LinkedIn is one of the largest social networking platforms in existence. As of 2019 there were reported 630 million users on this website. Because there are so many professionals using LinkedIn, this has been acclaimed by many as the #1 social platform to use for professional networking. Your ability to network on LinkedIn can be further enhanced by using its premium plans. There are several tiers, and each one is structured for different needs and goals. In this post, we will introduce you to the various LinkedIn membership options, including their unique features and benefits.
Features of LinkedIn’s Membership Plans
There are five membership plans on LinkedIn:
- Basic/ free membership
- Premium Career
- Premium Business
- Sales Navigator Pro
- Recruiter Lite
From their names, you can likely deduce what each premium subscriptions is used for. Before we delve into each one though, let’s look at some of the general features offered by the premium subscriptions. These are features that are not available with the free membership plan.
Who Viewed Your Profile
With the free subscription, you can only see as much information as you share with other users. For example, if you set your profile to be anonymous when checking others’ profiles, LinkedIn will also hide this information when you’re trying to see who’s viewed your profile. However, in the premium packages, you can view additional details on the people who view your LinkedIn profile. Statistics show that viewing profiles is the number one activity on LinkedIn. So, being able to view details on who views your profile can help you build your network.
InMail Messages
With InMail messages, you can send a message to someone, even if you’re not yet connected with them. InMails let you start conversations more quickly, without having to wait for the other person to accept a connection request. Additionally, statistics show that people are 85% more likely to open InMails than normal emails. Based on the premium plan you’re on, you have a specific number of InMails per month.
Premium Search filters
Premium search filters allow you to refine your search with various parameters. With a premium search filter, you can sort according to seniority level, interests, company size, years of experience, job function, location and more.
Profiles Per Search
With the free LinkedIn membership, there is a limit on the number of profiles you can search for. You will often get notified when you approach your limit while searching on LinkedIn. Premium subscriptions like sales navigator and Recruiter Lite don’t have these limits
Saved Searches
With this feature, LinkedIn will email you profiles that fit your search criteria. With saved searches, LinkedIn keeps “searching” for you while you attend to other tasks. Every week, you’ll receive email alerts containing new profiles that fit your description/criteria.
The Premium LinkedIn Plans
Now, let’s take a look at each of the memberships and consider their individual features.
Premium Career
Premium Career is the base premium subscription, and it gives you the following:
- Three InMail messages
- Details on people who view your profile
- Extended Network access
- Five saved searches
The premium career costs about $29.99 monthly or $239.88 yearly. Besides the features, a premium subscription also has an effect on people who view your profile. It communicates that you’re serious enough to pay for extra service, and that could mean a lot when you’re trying to be recruited, for example.
Premium Business
Premium business is the next tier premium plan and it costs $59.99 monthly or $575.88 yearly. Including being able to see details on who viewed your profile, this plan gives you
- 15 InMails
- Advanced search filters
- Unlimited searches
- Extended network access
- Seven Saved searches
A Premium Business subscription basically gives you an extended reach on LinkedIn.
Sales Navigator
The features that are included in the sales navigator include:
- 20 InMails
- More search filters
- Lead builder tools
The premium sales navigator subscription is designed to help you generate leads. It comes with a lead-builder tool, lead recommendations, as well as real-time insights on existing leads and accounts. It also gives you the ability to refine your searches even further, adding more filters. You also get notified when one of your leads land a new job. The sales Navigator plan costs $79.99 monthly or $770.88 yearly.
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Recruiter Lite
Recruiter Lite is the highest tier premium subscription on LinkedIn. Some of its features include
- 30 InMail messages
- An extended network, up to third-degree connections
With this plan, you have access to all the features available on LinkedIn, including automatic candidate tracking and integrated hiring. It is a streamlined version of LinkedIn’s recruiter, which is LinkedIn’s most powerful candidate search tool. Recruiter Lite is basically for hiring managers and recruiters.
Is a Premium Subscription Worth the Money?
Many users agree that the benefits of a premium LinkedIn membership aren’t often immediately apparent. It all depends on how you use the features you have. Since the crux of a premium plan is the additional features you get, it may not feel worth it until you actively use those features.
When seeking employment, for example, a premium career subscription can allow you to send InMails to recruiters, even if they are not in your network. You can also lookup recruiters that view your profile and attempt to connect with them.
On the other side of the premium spectrum is the Premium Recruiter Lite. It gives you absolutely everything. You can send plenty of InMails to fellow users, and you can search and narrow down your search to specific individuals. You can also automatically track candidates you’re considering.
These premium subscriptions have incredible features that can help you advance your career and achieve your goals. How much you achieve with them depends on how you use them.
About
Joshua Lyons Marketing, LLC was established in 2015. Since that time we have provided digital marketing services to business and professionals. We help our clients increase their online exposure as a means to increase sales and revenue. Our core services include search engine optimization (SEO), website development and content creation. We also provide other online marketing services, such as email marketing, marketing consultations and various types of advertising. Our team is based in the Milton, Pace and Pensacola, Florida area. However, we work with clients throughout the United States. Read More
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