgraded to free.
I hope this comprehensive guide helps explain the key benefits of LinkedIn Premium subscriptions, the pricing and plans offered, how to purchase, whether an upgrade makes sense for your goals, and how to cancel if needed. Let me know if you have any other questions!