LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 800 million members. LinkedIn offers several products and services to help professionals network, find jobs, stay updated on industry news, and advance their careers. Two of LinkedIn’s most popular paid offerings are LinkedIn Premium and LinkedIn Learning. But what exactly do these products offer and how are they different?
LinkedIn Premium Overview
LinkedIn Premium is LinkedIn’s subscription service that provides users with additional features and perks not available with a free basic LinkedIn account. Some of the key benefits of LinkedIn Premium include:
Expanded profile views
With a free LinkedIn account, you can only see who has viewed your profile for the last 90 days. With Premium, you get expanded analytics to see who has viewed your profile over the last 12 months. This helps you identify and connect with more active LinkedIn users in your industry or location.
InMail messages
Premium allows you to send InMail messages to anyone on LinkedIn, even if you’re not connected. This makes it easier to directly reach recruiters, hiring managers, and other professionals that interest you.
Job post insights
When you apply for jobs, you can use Premium to see how you compare to other candidates based on who the recruiter is viewing and contacting. These insights can help you tailor your application.
Premium Badge
Having the LinkedIn Premium badge on your profile lets people know you have an upgraded LinkedIn presence. This can boost your credibility and influence.
Ad-free browsing
Premium removes all ads from LinkedIn’s desktop and mobile apps for less distraction. This creates a cleaner LinkedIn experience.
LinkedIn Learning Overview
Previously known as Lynda.com, LinkedIn Learning is LinkedIn’s e-learning platform that offers video courses taught by industry experts. Some key features of LinkedIn Learning include:
Expert-led courses
LinkedIn Learning has over 15,000 courses across a wide range of business, technology, and creative topics. All courses are taught by vetted instructors who are experts in their field.
Bite-sized videos
Courses are broken into short 5-10 minute video lessons. This makes it easy to learn at your own pace during small breaks in your day.
Skill assessments
Many courses have quizzes and projects to test your understanding. Completing these assessments confirms you have mastered the skillset.
Certificates of completion
When you finish a course, you can showcase your new skills by sharing a LinkedIn Learning certificate with your network.
Mobile access
You can download courses to watch offline and on-the-go via LinkedIn’s mobile app. This enables learning during commutes or when traveling.
Key Differences
While both provide helpful services, there are some notable differences between LinkedIn Premium and LinkedIn Learning:
Purpose
LinkedIn Premium | Focus is on expanding your LinkedIn presence and networking capabilities. |
LinkedIn Learning | Focus is building hard skills and earning professional certifications. |
LinkedIn Premium helps amplify your LinkedIn profile and networking activities. LinkedIn Learning helps develop tangible job skills and knowledge.
Content Format
LinkedIn Premium | Provides tools that enhance LinkedIn’s existing content and features. |
LinkedIn Learning | Offers a library of video learning courses. |
Premium gives tools for better leverage of LinkedIn’s core social network. Learning provides its own platform of expert video content.
Topics Covered
LinkedIn Premium | No specific content – depends how you utilize LinkedIn’s network. |
LinkedIn Learning | Specialized courses on business, creative, and technology skills. |
Premium has no defined curriculum while Learning focuses squarely on hard skills training.
Use Cases
Looking at common use cases also illustrates the differing value of each product:
Job Seeker
A job seeker may invest in Premium to expand their profile reach and see insights on what employers are looking for. But they may also use Learning to pick up skills needed for a career pivot or brush up on the latest software tools desired by companies hiring.
IT Professional
An IT specialist could leverage Premium for networking with IT leaders and recruitment teams. And they may use Learning to study for IT certifications, learn new coding languages, and keep their technical skills sharp.
Marketer
A digital marketer may use Premium to research clients’ companies and connect with key players involved in purchase decisions. They may also use Learning for training on social media, Google and Facebook ads, analytics, and hot new marketing technologies.
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur could use Premium to connect with investors, partners, and mentors. And they may use Learning’s business courses to refine their business plan, financial modeling, fundraising pitches, leadership, and operational areas.
LinkedIn Learning Course Examples
Here are some examples of the kinds of courses available through LinkedIn Learning:
Business Courses
– Building Your Emotional Intelligence
– Business Strategy Fundamentals
– Improving Your Cross-Cultural Communication Skills
– Crisis Leadership and Change Management
– Digital Transformation for Leaders
Technology Courses
– Python for Data Analysts
– Machine Learning Essential Training
– SQL Essential Training
– Ethical Hacking
– Azure Machine Learning Development
Creative Courses
– Graphic Design Techniques
– Audio Recording and Editing Techniques
– Maya 3D Animation Essential Training
– Photography Foundations
– Video Editing with Final Cut Pro X
LinkedIn Learning Use Cases
Here are examples of how LinkedIn Learning can be applied:
Upskilling for a promotion
An employee looking to advance to a management role could take leadership, communication, and strategy courses to gain skills for the promotion.
Career change
Someone looking to pivot into a new field may take LinkedIn Learning courses to gain prerequisite knowledge without going back to school. For example, courses to transition from sales to digital marketing.
Onboarding training
Employers can assign new hires LinkedIn Learning courses specific to their role. This trains them on company systems and processes faster.
Continuing education
Professionals needing to keep industry credentials current can use Learning for ongoing certifications. For example, a project manager studying for PMP renewal.
Personal development
Any motivated individual can use Learning to pick up personal skills like financial literacy, mindfulness, communication, and more.
Pricing Comparison
When weighing the value of each offering, pricing is another factor to consider:
Plan | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost |
---|---|---|
LinkedIn Premium Career | $29.99 | $359.88 |
LinkedIn Premium Business | $47.99 | $575.88 |
LinkedIn Premium Sales | $64.99 | $779.88 |
LinkedIn Learning Core | $19.99 | $239.88 |
LinkedIn Learning Plus | $29.99 | $359.88 |
LinkedIn Learning provides unlimited access to all 15,000+ courses for a flat monthly fee starting at $19.99. LinkedIn Premium pricing is tiered based on the level of capabilities needed for individual subscribers vs. sales or business / recruiting focused accounts.
Conclusion
In summary, while LinkedIn Premium and LinkedIn Learning both provide value, they are distinct services tailored to different needs:
– LinkedIn Premium enhances your core LinkedIn experience through expanded networking capabilities and profile amplification.
– LinkedIn Learning is an e-learning platform focused on building professional skills and knowledge through video courses.
Professionals can choose to invest in one or both offerings based on their career goals and priorities. Someone focused on networking may only need Premium, while others looking to develop technical skills may specifically want Learning.
Ultimately, LinkedIn Premium and Learning can complement each other for those that want to maximize their professional impact and opportunities through LinkedIn’s ecosystem. Using them together provides a powerful combination of networking reach and tangible skills development.