LinkedIn is a social media platform/networking site that allows users to connect with other professionals, search for jobs, and find potential clients. With more than 740 million users in over 200 countries, LinkedIn is one of the largest and most popular professional networking platforms in the world.
In addition to its core networking and job search functions, LinkedIn offers a range of products and services through its LinkedIn Business Solutions division. These products and services include LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, LinkedIn Talent Solutions, LinkedIn Learning, LinkedIn Sales Solutions, and LinkedIn Learning Solutions.
How does LinkedIn Make Money?
Business solutions, talent solutions, marketing solutions, sales solutions, and premium subscriptions are just a few of the ways LinkedIn generates revenue.
Let’s now examine each of these revenue sources in more detail and see how they fit into LinkedIn’s business model.
Business Solutions
LinkedIn Business Solutions is a suite of products and services designed to help businesses of all sizes connect with potential customers, find, and hire top talent, and market their products and services to a professional audience.
Talent solutions
LinkedIn Talent Solutions offers a range of recruiting tools for businesses, including job postings, applicant tracking systems, and recruitment analytics. It also includes a database of millions of job candidates and tools for finding and contacting potential hires.
Some of the features and benefits of LinkedIn Talent Solutions include:
- Job postings: LinkedIn Talent Solutions allows businesses to post open positions on the platform, making it easier for job seekers to find opportunities that match their skills and experience.
- Applicant tracking systems: LinkedIn Talent Solutions includes tools for managing and tracking job applications, including the ability to create and manage tasks, set reminders, and collaborate with team members.
- Recruitment analytics: LinkedIn Talent Solutions includes analytics tools that allow businesses to track their recruitment efforts and identify trends and opportunities for improvement.
- Candidate search: LinkedIn Talent Solutions includes a database of millions of job candidates, as well as advanced search filters that allow businesses to find and contact potential hires based on their location, industry, job title, and other criteria.
Marketing Solutions
LinkedIn Marketing Solutions allows businesses to advertise on LinkedIn and target specific audiences based on their demographics and professional interests. It also includes tools for creating and managing campaigns, analyzing performance, and optimizing results.
Advertising is a major source of revenue for LinkedIn. The LinkedIn company page displays ads to its users, both on its website and in its mobile app. These ads can be targeted to specific audiences based on the demographics and professional interests of LinkedIn users. LinkedIn offers a range of ad formats, including sponsored content, sponsored InMail credits, and display ads.
Premium Subscriptions
LinkedIn Premium is a subscription service offered by LinkedIn that provides users with access to additional features and tools beyond those available in the free version of the platform. There are several different levels of LinkedIn Premium, each with its own set of features and pricing.
Some of the features and benefits of LinkedIn Premium include:
- The ability to see who has viewed your LinkedIn profile
- The ability to send messages to users outside your network
- Advanced search filters
LinkedIn Premium subscriptions are available on a monthly or annual basis, with prices ranging from $29.99 per month to $59.99 per month, depending on the level of service you choose. Businesses can also purchase LinkedIn account Premium subscriptions for their employees as part of a corporate account.
Sales solutions
LinkedIn Sales Solutions is a suite of products and services designed to help sales professionals connect with potential customers, track, and manage leads, and analyze sales performance. It is a part of LinkedIn Business Solutions, which offers a range of tools such as LinkedIn sales navigator and services for businesses looking to grow and succeed in today’s competitive marketplace.
Some of the features and benefits of LinkedIn Sales Solutions include:
- Lead generation: LinkedIn Sales Solutions includes tools for finding and connecting with potential customers, such as advanced search filters and the ability to see who has viewed your profile.
- Lead management: LinkedIn Sales Solutions includes tools for tracking and managing leads, such as the ability to create and track tasks, set reminders, and collaborate with team members.
- Sales analytics: LinkedIn Sales Solutions includes analytics tools that allow you to track your sales performance and identify trends and opportunities for improvement.
- Sales training and development: LinkedIn Sales Solutions includes access to LinkedIn Learning, a library of online courses and training materials on a wide range of professional development topics, including sales skills and techniques.
Acquisitions and Partnerships
LinkedIn is a professional networking platform that has made several acquisitions and partnerships over the years to expand its services and capabilities.
One of LinkedIn’s most notable acquisitions was the purchase of Lynda.com in 2015 for $1.5 billion. Lynda.com was an online learning platform that offered courses on a wide range of professional development topics, including business, technology, and design.
By acquiring Lynda.com, LinkedIn was able to add a new element to its business model by offering online courses and training materials to its users.
In addition to acquisitions, LinkedIn has also entered several partnerships to expand its reach and offerings. For example, in 2020, LinkedIn announced a partnership with Microsoft Teams, allowing users of the collaboration platform to access LinkedIn features directly from Teams.
This partnership allows LinkedIn to tap into the large user base of Microsoft Teams and expand its reach to a new audience.
Another example of a partnership is LinkedIn’s collaboration with Coursera, an online learning platform that offers courses from top universities and educational institutions. Through this partnership, LinkedIn users can access Coursera courses directly from the LinkedIn platform, further expanding the company’s offerings in the e-learning space.
Career Solutions
LinkedIn Career Solutions is a suite of products and services designed to help professionals find and advance in their careers. It is a part of LinkedIn Business Solutions, which offers a range of tools and services for businesses looking to grow and succeed in today’s competitive marketplace.
Some of the features and benefits of LinkedIn Career Solutions include:
- Job search: LinkedIn Career Solutions includes a job search function that allows a person to search for open positions based on their location, industry, job title, and other criteria. It also includes tools for creating and managing job alerts, as well as the ability to apply for jobs directly through the platform.
- Professional development: LinkedIn Career Solutions includes access to LinkedIn Learning, a library of online courses, and training materials on a wide range of professional development topics. Users can access these courses to learn new skills and advance their careers.
- Resume building: LinkedIn Career Solutions includes tools for creating and updating professional resumes, including templates and examples to help users create an effective resume.
- Networking: LinkedIn is a professional networking platform, and LinkedIn Career Solutions includes tools and resources for users to connect with other professionals and build their networks. This can help find job opportunities, get advice and guidance from others in the industry, and build professional relationships.
Revenue, Valuation, And Funding
LinkedIn is a publicly traded company, so its revenue, valuation, and funding information are available to the public.
Revenue: LinkedIn generates revenue through a combination of advertising, premium subscriptions, and the sale of its recruiting tools to businesses. In the fiscal year 2022, Annual LinkedIn’s revenue amounted to more than 13.8 billion U.S. dollars, up from 8 billion U.S. years during the 2020 fiscal period.
Source: Statista
Valuation: LinkedIn’s valuation/net worth is determined by the market value of its outstanding shares of stock. As of December 2021, the company’s market capitalization (the total value of its outstanding shares) was approximately $61 billion.
Funding: Before its IPO in 2011, LinkedIn raised a total of $200 million in venture capital funding from investors such as Greylock Partners and Sequoia Capital. The company did not raise any additional funding after going public.
(Source: Crunchbase)
A Short History of LinkedIn
LinkedIn was founded in 2002 by Reid Hoffman, Allen Blue, Konstantin Guericke, Eric Ly, and Jean-Luc Vaillant. The company was initially launched as a platform for professionals to connect and share job opportunities.
Over the next few years, LinkedIn grew rapidly, adding new features and expanding internationally. In 2006, the company introduced a premium subscription service, which provided users with access to additional features such as the ability to see who had viewed their profile and send messages to people outside their network.
In 2011, LinkedIn went public, raising more than $353 million in its initial public offering (IPO). The company’s stock price soared following the IPO, and LinkedIn became one of the most successful tech companies to go public in the years following the dot-com bubble.
In the years since its IPO, LinkedIn has continued to grow and expand, adding new features and acquiring other companies. In 2016, the company was acquired by Microsoft for $26.2 billion. Today, LinkedIn is one of the largest professional networking platforms in the world, providing features to build a premium business. with more than 740 million users in over 200 countries
Source: Business Of Apps
In conclusion, LinkedIn is a valuable resource for professionals looking to connect with others in their industry, find job opportunities, and grow their businesses. With its extensive network of professionals and wide range of tools and services, LinkedIn is a powerful platform for building and advancing careers.