If you already have a LinkedIn account, you know how beneficial it can be to your brand. I don’t have to sit here and convince you of the value that’s packed into this professionally-geared platform. However, deciding what account type is best for you and your business goals can get a little tricky. Is the premium account worth the monthly investment or can you get by with the free version? If you don’t have the premium features and access you may feel like you’re not part of the “in crowd” (get it? LinkedIn crowd…I digress). But before you go coughing up a monthly fee for unlocking premium functions and setting your FOMO at ease, let’s do a comparison analysis, shall we?
Free LinkedIn Membership
Although it has certain limitations, the free LinkedIn membership can be very beneficial and provides quite a bit of features for the user. If you currently use LinkedIn for nothing more than a profile for your business or reconnecting with old colleagues or classmates, etc., then a free membership may be all you need. Within a free membership, you can still view other member profiles, receive InMail messages from other LinkedIn members, and save up to three searches you’ve created to receive alerts on potential business prospects. See, it still has added benefit and it’s a great way to save money while still growing your network and business relationships.
LinkedIn Premium Career Membership
If you’re searching for the career of your dreams and you’d like to do some in-depth research, then a LinkedIn Premium Career Membership may be for you for as long as it takes to acquire that dream job. With a premium career membership, you have access to helpful tools, such as seeing how you measure up to other candidates in your profession. If you’re falling short in certain areas, access to LinkedIn’s online courses is another feature included in this membership level. A couple of other notable mentions is that you will display at the top of recruiters’ applicant lists, and you can send 3 InMail messages per month to anyone else on LinkedIn, whether you’re connected to them or not. Of course, there’s the benefit of being able to see who’s viewed your profile, but unless you need this for further reasons you’ll find listed below, this is honestly nothing more than a spy tool.
LinkedIn Premium Business Membership
The premium business membership comes with all of the “career” membership features, plus 12 more InMail messaging capabilities, bringing it to a total of 15. Use them wisely, my friends. You can also browse business profiles unlimited that aren’t public, up to 3rd degree. This is the Premium account I currently use for LinkedIn.
LinkedIn Sales Navigator Professional Membership
This membership can be very beneficial for the small business owner because it comes with the ability to build lead lists, access the Sales Navigator lead-developing tool, and 20 InMail message capabilities, to name a few. And oh! Remember when I mentioned the ability to see who’s viewed your profile? Well, this is where it would come in handy. Being able to see who’s considered your profile allows you to keep track of and later target these individuals to convert them into clients/customers.
LinkedIn Recruiter Lite Membership
Where are all my HR managers and COOs out there? This one is for you! Maybe you’re not in the market for a new career, but you’re in the market to connect the career seekers with the perfect job. It comes with features like automatic candidate tracking, access to your extended network, and it provides recruiters with the ability to prioritize the candidates that are most open to hearing from them.
Knowing some of the benefits of each membership, you should be able to determine which one is right for you. Please note that merely upgrading your membership to a career premium account because it’s a less-expensive upgrade won’t be beneficial for you if you own your own business or are in sales or recruiting. As you can see, each membership level has perks specific to the type of membership it is. All you have to do now is decide which one is best for you and your business! Need help deciding what’s best for you? Connect with me on LinkedIn and I’m happy to chat!