While talking about platforms where one can build a professional relationship with clients and employees, then LinkedIn tops the list. Founded by Reid Hoffman, this platform has been increasing its user base since its birth. It has also successfully placed itself among the list of fastest-growing social media networking platforms.
However, even today, many people aren't aware of this platform. LinkedIn is a professional platform where clients and employees can build professional relationships with each other. With about more than 660 million users and 9 million companies, LinkedIn is still expanding its community of professionals. Before moving ahead, let's have a look at some company highlights about LinkedIn.
LinkedIn - Company Highlights
| Company Name | |
|---|---|
| Founding Year | 2003 |
| Headquarters | Sunnyvale, California, United States |
| Industry | Professional Networking, Social Media |
| CEO | Ryan Roslansky |
| Founder | Reid Hoffman |
| Parent Company | Microsoft Corporation |
How does LinkedIn make money? Did this question pop up in your mind? Well, we have discussed the company highlights of LinkedIn. Now, we shall be unveiling the revenue sources of LinkedIn. But, before that, let's discuss the services offered and provided by LinkedIn? So, what are you waiting for? Just keep scrolling and knowing.
LinkedIn Services
LinkedIn Business Model
LinkedIn Acquisitions & Partnerships
Conclusion
FAQs
LinkedIn Services
LinkedIn is a free platform for everyone. However, there are some premium services which the company offers and provides its user base. The key services include:
- Talent Solutions
- Marketing Solutions
Talent Solutions
Talent solutions refer to all those services which are offered to companies, including recruiters. This is a premium feature that helps them to hire the most suitable and appropriate candidate who would meet all their requirements. Apart from this, it even offers businesspeople the perfect partner for expanding their business. The key services offered by LinkedIn under Talent Solutions includes:
- LinkedIn Recruiter
- Recruitment Media
- Work With Us Ads
- Job Slots
- Career Pages
Apart from these advantages which LinkedIn provides to its users registered as recruiters, it's also a boon for employees. It helps them enhance and hone their skills with millions of courses that are available in premium versions.
Now, you might be wondering why LinkedIn? While there are other job portals, why is LinkedIn so popular? Then, let me tell you this. On other job portals, the users need to look for jobs themselves. However, on LinkedIn, users need to exhibit their skills and talents which will make them their brand and attract recruiters. Well, this is one of the key services offered by LinkedIn.
Pratyusha Srivastava
Marketing Solutions
Along with talent solutions, LinkedIn also provides marketing solutions. Do you want to know how it does so? Then, let's dive deeper. Besides being a professional platform, LinkedIn also lets companies launch and execute their perfect marketing strategies in their campaigns. The company can have its page on LinkedIn. In addition to this, the company can also improve their efforts in marketing by using tools for the creation of:
- Sponsored Content
- Sponsored Email
- Text Ads
Both these services provided by LinkedIn also contribute to its methods of generation of revenue.
LinkedIn Business Model
We know that Facebook and other social networking sites make their money by advertising. However, LinkedIn has an entirely different model for the generation of its revenue. The business model of LinkedIn may be classified into the following types:
- Business solutions
- Premium Subscriptions
- Acquisitions & Partnerships
Let's discuss these terms in detail.
Business solutions
LinkedIn is the most popular professional platform where everyone can join. Every user joins LinkedIn for various purposes. Some users join to find suitable jobs. On the other hand, some others join for generating leads or learning key concepts of business. LinkedIn has solutions for satisfying every user's needs. The two basic business solutions provided by LinkedIn include talent solutions and marketing solutions.
Talent solutions contribute about 65% to the business model of LinkedIn. In addition to this, marketing solutions are about 18% of the business model of LinkedIn. This is how LinkedIn provides a vast arena for recruiters and employees. Both of these communities are benefited from this learn and earn platform. This is how LinkedIn makes money by providing business solutions.
Premium Subscriptions
Not all users join LinkedIn for the same purpose. This is why LinkedIn offers certain features and plans for its premium users. These premium features and plans are specially designed according to the demands of the user. The basic premium subscriptions available includes:
- Career
- Business Plus
- Sales Navigator
- Recruiter Lite
Let's know more about each of these subscriptions.
Career Solutions
The features offered to the users by the Career Solutions subscription of LinkedIn include:
- Expand your audience base.
- Enhance and increase the visibility of their profile.
- Know about people visiting your profile in detail.
- Gain access to numerous professional video courses.
- Get to know about the salary insights of various jobs and positions.
Seema Banerjee
Business Plus
The features offered to the users by the Business Plus subscription of LinkedIn include:
- Search for and look at an unlimited number of profiles.
- Gain access to the InMail feature of LinkedIn by which one can connect and contact any LinkedIn user.
Sales Navigator
In this Sales Navigator subscription, premium users enjoy the privilege to boost up their strategies of social selling. There are various tools such as InMail, enhanced search, saved leads, sale insights, and lead recommendations. All these tools are very beneficial for marketers and businesspersons.
Recruiter Lite
This feature can be called the simpler version of the Talent Solutions Feature. Apart from the basic features, the other features offered to the users by this subscription includes:
- Automatic tracking of candidates.
- Smart and enhanced suggestions.
- Designing websites specific to those of ideal recruiters.
- Integrated hiring of employees.
These premium subscriptions of LinkedIn help LinkedIn to generate revenue.
LinkedIn Acquisitions & Partnerships
LinkedIn has acquired and has extended partnerships with other brand platforms which contribute to its business model. The platforms and companies acquired and partnered by LinkedIn include:
- Linkedin Learning
- SlideShare
LinkedIn Learning is an acquisition of LinkedIn which was previously known as Lynda. However, the operating model of the platform remains the same where it continues to be an e-learning platform. The users can have a revenue model after buying a subscription. They can even learn various professional skills via videos.
SlideShare is a slide hosting platform acquired by LinkedIn in 2013. This platform allows users to upload and post their PowerPoint, OpenDocument, keynote, and PDF both in public and private mode.
All these acquisitions and partnerships have even helped LinkedIn generate its revenue.
Conclusion
The business model of LinkedIn is quite different and unique from other networking platforms. It's a very beneficial platform where even surfing and scrolling helps you in your growth and development. This is how it stands away from Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram.
The platform hasn't gained enough popularity. However, with its amazing features both at free and premium platforms the company is growing. Over the years, it has gained the trust of its users and has been the first preference both for recruiters and employers.
FAQs
What is LinkedIn How does it work?
LinkedIn is an online platform to connect with professionals and grow your professional network worldwide.
Does LinkedIn cost money?
LinkedIn provides free Social networking service. There are additional features provided by LinkedIn which are paid services.
How does LinkedIn make its money?
LinkedIn's makes money through its talent solutions, marketing solutions, and premium subscriptions.
Is LinkedIn for business free?
Anyone with a company name and company email address can create a LinkedIn Company Page within minutes. The best part is that it's free and easy
Author: Sushree Sangeeta Behera
Source : https://startuptalky.com/linkedin-business-model/
Date : 2021-08-26T08:51:36.000Z