In the last few years, LinkedIn Premium subscriptions have absolutely exploded. It seems like everyone on LinkedIn now has the little blue “Premium” badge on their profile. But why is this? What is causing so many professionals to shell out money every month for LinkedIn Premium? There are a few key reasons behind this trend.
Increased need for networking and exposure
With the job market more competitive than ever in the wake of the pandemic, people are hungry for ways to stand out and get noticed by recruiters and hiring managers. LinkedIn Premium offers features to help job seekers get more visibility and connect with more potential opportunities. For example, Premium subscribers can see who viewed their profile, allowing them to identify and target companies that may be interested in hiring them. Premium also lets users send unlimited InMail messages, helpful for directly contacting recruiters or other connections. As the job market gets tighter, professionals are more willing to pay for Premium’s edge in networking and exposure.
Desire for insights and analytics
Premium provides users with detailed analytics on their profile and posts, such as how many impressions and clicks they’re getting. These insights allow members to see what types of content resonate best with their audience and fine-tune their posting strategy to improve engagement. In today’s data-driven world, these types of metrics are invaluable for optimizing your brand and reach. Professionals are recognizing the tangible benefits of having access to these analytics and responding by upgrading to Premium.
Shift towards using LinkedIn as a marketing platform
LinkedIn has evolved from a simple resume hosting site into a bonafide social media platform. More and more brands and businesses are leveraging LinkedIn to market themselves, and Premium offers features tailored specifically for this purpose. Companies can analyze their Showcase Pages’ performance, identify their top-performing posts, see what followers are engaging with, and gain other valuable marketing insights with Premium. As LinkedIn Marketing Solutions continue growing, businesses are seeing Premium as a worthwhile investment in their marketing strategy.
Increasing need for virtual networking due to remote work
With remote and hybrid work becoming more prevalent, professionals have fewer opportunities to network face-to-face at conferences, company events, etc. LinkedIn provides a virtual environment to fill this networking gap. Features like being able to freely message anyone, regardless of whether they’re a 1st-degree connection, are extremely helpful for networking remotely. As in-person events continue to be limited, Premium’s networking capabilities become more attractive.
Premium’s Top Features
So what are the features driving this surge in Premium subscriptions? Here are some of the most popular perks that come with Premium:
See Who Viewed Your Profile
This is arguably Premium’s #1 killer feature. Being able to see exactly who has visited your profile is invaluable insight. You can identify and target companies that may be interested in hiring you or connecting with you. You’ll also get notified whenever a new visitor checks out your profile, allowing you to promptly follow up.
Advanced Search Filters
Premium unlocks advanced filters that allow you to drill down on very specific criteria when searching for jobs, people, groups, etc. You can filter by company size, when someone joined LinkedIn, where they went to school, what skills they have, and much more. This level of filtering helps easily pinpoint the exact types of people and jobs you want to target.
Unlimited InMail Messages
Premium enables sending InMail messages to anyone on LinkedIn, regardless of whether they’re in your network. This allows you to directly contact recruiters, hiring managers, potential clients, and other key connections. It’s an extremely effective way to expand your reach and initiate relationships.
Profile Branding
Premium lets you add a customizable background photo to your profile to showcase your brand. You can also display additional media like infographics, presentation slides, videos, and more to your profile with Premium. This expanded media capability allows conveying a lot more about your capabilities and experience.
Expanded Network Reach
Premium shows 2nd and 3rd degree connections in your network, rather than just direct 1st degree connections. This significantly expands the pool of people you can connect with. Premium also lets you message anyone in your network, regardless of the connection degree.
Profile Analytics
In-depth analytics provide crucial insights into how your profile and content are performing. You can see impressions, clicks, engagement, top viewers, and other metrics. These analytics help optimize your approach to get maximum visibility and impact.
Premium Badge
This small but mighty blue checkmark badge signals to anyone who views your profile that you have Premium. It’s a sign of your professionalism, brand, and commitment to networking on LinkedIn. The Premium badge can make you stand out.
Cost Analysis of Premium Plans
LinkedIn offers four Premium tier options: Premium Career, Premium Business, Premium Sales, and Premium Hiring. The plans range from $29.99 per month for Premium Career up to $99.99 per month for Premium Hiring. Here’s a breakdown of the costs for each plan:
Plan | Monthly Price | Annual Price (when paid monthly) | Annual Price (when paid upfront) |
---|---|---|---|
Premium Career | $29.99 | $359.88 | $279.88 |
Premium Business | $44.99 | $539.88 | $399.88 |
Premium Sales | $64.99 | $779.88 | $599.88 |
Premium Hiring | $99.99 | $1,199.88 | $899.88 |
The annual prices reflect the total when paying month-to-month over the year. There are significant savings when paying for the full year upfront. Some key things to note:
– Premium Career is the most popular plan for individual subscribers and job seekers.
– Premium Business has the features needed for company pages, employee accounts, etc.
– Premium Sales optimizes for sales navigator and lead generation.
– Premium Hiring provides recruiter-focused tools like InMail, candidate searching, etc.
The higher-tier plans get steep when paying monthly, so companies with multiple users get far better value by paying annually. Individual users can also save by going annual, but the monthly option provides more flexibility. Overall the Premium pricing is very reasonable and competitive when you consider the benefits.
Pros and Cons of Premium
Before upgrading to Premium, it’s important to weigh the key pros and cons:
Pros
– Increased exposure and networking opportunities
– Powerful analytics on your brand’s performance
– Ability to identify and connect with key decision makers
– Customizable profile branding to stand out
– Unlock InMail to directly contact anyone
– Advanced filtering for targeted searching
Cons
– Monthly or annual cost for subscription
– Some features like profile analytics may encourage fixation on vanity metrics
– Risk of inappropriate use of InMail for spamming
– Potentially gives some users an unfair visibility advantage
Overall, the vast majority of users seem to agree the pros outweigh the cons and deliver substantial value. But Premium isn’t necessary for all use cases, so it comes down to individual needs.
Who Gets the Most Value From Premium?
While anyone can benefit from Premium, some common users tend to gain an especially high ROI:
Job Seekers
Premium’s networking, visibility, and recruiting-focused features provide a significant edge for job hunters. The ability to identify and contact companies viewing you is extremely valuable.
Business Owners / Sales Pros
Premium unlocks marketing tools and analytics to optimize company pages and Showcases. Sales Navigator also powers lead gen.
Recruiters / HR Pros
Premium’s advanced searching, InMail, and profile analytics help recruiters source and evaluate candidates more effectively.
Freelancers / Consultants / Coaches
Premium expands networking opportunities to gain more clients. Profile branding also helps establish authority.
Marketers / Social Media Managers
Marketers use Premium’s analytics to sharpen LinkedIn marketing campaigns and maximize engagement.
Should You Upgrade to Premium?
Here are some key questions to consider when deciding if Premium is worthwhile for you:
– Are you actively job hunting and want to boost your chances?
– Do you need to market a company, product, or service?
– Is networking a high priority for business development?
– Do you want detailed analytics on your brand visibility?
– Will messaging capabilities like InMail benefit you?
If you answered “yes” to one or more of these questions, Premium is likely to deliver significant value. The monthly or annual price is reasonable considering the career, business, and networking advantages unlocked by the features.
However, you should think critically before upgrading if you are more casual, passive LinkedIn user who just wants to maintain a basic profile and social presence. For those cases, the free version may still meet your needs.
Evaluate your specific goals and priorities on LinkedIn, weigh the benefits versus costs, and determine whether the Premium features are truly worth it for you.
Conclusion
LinkedIn Premium adoption continues rising because the features offer real value for networking, visibility, recruiting, marketing, and analytics. More professionals recognize Premium as a strategic investment in their career and business objectives on LinkedIn. While Premium isn’t necessary for all use cases, it can provide a significant competitive edge for job seekers, sales pros, recruiters, marketers, and other business-focused individuals. But users should carefully assess their specific needs and goals first before committing to a paid subscription.