LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform, with over 800 million members worldwide. While LinkedIn offers a basic free account, it also provides premium paid subscriptions that unlock additional features and benefits. This raises the question – do you need to pay for a LinkedIn account? Or is the free version sufficient?
In this article, we’ll examine the key differences between LinkedIn’s free and paid offerings and look at the main reasons you may want to upgrade to a premium subscription. We’ll also provide tips on how to get the most value out of LinkedIn, regardless of whether you’re on the free or paid version.
LinkedIn’s Free vs Paid Accounts
LinkedIn’s free account provides access to core networking features like creating a profile, connecting with other members, joining groups, viewing other profiles, and searching for jobs.
With a free account you can:
- Create a profile summarizing your background, skills, and experience
- Connect with anyone on LinkedIn
- Join groups based on your professional interests
- View other members’ profiles and public information
- Conduct basic searches for people, jobs, companies, and groups
- Get basic insights about your profile’s visitors and activity
LinkedIn’s paid subscriptions – Premium Career and Premium Business – unlock additional capabilities, including:
- See who’s viewed your profile
- Read and reply to InMail messages
- Use advanced search filters and alerts
- Take online learning courses
- Create professional presentations
- Publish long-form posts
- Access salary and company intel
- Get support from LinkedIn coaches
- Receive more profile recommendations
So in summary, LinkedIn’s paid plans add more advanced features but the core networking functionality is available for free.
Reasons to Upgrade to a Paid LinkedIn Account
Here are some of the main reasons you may want to upgrade to a paid LinkedIn subscription:
InMail Messages
One of the most valuable paid features is the ability to send InMail messages directly to anyone on LinkedIn, even if you’re not connected. This helps you reach recruiters and key decision-makers.
Who’s Viewed Your Profile
Paid members can see the full list of who has recently viewed their profile. This visibility into your profile traffic can reveal potentially useful connections.
Job Search and Application Insights
Premium paid accounts provide greater visibility into your job applications. You can see how you stack up against other candidates, glean insights to improve your competitiveness, and get feedback on your resume or interview performance.
Learning Courses
LinkedIn Learning comes with paid accounts, providing unlimited access to over 16,000 expert-led courses covering business, creative, and technology topics. This can help you build in-demand skills.
Profile Branding
Paid members can showcase media content in their profile banner photo area to build their brand and showcase their work.
Larger Search Results
Premium accounts allow you to search across wider parameters and get more search results when looking for people, jobs, content, and companies.
Salary Insights
Paid members can research typical salaries for different roles based on factors like location and experience. This can provide leverage in negotiations.
Getting Value from LinkedIn’s Free Version
While LinkedIn’s paid version unlocks more functionality, you can still get substantial value from the free account. Here are tips to maximize your free LinkedIn membership:
Complete Your Profile
Fully optimize your profile by adding a professional headshot, detailed work history, list of skills, recommendations, and multimedia content conveying your expertise. This makes your profile attractive to recruiters and connections.
Engage With Content and Groups
Like, comment on, and share content in your industry. Join active groups to build relationships. This boosts your visibility and establishes your thought leadership.
Expand Your Network Strategically
Connect with key influencers, decision-makers, peers, and clients. Aim for quality over quantity in your connections.
Follow Companies
Follow companies you are interested in or have worked with. This surfaces useful company news and job opportunities.
Utilize Search Filters
Refine your searches using filters like location, job function, company, school, skills, etc. Target your searches to surface the most relevant people and opportunities.
Export Connections
Use LinkedIn’s data export tool to download your network connections and synchronize them with your CRM or contacts app. This enables follow-up communication.
Share Perspectives, Not Just Resumes
Post regular updates showcasing your expertise, perspectives, and personality beyond just your resume keywords. This content can go viral and demonstrate your thought leadership.
Conclusion
While LinkedIn’s paid subscriptions provide more powerful functionality and insights, the core networking platform is available for free. Focus on showcasing your professional brand, expanding your network, engaging with content, and searching strategically. If you find yourself needing premium features like InMail or Learning frequently for your goals, then a paid upgrade can provide further value. But consistently utilizing LinkedIn’s free tools can significantly benefit your career and business objectives on its own.
The key is maximizing the features that align with your needs, whether you ultimately choose the free or paid version. With over 675 million members, LinkedIn provides a valuable platform for every professional to build relationships and access opportunities. Consistently interacting and updating your profile – for free – can yield tangible benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits of a paid LinkedIn account?
Key benefits of a paid LinkedIn account include: sending InMail messages, seeing full profile analytics, taking LinkedIn Learning courses, researching salaries, posting long-form content, getting profile help from coaches, and enjoying an ad-free experience.
What features are included in LinkedIn’s free account?
LinkedIn’s free account allows you to create a profile, connect with others, join groups, view profiles, conduct basic searches, send connection invites, and see limited analytics. All core networking activities are available.
How much does LinkedIn Premium cost?
LinkedIn Premium ranges from ~$30-$60 USD per month. The lower-priced Premium Career plan focuses on job seeking while the higher-priced Premium Business plan adds capabilities like company research, lead generation, and team collaboration tools. Discounted annual subscriptions are also available.
Can I cancel a paid LinkedIn account?
Yes, you can cancel or downgrade a paid LinkedIn account at any time. You will continue to have access to the paid features until the end of your current billing cycle. Downgrading to the free account is seamless.
Is a paid account worth it for job seekers?
For active job seekers, a paid account can be worth it to unlock benefits like seeing full profile traffic analytics, sending InMails, researching salaries, and getting enhanced job search filters and alerts. But the free account still provides ample capability for networking and finding jobs.
The Bottom Line
While upgrading to a paid subscription unlocks premium capabilities, LinkedIn’s core networking platform is available for free. You can get substantial value from LinkedIn without paying by completing your profile, connecting strategically, engaging with content, following companies, searching efficiently, and sharing regular updates. For those needing features like InMail or Learning frequently, the paid versions provide further functionality.