LinkedIn Premium is LinkedIn’s paid subscription service that unlocks additional features beyond the free LinkedIn account. With three tiers of paid plans – Career, Business Plus, and Sales Navigator – LinkedIn Premium provides users with enhanced capabilities to manage their professional brand, search for jobs, connect with other professionals, develop client relationships, and grow their business.
With multiple options available, determining the right LinkedIn Premium plan for your needs can be confusing. This comprehensive guide examines the key differences between LinkedIn’s paid tiers and provides recommendations on choosing the best premium LinkedIn subscription based on your professional goals and activity on the platform.
LinkedIn Premium Overview
LinkedIn offers three paid subscription packages:
LinkedIn Premium Career
The Career tier is LinkedIn’s basic premium offering. Key features include:
- See who’s viewed your profile
- Stand out in search results
- Contact info for full profile views
- InMail messages
- Profile badge signaling you’re open to opportunities
This plan is best for job seekers looking to boost their visibility and establish professional connections.
LinkedIn Premium Business Plus
Business Plus builds on the Career package by adding:
- Expanded profile views
- More InMail messages
- Talent Insights
- Business demographic data
- Premium article searches
Business Plus caters to sales professionals seeking qualified leads.
LinkedIn Premium Sales Navigator
Sales Navigator provides LinkedIn’s full suite of premium capabilities:
- Advanced profile views and searches
- Unlimited InMail messages
- Lead recommendations
- Sales templates and automation
- Team collaboration and analytics
Sales Navigator is designed for sales teams focused on managing relationships, discovering leads, and exceeding revenue goals.
Key Differences Between the LinkedIn Premium Plans
When evaluating which LinkedIn Premium option may be right for you, it’s important to understand the key differences between the plans:
Messaging Capabilities
One of the biggest differences is the messaging allowance. The Career tier permits just 5 InMail messages per month, Business Plus offers 15, and Sales Navigator has no limits. More messages facilitate connecting with a wider pool of prospects.
Profile Views
The number of profile views available increases at each tier. Career permits 25 per month, Business Plus 100, and Sales Navigator provides unlimited profile views. More visibility aids in promoting your brand and qualifications.
Search Filters
Higher tiers unlock more advanced search filters for finding relevant prospects and leads based on attributes like location, job title, company size, and more. Sales Navigator offers the most robust search capabilities.
Team Collaboration
Sales Navigator is the only tier that enables team selling and collaboration capabilities allowing sales organizations to work together seamlessly.
Analytics and Insights
Sales Navigator also provides actionable analytics on sales activities and advanced insights using AI to reveal trends and patterns within your available leads and connections.
Best LinkedIn Premium Options for Job Seekers
If your primary goal on LinkedIn is finding job opportunities and showcasing your professional brand to attract recruiter attention, the Career plan has the essentials.
Key benefits for job seekers:
- See who’s viewed your profile – Discover which recruiters and hiring managers have noticed your profile.
- Profile badge signaling you’re open to opportunities – Proactively advertise that you’re interested in new roles.
- InMail messages – Directly contact recruiters at your target companies.
- Stand out in search results – Get up to 15x more impressions in search results over non-Premium members.
For most active job seekers, the Career plan strikes the optimal balance of enhanced visibility and messaging capabilities to aid your search at an affordable price.
Best LinkedIn Premium Options for Sales Professionals
For sales professionals, LinkedIn is an invaluable tool for developing a strong pipeline of qualified leads. Sales Navigator offers the full suite of sales-focused features.
Major benefits for salespeople:
- Unlimited InMail – Pitch prospects and initiate conversations at scale.
- Lead recommendations – Discover relevant prospects based on their demographics and activities.
- Search filters – Pinpoint prospects that match your ideal customer profile.
- TeamLink collaboration – Work together with colleagues to manage accounts and opportunities.
- Sales analytics – Track sales activities and leverage AI to gain insights on the most promising leads.
The unlimited messaging, robust search filters, lead recommendations, and sales analytics make Sales Navigator the premier LinkedIn premium product for driving sales performance. The expanded capabilities justify the higher subscription cost.
Best LinkedIn Premium Options for Business Owners
For business owners, consultants, and entrepreneurs leveraging LinkedIn to generate leads and establish their brand, the Business Plus plan hits the sweet spot.
Major upsides for business accounts:
- Larger profile view allotment – Promote your expertise to more professionals each month.
- Premium article searches – Research and share the most relevant professional content.
- Business demographic data – Gain insights about your target customers and competition.
- More InMail messages – Reach out to high-value prospects.
- Talent Insights – Analyze hiring trends when building your team.
Business Plus provides ample messaging, profile visibility, and insights on prospects, hiring, and content to extend your brand reach and cultivate new business relationships.
Cost Comparison of LinkedIn Premium Plans
Pricing is also an important factor when selecting the right LinkedIn Premium solution. Here is an overview of the monthly and annual costs for each plan:
LinkedIn Premium Plan | Monthly Price | Annual Price |
---|---|---|
Career | $29.99 | $239.88 (17% savings) |
Business Plus | $44.99 | $539.88 (16% savings) |
Sales Navigator | $64.99 | $779.88 (17% savings) |
The annual subscription represents a significant discount versus paying month-to-month. If you plan to use LinkedIn Premium for the foreseeable future, the yearly commitment can unlock substantial savings.
Conclusion
In summary, the ideal LinkedIn Premium plan for you depends on your goals and activities on LinkedIn.
For most job seekers, the Career tier offers the necessary boost in visibility and outreach capabilities for a reasonable price. Sales professionals gain the most leverage from Sales Navigator’s robust toolset for connecting with prospects, managing relationships, and analyzing sales performance. And Business Plus strikes an effective balance for professionals looking to showcase thought leadership and cultivate leads.
Evaluate the key features, target use cases, and pricing options to determine which premium LinkedIn subscription makes the most sense for advancing your professional objectives. Any of the paid plans can provide excellent value – it comes down to matching the enhanced capabilities to your specific needs. With a clear understanding of the differences, you can confidently enroll in the ideal LinkedIn Premium plan to maximize your investment.