LinkedIn is a social network for the business community. Founded in 2002, the site is a place for professionals to connect with their former and current colleagues, increase the number of business contacts, network within their sectors, discuss business ideas, look for jobs and hire new vacancies.
LinkedIn users create professional, biographical profiles that allow other site members to learn more about their jobs, areas of expertise, and the groups and organizations they belong to. After creating user profiles, other users can add them to their networks.
Profiles also have options to include what a user is working on and when they can travel, or a status update that offers advice if needed, so that people on another user’s network can see it. There is also a feature that allows non-LinkedIn users to view the allowed profile sections.
Key features of LinkedIn:
- Stay in touch : With
people changing jobs frequently, LinkedIn allows users to stay up to date on where people in their professional networks work and how they connect with them. - Get help:
When a user’s communication network can’t help with a business problem, two LinkedIn flags (Answers and Groups) allow them to connect with professionals through trusted presentations. - Search for a job :
LinkedIn’s job feature allows users to search thousands of employment lists by filling out an application directly on the site. The application and the user’s LinkedIn profile are sent directly to the potential employer. - Get New Employees:
Managers can use LinkedIn to find candidates with certain skills and experience.
LinkedIn currently has more than 160 million members in the United States and 610 million worldwide . LinkedIn members include 92% of Fortune 500 executives and 77% of employers on LinkedIn .
How can you use LinkedIn personally?
When using LinkedIn for beginners, it’s easy to overlook some of the valuable features the site provides for personal users. First, you need to create a profile. Think of it as a professional biography.
From there, you can create blog posts, comment on articles, and join groups. You can even look for a job or register as a freelancer.
Using LinkedIn Pulse , you can show thought leadership to gain a perfect reputation among your peers in your industry. This news collection servicecollects high quality articles from major media outlets mixed with LinkedIn users’ posts.
Also, consider asking your coworkers, customers, and coworkers to support you in your endeavors. They serve as a kind of recommendation for potential employers. You are in control of what you do.
What is LinkedIn Business?
LinkedIn allows you to create a business profile for your business organization. From there, you can create job ads, search through profiles to get information about potential customers and sellers and others.
LinkedIn is a comprehensive platform dedicated to self-marketing , especially for B2B (From Business to Business) businesses . In 2016 , LinkedIn was acquired by Microsoft, which has long appealed to enterprise users.
Built for professionals, LinkedIn is an excellent lead-generation platform. You can target potential customers by industry, company, job title, and more to start connecting with the people who care most about your business.
Is LinkedIn free?
LinkedIn is basically free for a membership, but your options are limited here. You can only send messages to people in your network, and you have limited information about the last five people who viewed your profile. Searches are limited to 100 results, and you can’t do more advanced searches.
Again, a free LinkedIn membership has the benefit of including you among your professional colleagues. A free LinkedIn account allows you to create a portfolio, add people to your professional network, join groups, create groups and write blog posts.
This is a great way for beginners to be explored by a wider professional audience.
What is LinkedIn Premium?
If you want more powerful features, you should switch to LinkedIn Premium. This will allow you to see more than 100 standard search results. It is also possible to save more than three searches allowed by a free account. Premium account is the choice of businesses that want to manage multiple profiles from a single-center panel.
With a premium account, you can see anyone who has viewed your profile in the last 90 days . A Premium LinkedIn member can send and receive messages to any user at no extra charge. There are 3 types of paid LinkedIn Premium options.
What are LinkedIn’s paid options?
There are 3 types of LinkedIn Premium: Business , Business Plus and Pro . Each has a different price, a different limit, and helps businesses with their needs.
- Business accounts for LinkedIn Business spend $ 29.95 a month. This allows them to have 3 InMail (messages to people outside your network) per month, 300 profiles to search, and 5 folders in Profile Organizer.
LinkedIn Business Plus accounts cost $ 49.95 per month and allow you to get 10 InMail (messages to people outside your network) per month, 500 profiles to search, and 25 folders in Profile Organizer. - LinkedIn Pro costs $ 499.95 per month, and you can get 50 InMail (messages to people outside your network) per month, search 700 profiles, and 25 folders in Profile Organizer .
- In addition, LinkedIn Premium includes employers, job seekers and sales navigators, as well as these types of paid accounts.
LinkedIn Recruiter Lite (for employers) is $ 99.95 per month , and corporate $ 825 per month. Job seekers pay $ 29.99 to $ 59.99 a month, and salespeople pay $ 79.99 a month. These subscriptions have strong user features aimed at specific audiences.
LinkedIn for beginners
Getting started on LinkedIn is easy. Just go to LinkedIn.com and click “Join Now” on the right side of the screen . The site will introduce you to the process of setting up your profile, filling out your portfolio and experience, adding people you know professionally, and joining groups or following interests. You can explore the whole site from there.
