Many businesses and marketers look to buy aged LinkedIn accounts to help establish their brand’s credibility and authority on the platform. LinkedIn accounts that have been active for several years tend to have more connections, activity, and overall influence compared to brand new accounts. This allows buyers to skip the slow process of organically growing a new account and instead leverage an existing network and reputation. However, finding a reliable source to purchase aged LinkedIn accounts can be challenging. In this article, we’ll examine where and how to buy aged LinkedIn accounts safely and legally.
Why Buy an Aged LinkedIn Account?
Here are some of the key benefits of purchasing an aged LinkedIn account rather than starting from scratch:
Established Network and Connections
Aged accounts often have 500+ connections, providing instant access to a large professional network. This enables quicker relationship building and outreach opportunities.
History of Engagement and Activity
Accounts with a long history of posts, comments, and profile views signal an established presence and credibility. This can increase trust and response rates.
Higher Search Visibility
LinkedIn’s algorithm favors aged accounts with consistent engagement. This can help increase visibility in LinkedIn search results.
Bypasses Organic Growth Requirements
Growing a new account organically takes significant time and effort. Buying an aged account lets you skip ahead.
Where to Safely Buy Aged LinkedIn Accounts
If you decide to purchase an aged LinkedIn account, proceed with caution. Buying or selling accounts violates LinkedIn’s terms of service and could result in account suspension or banning if discovered. However, there are some safer options to explore:
Freelance Marketplaces
Hire a freelancer through Upwork, Fiverr, or other sites to create and age an account for you over several years. This keeps you anonymized as the account owner. Ensure accounts have genuine, organic activity history.
Social Media Marketing Agencies
Some social media marketing agencies maintain inventories of aged accounts from former clients. They may sell these on request, but ensure activity traces back to real organizations.
Use Your Own Old Accounts
If you maintained any active LinkedIn accounts for previous jobs or businesses, these may already meet “aged” criteria. Transfer them to your current brand.
Acquire an Existing Business
When buying a business, you often gain access to their owned social media accounts. Their LinkedIn profile likely has an extensive history you can leverage.
Employee/Contractor Accounts
Encourage employees or contractors to transfer their well-aged personal LinkedIn accounts to your company. This provides established accounts without buying unknown sources.
What to Look for in an Aged LinkedIn Account
Not all aged LinkedIn accounts are created equal. Here are some telltale signs of a high-quality aged account:
5+ Years Active
Look for accounts created in 2017 or earlier. Accounts active for 5+ years have well-established networks and history.
500+ Connections
A robust connections list signals strong networking activity over time.
Complete Profile
A fleshed out profile with a profile photo, work experience, education, skills, etc. indicates a well-maintained account.
Regular Posting History
Look for consistent sharing of articles, images, and text posts over the full account lifetime. Avoid gaps of more than 2-3 months.
High Engagement
Seek accounts with a history of comments, likes, and profile views. This demonstrates influence and relationship building.
Realistic Work History
Ensure work experience aligns logically over time. Fake accounts often have short or conflicting employment details.
How Much Do Aged LinkedIn Accounts Cost?
Expect to pay a premium for aged LinkedIn accounts compared to building up a new profile. Prices typically range from:
| Account Age | Price Range |
|---|---|
| 1 – 2 years | $50 – $150 |
| 3 – 4 years | $150 – $300 |
| 5+ years | $300 – $500+ |
Accounts with more extensive connections, engagement, and position/title alignment may price at the higher end. Take account quality and risk into consideration when evaluating pricing.
Risks of Purchasing Aged LinkedIn Accounts
While aged LinkedIn accounts offer tempting benefits, they also come with potential downsides to keep in mind:
Violates LinkedIn Terms of Service
LinkedIn explicitly prohibits buying, selling, or transferring accounts. Violations could lead to suspensions or terminations.
Suspicious Activity History
Accounts with fake connections, bot traffic, or purchased engagement signals are easily flagged by LinkedIn algorithms.
Disconnect with Your Brand
Accounts with distinct work histories may not align well with your brand’s positioning and messaging.
Limited Account Control
If the original account owner retains any access, they could potentially reclaim the profile or alter content.
No Technical Ownership
Without access to the original email address or phone number, you cannot independently recover the account if passwords are changed.
Best Practices for Purchasing Aged LinkedIn Accounts
If you decide to proceed with buying aged LinkedIn accounts, implement these practices to maximize results and minimize risk:
Conduct Extensive Due Diligence
Vet accounts thoroughly for realism, continuity, and authentic engagement patterns. Watch for red flags of fake activity.
Require Exclusive Account Transfers
Ensure the original owner cannot access the account after sale by changing credentials and enabling two-factor authentication.
Gradually Shift Messaging
Slowly update positioning to align with your brand vs. drastically overhauling profiles.
Retain Active Posting
Maintain consistent posting activity, or even increase it, to continue growing the network organically.
Link to New Assets
Update the profile to reference your website, content, and other branded assets. But maintain a consistent tone.
Are Purchased LinkedIn Accounts Legal?
The legality of buying and selling aged LinkedIn accounts falls into a somewhat grey area. LinkedIn’s terms prohibit transferring accounts, and violators risk having their accounts shut down. However, there are currently no laws strictly prohibiting the purchase or sale of social media accounts. Some considerations on legality:
Depends on Means of Acquisition
If accounts were obtained through hacking, phishing, or breaching terms of service, they tread into illegal territory. But accounts created organically by individual users specifically to sell are more permissible.
No Governing Laws (Yet)
Currently no state or federal laws directly address purchased social media accounts. But regulations are evolving to catch up with technology’s impact.
Violates Civil Contracts
LinkedIn’s terms of service represent a civil contract between users and the platform. Violating terms can nullify the contract, resulting in account termination.
Unsettled Precedent
Very few court cases have tested purchased social media accounts. Jurisprudence is still developing around this practice.
Tread Carefully
While not definitively illegal, extensive precautions are necessary to avoid civil litigation or account suspension risks. Proceed thoughtfully.
Conclusion
Purchasing aged LinkedIn accounts provides clear network-building and credibility advantages, but also presents notable risks around violating terms of service and account integrity. Conducting rigorous vetting, limiting seller account access post-sale, and gradually blending branded messaging can help maximize benefits while minimizing risks and legal exposure. As the laws and precedent around account buying continue to evolve, proceed cautiously and focus on driving organic growth as a supplement to any purchased accounts. Leverage aged accounts to give your brand a head start – not an unfair advantage.