LinkedIn Premium is LinkedIn’s paid subscription service that unlocks additional features beyond the free version, such as seeing more profile views, expanded search filters, unlimited InMail messages, and access to online courses. However, many users report that LinkedIn Premium doesn’t seem to provide enough value to justify the monthly or annual subscription fees.
What is LinkedIn Premium and what does it offer?
LinkedIn Premium is LinkedIn’s paid subscription service that provides users with additional features and perks beyond the free version of LinkedIn. Here are some of the key things you get with a LinkedIn Premium subscription:
- See who’s viewed your profile – View the full list of who has looked at your profile in the last 90 days, not just the last 5 profiles.
- Get support from LinkedIn’s customer service – Submit support tickets directly to LinkedIn’s customer service team.
- Enhanced profile visibility – Get up to 15x more profile views from recruiters compared to a free account.
- Unlimited searches – Make unlimited searches with advanced filters and no ads.
- InMail messages – Send unlimited direct messages to anyone on LinkedIn, even if you’re not connected.
- Online courses – Get access to 150+ professional online courses as part of LinkedIn Learning.
The Premium subscription is available with 3 pricing tiers:
- Premium Career – $29.99/month or $239.88/year
- Premium Business – $59.99/month or $479.88/year
- Premium Sales – $79.99/month or $639.88/year
The tiers provide additional features beyond Premium Career, such as more InMail messages, company brand monitoring, and lead recommendations.
Why are some users unsatisfied with LinkedIn Premium?
While LinkedIn Premium offers some useful features, many users report being unsatisfied and underwhelmed by the service. Here are some of the common complaints about LinkedIn Premium:
Doesn’t drive enough views or connections
One of the main selling points of Premium is the promise of increased profile visibility and exposure to recruiters. However, many users find that Premium doesn’t tangibly lead to that many more profile views or meaningful connections. The visibility boost is quite minimal and often not worth the premium price.
InMail response rates are low
Being able to send InMail messages to anyone sounds great in theory. But in practice, the open and response rates for InMails are very low, often under 10%. Most recipients ignore or delete the messages, as many perceive InMails as annoying spam.
Too expensive for the value provided
For many individual users, the monthly $29.99 Premium Career subscription fee is simply not worth it for the features provided. It can become an unnecessary recurring tax that eats into your budget without returning sufficient value. The higher tiers at $60+ per month provide even worse value for money for individual users.
Too many irrelevant suggested connections
Premium users complain that the “People You May Know” and other connection recommendations they get are low quality and irrelevant much of the time. The promised useful connections and introductions rarely materialize.
Job seeking tools lacking
LinkedIn pitches Premium as a way to get noticed by recruiters and find your next job. But users lament that Premium’s job seeking features are quite barebones. The Open Candidates feature is not very robust and recruiter interaction remains low, even with Premium.
Messaging remains restricted
Even with Premium, you still can’t freely message anyone on LinkedIn outside your network. Expecting InMail to fully unlock messaging is a mistake. Having to connect first before messaging is an ongoing annoyance.
Does Premium deliver enough value for the price?
At the end of the day, the key question is whether LinkedIn Premium provides enough value to individual users to justify spending $19.99-$79.99 per month, every month. For many, the answer is no. Here’s a breakdown of the pros and cons:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| See full profile viewer list | Profile view boost is minimal |
| Get customer support | InMail open rates are very low |
| Make more search filters | Too expensive monthly cost |
| Take LinkedIn Learning courses | Irrelevant connection recommendations |
Considering the high monthly cost and underwhelming results from core features like InMail and visibility boost, Premium ends up not driving enough value for what you pay. For recruiters and sales professionals, Premium makes more sense. But for individual users focused on networking and job seeking, the value is hard to justify.
What are some alternatives to LinkedIn Premium?
If you find LinkedIn Premium lacking for your needs as an individual user, here are some alternative strategies to consider instead of paying for Premium:
Invest time in your profile and content
Rather than pay for Premium, put that money towards services to improve your profile content through professional headshots, profile makeover services, and expert content writing. Great profile content goes much further than any artificial visibility boost from Premium.
Engage your network and communities
Participate actively in relevant LinkedIn Groups, share your insights, and help others in your niche. Valuable engagement within your network and communities boosts your visibility and credibility organically.
Use advanced filters in free version
The Advanced Search filters accessible for free provide powerful targeting options. Learn to use boolean search and narrow by title, company, school, location, date, and more to find the right profiles.
Export your network connections
Use a free LinkedIn connection exporter tool to export your 1st-degree network periodically. You can then search through your exported list of connections just like Premium’s search.
Use free tools to see profile viewers
While you can’t see full viewer list for free, tools like RocketReach or Connectifier can show a sample of recent profile viewers for free.
Extend trials as far as possible
Before paying, take full advantage of extending the Premium and Recruiter free trial periods as far as LinkedIn allows to buy yourself time before deciding.
Conclusion
LinkedIn Premium underdelivers for many individual subscribers. The high monthly price tag is hard to rationalize against the minor boosts to visibility and messaging unlocked. For networking purposes, Premium lacks sufficient value compared to investing that money into your profile, content, and community engagement. While some find the features useful, most individual users are better off relying on LinkedIn’s free tools and selective third-party tools to augment their experience. Before committing to Premium, scrutinize whether you truly need what it offers or can get similar benefits for free through other means.
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