As a small business consultant who has leveraged LinkedIn to grow my professional network and client base, I highly recommend tapping into LinkedIn Premium‘s powerful features – especially if you can access them without paying!
Premium provides tools to boost your business‘s visibility, connect with influential leaders in your industry, and gain data-driven insights on your brand‘s reputation and reach. Here are the need-to-know details on scoring free Premium in 2024 as an enterprising business or career-building student.
Why Go Premium?
Before diving into the how-tos, let‘s examine why you should care about getting Premium access:
- Expanded network potential – message up to 30,000 users you‘re not connected to each month with InMail credits
- Granular analytics – utilization metrics on who‘s viewing/engaging with your profile and posts
- Job seeker advantages – apply with 1-click, see salary ranges, and stand out to recruiters
- Unlimited profile visits – view all visitors and full profiles beyond just recent visits
These perks can be especially powerful for:
- Students – connect with alumni at companies you want to work for
- Small business owners – identify influencers to partner with or media outlets to pitch
- Entrepreneurs – research competitors, suppliers, or potential hires
But Premium comes at a steep cost – up to $79.99 per month for the top Insights plan. The good news? You can unlock these tools for free…
1. Embrace the Free Trial
The most straightforward approach to test Premium temporarily is signing up for LinkedIn‘s free 30-day trial. All you need is an existing LinkedIn account and a credit card (that won‘t get charged unless you forget to cancel ahead of time).
In one month, you can leverage Premium‘s capabilities to:
- Send InMails to 100+ potential partners or hires
- Review full analytics on content and Company Page engagement
- Access over 15,000 expert-led courses on everything from social media strategy to accounting fundamentals
Set calendar reminders so you remember to cancel the auto-renew before getting billed!
2. Take Advantage of Student Offers
Currently enrolled college and graduate students have access to the LinkedIn Premium Career plan for free thanks to exclusive discounts.
Activate your discount through Unidays or SheerID using your school email address. You‘ll unlock features like:
- InMail messages to reach out cold to recruiters
- Interview prep and coaching resources
- 6-month Premium extension after graduating
Thisalso gives you a chance to experience Premium before entering the workforce long-term.
3. Explore Microsoft Perks
Thanks to LinkedIn‘s acquisition by Microsoft, Premium memberships come bundled with certain Microsoft programs.
If you have an active Office 365 Education subscription, you can claim a full year of Premium access through this portal.
Additionally, the Microsoft Developer Network now encompasses LinkedIn‘s entire learning course library for Azure cloud developers. An MSDN subscription provides 12 months of Premium to view all 7,000+ expert-led videos and tutorials.
4. Attend Live Events in 2024
At conferences, seminars, and networking socials, in-person engagement with the LinkedIn brand often comes with the perk of unlocking Premium temporarily.
Keep an eye out for LinkedIn-hosted local events related to business, entrepreneurship, marketing, or technology. Then be sure to investigate if premium trials or coupons are offered in attendance or swag bags.
5. Refer Friends for Free Months
While not well publicized, you can earn free months of Premium by getting others to sign up!
If 3 friends purchase their first Premium subscription after clicking your referral link, you‘ll get 1 month free.
I advise entrepreneurs make sharing your own results from Premium‘s marketing analytics or recruiting tools part of the pitch!
Are You Ready to Go Pro?
While premium Business and Sales Navigator packages still require sizable financial investment, individuals focused on professional development and networking can unlock Core Premium tools for free through 2023 and beyond.
I highly recommend all students and aspiring entrepreneurs rev up their LinkedIn presence using the tips outlined above. The measurable career and business growth opportunities unlocked are well worth the effort to claim free access.
With some strategic planning, you can build professional brand authority and connections using LinkedIn Premium without paying a dime all year long. Feel free to connect with me via LinkedIn message as well if you have any other questions!
