Anyone who logs into LinkedIn regularly sees ads and sponsored inbox messages for LinkedIn Premium, the company’s paid subscription product.
If you count yourself among these regular users, you have no doubt asked yourself whether LinkedIn Premium lives up to the hype. Is it worth paying for a monthly subscription?
That’s a complicated question with a complicated answer. Millions of LinkedIn users do find value in premium, whether they’re individuals seeking higher-paying employment or enterprises hoping to capitalize on a first-rate company LinkedIn profile. (You can see the potential by checking out the page set up by Freeway Insurance.) A closer look at the pros and cons of LinkedIn Premium could help you reach a decision.
Reasons to Consider LinkedIn Premium
First, three common justifications for starting a paid LinkedIn Premium subscription.
- It Has Multiple Pricing Tiers
LinkedIn Premium is a really versatile solution. Although pricing and features are subject to change over time, multiple price points have long been a feature of LinkedIn Premium. If you don’t need all the bells and whistles of the really expensive plans, you don’t need to pay for them.
- You Can Cancel at Any Time
LinkedIn Premium has a flexible, no-obligation cancellation policy. If you’re not satisfied with how things are going, you can cancel and pay nothing more after the current month. No lengthy contracts or confusing weasel words here.
- It Comes With a Ton of Features That Aren’t Available to Regular LinkedIn Users
LinkedIn Premium comes with a lot of features missing from the non-Premium experience. That’s the whole point of the freemium model: The free version is really meant to whet your appetite, not replace the sustenance found in the plans you actually have to pay for.
Reasons Not to Invest in LinkedIn Premium
Not convinced? Consider these three reasons not to invest in LinkedIn Premium.
- LinkedIn Isn’t the Only Game in Town
LinkedIn is not the only place to connect with other professionals and entrepreneurs. Not even close. If you’re a highly compensated executive or own a business of your own, your thought leadership and networking strategies can’t bypass LinkedIn altogether, but Premium is probably beside the point.
- Standard LinkedIn Features Are Fine for Light Users
Not a habitual LinkedIn user? You won’t miss Premium’s extras. The free version is plenty powerful enough for occasional visitors.
- It Carries a Cost
The devil is in the details, as they say. Not everyone can afford to pay for yet another monthly subscription, especially not one they rarely use and don’t fully understand. You’ve got enough on your plate; LinkedIn Premium isn’t as irreplaceable as that Netflix subscription.
What’s Your Verdict?
Like any product or service, LinkedIn Premium is worth what you think it’s worth. If “what you think it’s worth” is more than the cost of your preferred plan, then it’s a sound investment. If you balk at the price and can’t justify paying so much each month for features you aren’t positive you’ll use, hold off. As we’ve seen, it’s possible to replicate many of LinkedIn’s value propositions elsewhere at lower cost.
