LinkedIn Premium is LinkedIn’s paid subscription service that unlocks additional features beyond the free LinkedIn account. With Premium, you get access to more advanced profile searches, messaging capabilities, post insights, and job seeking tools. However, not everyone wants or can afford to pay for Premium. The good news is there are a few ways to get some of the key Premium features without paying.
Use LinkedIn’s free trial
The easiest way to access LinkedIn Premium features for free is to sign up for their one month free trial. All you need is a LinkedIn account to get started. Here’s how it works:
- Go to the LinkedIn Premium upgrade page and click on the “Start your free trial” button.
- Select which Premium plan you want to try – Premium Career or Premium Business.
- Enter your payment information, but don’t worry you won’t be charged during the trial period.
- Start enjoying Premium benefits like seeing who viewed your profile, sending unlimited InMails, and viewing complete profiles of people outside your network.
The free trial gives you access to Premium for one month. Just remember to cancel before the month is up if you don’t want to be charged. LinkedIn will send several reminders ahead of your trial end date.
Refer friends to Premium
LinkedIn allows Premium members to send 3 free one month trial offers to friends who aren’t Premium members. If you have a connection with Premium, consider asking them for a referral link. Here’s how the referral program works:
- Your Premium connected sends you their unique referral link.
- You click on the link and sign up for a free one month Premium trial.
- Your Premium connected gets one free month of Premium for each friend that signs up, up to 3 months total.
So you get free Premium and can potentially hook up your Premium connected with some free months too. Just be sure to cancel the trial before you get charged if you don’t plan on staying with Premium.
Use Premium features on LinkedIn’s mobile app
LinkedIn’s mobile app provides samples of some Premium features without a paid subscription. Here are a few examples of what you can access:
- Profile viewing insights – See how many times your profile was viewed in the last 90 days.
- InMail suggestions – Get suggestions on whom to reach out and connect with over InMail.
- Salary insights – View salary ranges for positions to help negotiate your worth.
- Premium badge – Display a Premium subscriber badge on your profile.
The profile insights and badges are free on both iOS and Android. The InMail suggestions and salary insights are currently only available on Android. These samples let you test drive a few of the key Premium features.
Use Premium business features for free
LinkedIn offers several Premium business features for free to boost your brand and recruiting efforts. This includes:
- Free Alumni and Life Events pages – Showcase your school pride and announce big milestones.
- 3 free InMails for job posters – Reach out to candidates that have applied to your jobs.
- Talent Insights – Gain data-driven insights to improve recruiting and hiring.
These tools provide helpful business features without needing to pay for Premium. Take advantage by setting up your free Company and Alumni pages and using your InMails to connect with applicants.
Join LinkedIn’s Creator Accelerator Program
LinkedIn recently launched its Creator Accelerator Program that provides content creators with free access to Premium. To be eligible you must:
- Have an established presence on LinkedIn with a public profile.
- Regularly post unique content on LinkedIn that drives conversation.
- Be open to collaborating with LinkedIn on content initiatives.
If accepted into the program, you’ll get access to Premium for up to one year. You’ll also get chances to work with LinkedIn on co-marketing campaigns that can help grow your audience. To apply, visit LinkedIn’s Creator Accelerator page and submit your information.
Get Premium through your company or school
Some companies and schools provide their employees and students with free or discounted Premium access. For example:
- Companies may offer Premium as a job perk to recruit talent.
- Universities partner with LinkedIn to provide students with Premium learning tools.
Ask your company’s HR department or school administrator if they have an arrangement with LinkedIn to provide discounted or free Premium access. Getting Premium through your organization is an easy way to get access without having to pay for your own subscription.
Conclusion
While LinkedIn Premium offers helpful tools and insights, you don’t have to pay to get access. Take advantage of the free trials, mobile app samples, business features, and Premium partner programs. With a combination of these options, you can unlock many of the key benefits of Premium without the ongoing subscription fees.
