What LinkedIn Plan is Best for Your Business?

WSI Team
July 21, 2024


Editor's Note: This popular blog post about the available premium LinkedIn plans was updated in May 2024 to include new data.



In this blog post, we will examine the various LinkedIn plans offered and assist you in selecting the one that best meets your company's needs. LinkedIn is a vibrant destination for businesses and professionals, not just another social networking platform. With over 1 billion users globally, it has developed into a potent tool for networking, lead generation, and brand visibility. As a leader in digital marketing, we recognize LinkedIn's relevance and its crucial role in fostering business success. 

LinkedIn Plan Comparison

LinkedIn offers several plans to suit businesses' various demands. LinkedIn premium plans offer a range of features not available in the basic free version. These plans cater to users who want to maximize their networking opportunities and advance their careers.

The LinkedIn business premium plan, in particular, is designed for small to medium-sized businesses looking to boost their presence on the platform. It offers additional tools for lead generation, detailed analytics, and the ability to reach a larger audience.

For those looking for the best LinkedIn premium plan, the business premium option may be the most suitable, offering a comprehensive suite of tools to help businesses grow.

Let's examine the main LinkedIn plans and their salient characteristics:

LinkedIn Basic Account

What you get from a basic LinkedIn account is:

  • Primary access to LinkedIn's networking features is available with the free plan.
  • This free account allows you to connect with other LinkedIn members and create a professional profile.
  • The basic LinkedIn plan includes features such as messaging, networking, and job searching or looking for suitable candidates.
  • The basic account allows you to send 10 connection requests per month. 
  • Although it has some restrictions, such as restricted InMail messages and profile displays, it's a great place to start for startups with a small budget. InMail messages have an open rate of 85% compared to emails.
  • Optimize your LinkedIn profile with a professional photo and thorough job history, and choose relevant keywords to get the most out of the free plan.

While it may not have all the benefits of a paid LinkedIn account, you can still benefit from the platform and build your professional network. Having a basic LinkedIn account is a great way to start growing your online presence.

LinkedIn Premium Plans

LinkedIn offers three premium plans – Premium Career, Premium Business, and Sales Navigator – each tailored to meet the needs of different professionals, including digital marketers and businesses aiming to leverage LinkedIn for growth and networking. A LinkedIn plan is available for any business need.

How Much Does LinkedIn Premium Cost?

LinkedIn provides a premium membership option for users looking to gain access to premium features and enhance their use of LinkedIn. The cost of LinkedIn Premium varies depending on the premium career or premium business version of LinkedIn Premium that you choose. Many LinkedIn Premium members find the benefits of LinkedIn Premium to be worth the cost, as it allows them to engage in more advanced activities on LinkedIn and better promote their LinkedIn company page.

There are different LinkedIn Premium account types to choose from, each offering unique premium features tailored to suit individual needs. Whether you want to advance your career or grow your business, LinkedIn offers a premium business membership to help you achieve your goals. Many users find LinkedIn Premium worth the investment, as it allows for greater visibility and networking opportunities on the platform.
The prices range from anything between $30 and $100. 

1. LinkedIn Premium Career: Elevating Personal Branding and Opportunities

LinkedIn Premium Career is intended for people serious about developing their brands and careers. With the help of this plan, digital marketers and business owners can see who has visited their profile and assess the efficacy of their online presence. It provides sophisticated search criteria that let you find and get in touch with professionals in your field.

When applying for employment, Premium Career gives job seekers the opportunity to evaluate how they stack up against other candidates, giving them essential information about the competitive environment. Businesses that invest in employee personal branding can benefit significantly from Premium Career's ability to increase team members' visibility.

2. LinkedIn Premium Business: Facilitating Company Growth and Outreach

What is LinkedIn Premium Business? LinkedIn Premium Business is designed for companies wanting to expand their network reach and visibility. Digital marketers can establish direct connections with prospective customers, partners, or collaborators by using InMail credits to gain access to a broader network. Advanced insights into company pages and the ability to find people interested in your business improve lead generation efforts. In addition, Premium Business gives teams access to LinkedIn Learning, which helps them stay ahead of the constantly changing digital landscape. This plan is perfect for companies looking to grow their network, produce leads, and provide ongoing employee training.

3. LinkedIn Sales Navigator: Strategic Networking for Business Growth

Sales Navigator is an effective tool for digital marketers and companies prioritizing lead generation and strategic networking. It provides sophisticated lead and corporate search features that let you more precisely target your desired clientele. Sales Navigator facilitates prompt engagement and relationship development by providing real-time sales updates and notifications on lead activity. Tools like TeamLink, which helps find and use shared relationships for more cordial introductions, allow organizations to foster teamwork. Sales Navigator is a wise investment for companies looking to stay ahead of market trends, cultivate meaningful relationships, and optimize their sales pipeline.

The Difference Between LinkedIn Business Premium, LinkedIn Career Premium and Sales Navigator

In summary, while Premium Career enhances personal branding, the difference between LinkedIn Business Premium and Sales Navigator is that Premium Business facilitates company growth, and Sales Navigator is tailored for strategic networking and lead generation. The choice depends on digital marketers' and businesses' specific goals and priorities in their LinkedIn journey.

The Benefits of Choosing the Best LinkedIn Premium Plan

Making the best Premium LinkedIn plan choice for your company demands significant thought. The following are some essential considerations:

  • Determine your budget and how much you are willing to spend on LinkedIn marketing. Although premium plans are more expensive, they offer improved features that may be worthwhile.
  • When using LinkedIn, consider your target audience. Are you trying to make connections with business people, professionals, or a larger customer base?
  • Specify your company's goals on LinkedIn. Are leads, brand exposure, or hiring new people your top priorities?
  • Assess your content plan. Content producers can benefit from premium plans' enhanced visibility and access to analytics.

Sign up for a free trial if any of the features of LinkedIn would be beneficial for your business.

Case Studies On LinkedIn Premium Account Success

Let's look at a few real-world case examples to show how beneficial LinkedIn premium subscriptions are:

1. Leveraging Sales Navigator for B2B Success

Company A (names have been changed)

Challenge:

Company A, a B2B software provider, aimed to enhance its lead generation strategy by targeting specific industries and job opportunities.

Solution:

The company opted for LinkedIn's Sales Navigator, which enabled it to precisely identify and connect with potential leads in its target industries. With advanced search filters and real-time updates, it strategically engaged with decision-makers and key stakeholders.

Results:

Within three months of utilizing Sales Navigator, Company A experienced a remarkable 30% boost in lead generation. The platform's targeted approach empowered them to nurture meaningful connections, increasing business opportunities and market expansion.

2. Personal Branding Success with Premium Career

Professional: Sarah Johnson (names have been changed)

Challenge:

Sarah Johnson, a self-employed graphic designer, sought to expand her client base and showcase her portfolio to a global audience.

Solution:

Opting for LinkedIn's Premium Career plan, Sarah strategically utilized advanced search filters and personalized insights to identify potential clients. She displayed her impressive portfolio, leveraging the platform to enhance her personal brand and reach a broader audience.

Results:

By utilizing the Premium Career plan, Sarah received collaboration offers from clients abroad, significantly expanding her business. The plan's features allowed her to effectively showcase her skills and connect with a diverse range of clients, contributing to the substantial growth of her freelance graphic design business.

3. Premium Business Empowering Company Visibility

Company: ABC Marketing Agency (names have been changed)

Challenge:

ABC Marketing Agency aimed to strengthen its presence on LinkedIn, improve outreach, and generate leads for its services.

Solution:

The agency subscribed to LinkedIn's Premium Business plan, providing increased InMail credits for direct communication with potential clients. The plan's advanced analytics empowered the team to refine their outreach strategy, ensuring they connected with the right audience.

Results:

By leveraging the Premium Business plan, ABC Marketing Agency witnessed a notable increase in company visibility and lead generation. The enhanced analytics and InMail credits facilitated direct engagement, allowing the agency to build meaningful connections and secure new business opportunities.

These case studies demonstrate LinkedIn programs' adaptability and influence in various industries and business sizes. The different LinkedIn account types cater to the needs of both career vs business users, providing valuable business insights and sales navigator tools for professionals across the board. Whether you opt for a LinkedIn Premium Career Account or a free LinkedIn account, the platform offers LinkedIn help and support to all its users. Understanding LinkedIn pricing is crucial for deciding how much a Premium or Sales Navigator plan will cost you. The detailed comparison between LinkedIn Sales Navigator Core and Advanced Plus can help you make an informed choice regarding your LinkedIn outreach strategy.

For premium members, the LinkedIn premium price is a consideration when upgrading to a premium account. The LinkedIn Recruiter Lite option is also available for those looking to enhance their recruitment capabilities. With LinkedIn premium costs varying based on the features you require, it's important to determine how much LinkedIn is worth investing in for your business or career growth.

Further LinkedIn Tools

LinkedIn can give additional solutions in addition to subscription plans to help you with your marketing:

  • Run specialized advertising campaigns on LinkedIn to reach a particular audience.
  • Sponsored Content: You can increase your content's visibility by paying to have it show up in users' feeds.
  • Send customized communications with inMail campaigns to interact with prospects and decision-makers.

These resources can supplement the features of the LinkedIn plan you've chosen and improve the visibility and engagement of your company.

Success Monitoring and Evaluation

Key performance indicators (KPIs) allow for measuring success on LinkedIn. LinkedIn Premium includes tracking analytics like lead generation, relationship growth, engagement rates, and profile views. Using this information, adjust your outreach and content strategy. Adapt your strategies based on data-driven choices to guarantee ongoing success with your LinkedIn marketing initiatives.


The Best Digital Marketing Insight and Advice

The WSI Digital Marketing Blog is your go-to-place to get tips, tricks and best practices on all things digital marketing related. Check out our latest posts.

Subscribe Blog

I consent to WSI collecting my contact details and sending me digital communications.*

*You may unsubscribe from digital communications at anytime using the link provided in WSI emails.
For information on our privacy practices and commitment to protecting your privacy, check out our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Don't stop the learning now!

Here are some other blog posts you may be interested in.

Engagement That Actually Feels Human – Marketing Strategies for Hospitals

By Pamela Bell • April 21, 2025
In healthcare, engagement isn’t about slick apps or expensive campaigns, it’s about human connection. For regional hospitals with limited teams and tighter budgets, building authentic relationships with patients and the community often gets pushed aside. But here’s the truth: you don’t need a fancy tech stack or a 10-person comms department to engage meaningfully. What you need is a strategy rooted in relevance, consistency, and a voice that sounds like you. This blog is your guide to making patient and community engagement feel personal, approachable, and impactful, without burning out your team. Why Human Engagement Matters More Than Ever Today’s patients are overloaded with content, options, and distractions. If your hospital’s communication feels robotic, templated, or inconsistent, they’ll tune out. What sticks? Human stories. Timely information. Warmth. Empathy. Engagement that feels personal improves patient satisfaction, boosts reputation, and builds community trust. And for small hospitals, that trust is your greatest competitive advantage. Three Ways to Build Human-Centered Engagement (Without Extra Headcount) 1 . Share Real-Life Stories From Your Hospital People connect with people - not buildings, not procedures, not clinical language. One of the most powerful things you can do is spotlight the humans inside your hospital. Highlight Staff Members: Use your social channels and newsletters to feature short bios, quotes, or day-in-the-life posts about nurses, techs, volunteers, or maintenance staff. Celebrate Patients (With Consent): Share patient success stories, testimonials, or gratitude moments. Keep it simple, honest, and focused on the human experience, not the medical jargon. Recognize Community Wins: Did your team support a local health fair? Sponsor a charity run? Help with school vaccinations? Share the moment, tag partners, and thank the community. These stories don’t require professional photography or polished video. A photo from a smartphone and a heartfelt caption go a long way. 2. Build an Engagement Calendar (You’ll Actually Use) Engagement feels overwhelming when it’s done on the fly. A light, recurring content calendar keeps you consistent without overloading your staff. Weekly Ideas: Monday: Staff spotlight or local health tip Wednesday: Upcoming events or reminders (e.g., flu shots, clinic hours) Friday: Patient story or wellness quote Monthly Themes: February: Heart health awareness May: Mental health & stress relief October: Breast cancer screening awareness Use Canva or a basic spreadsheet to plan your posts. If you have a bit of budget, a scheduling tool like Buffer or Later can automate them for the month. 3. Keep the Tone Simple and Warm You don’t need to sound like a national ad campaign. In fact, you shouldn’t. When writing social posts or emails: Use plain language. Avoid medical jargon. Write like you speak. Would you say that sentence to a friend? Keep it short. Get to the point quickly. Add a touch of personality. Emojis, light humor, or local references make you more relatable. Example: ❌ “Our outpatient clinic offers comprehensive cardiac diagnostic protocols in accordance with the latest AHA guidelines.” ✅ “Got a heart health question? Our clinic team is here to help, walk-ins welcome every Wednesday!” T ools That Can Help (Without Breaking the Bank) You don’t need a major CRM or agency retainer to stay engaged. Here are a few tools small teams love: Canva: Design graphics, flyers, and social posts (free version works great!) Google Calendar: Use it to plan your monthly content themes Buffer/Later: Schedule social media in advance to save time Mailchimp: Send patient newsletters or updates with a user-friendly interface Google Forms: Collect feedback or event RSVPs easily What Engagement Actually Looks Like Still not sure what kind of content qualifies as “engaging”? Here are some examples: A short video from a nurse sharing a wellness tip A Facebook post asking, “What’s your favorite local walking trail?” A community photo album from your latest blood drive A behind-the-scenes look at your new clinic space A thank-you note to your weekend ER team (posted Monday morning!) Remember: engagement isn’t a campaign. It’s a habit. Small, regular acts of communication go much further than one big initiative you can’t sustain. You’ve Already Got the Heart, Now Show It You already have what your community wants: care, trust, and dedication. Your job isn’t to reinvent the wheel, it’s to make sure people feel it. Human-first engagement is how regional hospitals win attention and loyalty in a world full of noise. It’s how you show up even when you don’t have the biggest team or budget. Start simple. Start small. But start today. Want help planning your engagement calendar or building templates your team can run with? Let’s chat.

How to Boost Local Visibility for Your Hospital (Without Breaking the Bank)

By Pamela Bell • April 21, 2025
For regional and community hospitals, one of the biggest challenges isn’t delivering exceptional care, it’s making sure your community knows just how much you do. Despite offering life-saving services, wellness programs, and a dedicated staff, many local hospitals remain under the radar. But here’s the good news: You don’t need a massive advertising budget or a full-time marketing team to change that. A few focused, cost-effective strategies can dramatically increase your hospital's visibility and foster deeper community trust. 1. Make Your Providers and Services More Visible Your physicians and specialists are often your most powerful marketing tools. Community members may not know the full range of services your hospital offers, or that top-tier care is available just down the street. What to Do: Feature provider spotlights on your website and social media. Share short interviews, photos, or fun facts to humanize your team. Use local keywords in your website copy, such as "pediatrician in [Town Name]" or "[Your Hospital] women's health clinic." Promote services seasonally, like flu shots in the fall or heart health screenings in February. 2. Leverage Local Partnerships Visibility often starts with collaboration. Partnering with organizations already embedded in your community helps spread the word and build credibility. Ideas to Try: Co-host events with local schools, fire departments, or libraries (e.g., CPR classes, back-to-school wellness days). Sponsor a youth sports team or run a booth at community fairs. Collaborate on health education with churches, local nonprofits, or community centers. These small partnerships can lead to bigger conversations about what your hospital brings to the table. 3. Use Social Media for Local Engagement It doesn’t take daily posts or viral videos to get noticed. What your audience craves is connection. Quick Wins: Post weekly community updates, such as staff birthdays, upcoming events, or behind-the-scenes photos. Highlight local stories: Share success stories (with consent), patient milestones, or new staff introductions. Tag local businesses and partners to increase reach and show community involvement. The goal? Make your social feed feel less like an ad and more like a neighborhood bulletin board. 4. Update Your Google Business Profile When locals search "hospital near me" or "urgent care [town name]," your hospital should be front and center. An optimized Google Business Profile is the key to showing up in those results. Make Sure To: Add up-to-date hours, services, and contact info. Post regular updates or announcements. Upload photos of your facility, staff, or events. Respond to reviews, even a simple thank-you builds goodwill. 5. Get Featured in Local Media (Without Paying for Ads) Don’t underestimate the power of traditional local outlets. News stations, radio shows, and community papers are often eager to spotlight positive stories. How to Start: Reach out with press releases about new programs, equipment, or awards. Offer your experts as sources for seasonal stories ("Flu Trends in [County Name]"). Invite reporters to behind-the-scenes tours or wellness events. When local media sees you as a trusted source, you get exposure money can’t buy. Your hospital may not have the budget of a large healthcare system, but you do have the trust, proximity, and heart that national brands can’t replicate. By focusing on local visibility strategies that highlight your people, services, and community impact, you can build the kind of awareness that not only increases visits but deepens loyalty. You don’t need to shout louder than the competition. You just need to show up consistently, connect genuinely, and make it clear: your hospital is here for the community, because you are part of the community. Want help making your hospital more visible online and offline? Let’s talk strategy.

How to Get Your Community More Engaged with Your Hospital

By Pamela Bell • April 21, 2025
Regional hospitals have a golden opportunity to deepen connections with their communities, but community engagement doesn't just happen, it requires intention, strategy, and a local-first mindset. When done right, it can elevate patient trust, increase service usage, and position your hospital as a cornerstone of local health and wellness. In this blog, we’ll walk through practical, high-impact ways to strengthen your hospital’s community engagement, no massive budget or large marketing team required. 1. Show Up Locally (Online and Offline) Community engagement starts with visibility. If your hospital isn't consistently showing up where locals spend their time, you're missing out on trust-building moments. Offline Ideas: Sponsor or host local health fairs, charity events, or school wellness programs. Offer CPR or first aid training sessions to the public. Partner with local businesses for cross-promotional health campaigns. Online Ideas: Post weekly health tips from your physicians on Facebook and Instagram. Highlight behind-the-scenes content of your team, from nurses to janitorial staff. Use geo-targeted social ads to promote upcoming events or service lines. 2. Tell Stories that Matter People don’t connect with clinical data, they connect with human stories. When you share the emotional impact your hospital has on real people, you build trust. Try This: Share short videos or blog posts featuring patients (with permission), nurses, and local heroes. Highlight how your hospital supported a local family during a crisis. Feature new staff and celebrate their connection to the community. 3. Make Health Education a Priority Education builds credibility. Hosting regular, accessible educational events positions your hospital as a trusted guide for health and wellness. Ideas for Local Health Education: Monthly "Ask the Doctor" live Q&A sessions on Facebook. A blog series or newsletter on seasonal topics like flu prevention, allergies, or mental health. Partner with local schools to provide guest speakers or workshops. 4. Involve the Community in Your Wins Whether you’re opening a new wing, launching a new service, or celebrating staff awards, let your community be part of it. Turn milestones into engagement moments. How: Host ribbon-cutting events or open houses. Share "Thank You" posts when you receive community support or donations. Invite feedback on new programs through polls or surveys on social media. 5. Actively Listen and Respond Engagement is a two-way street. If your hospital is only broadcasting messages but never replying, you're missing half the conversation. Do This: Respond to reviews with professionalism and care, both the good and the not-so-good. Ask questions on social media: "What community health topic would you like us to cover next?" Encourage and repost community-generated content (like someone tagging your hospital in a thank-you post). Your hospital isn’t just a building. It’s a community lifeline, a source of comfort, and a trusted voice in local healthcare. When you consistently engage with your community online and offline, you build loyalty that goes far beyond appointment bookings. Need help turning these ideas into action? Let’s build a strategy that connects. Book a Free Community Engagement Strategy Session
Show More