What is LinkedIn Open Profile?

It’s your a regular workday and your manager asked you to find leads for a new campaign, so you started with LinkedIn Sales Navigator and start scanning profiles.

Then you notice a little tag that says “Open.” Maybe you’ve seen it before, but what does it actually been used up for apart from just sending messages and another profile detail?

To be honest LinkedIn’s Open Profile feature is a great tool if you’re in sales or marketing, it can be a game-changer for how you connect, pitch, and build relationships.

In this post we will explore everything you need to know about LinkedIn Open Profiles, and advanced strategies for leveraging this feature to drive your B2B lead generation efforts.

What is a LinkedIn Open Profile?

An Open Profile on LinkedIn is an upgraded account feature and it enables members to receive messages from a LinkedIn member, whether directly connected or not, LinkedIn's policy limiting direct messaging to first-degree connections or users sharing a group for those members who are not an upgraded one.

This makes the profile more accessible to potential connections.

According to LinkedIn's official documentation, when you enable the Open Profile feature, you'll see an "Open Profile" badge on your profile.

This is a signal to others that you're open to receiving messages from anyone on the platform.

Open LinkedIn Profile vs Standard Profiles

Below we have given a difference between the standard and LinkedIn open profile:

Feature	Standard LinkedIn Profile	LinkedIn Open Profile
Direct Messaging	Limited to 1st-degree connections	Can receive messages from any LinkedIn member
Messaging Access	Requires connection or InMail credits	Others can message without connection or InMail
Networking Capabilities	Basic networking	Enhanced networking
Cost	Free	Requires LinkedIn Premium subscription
Visibility	Standard profile	“Open Profile” badge displayed

According to recent data from LinkedIn, it shows premium users with Open Profiles receive approximately 2x more connection requests and messages than standard users.

How to Find Open Profiles for Outreach and Lead Generation

Well I hope you might have understand what open profile are and how you can use them sounds easy right

here’s the catch: LinkedIn doesn’t let you filter directly for “Open Profiles.”

But that doesn’t mean you cant get more LinkedIn open profiles on your search results with just a small difference. Open Profiles are tied to Premium accounts, so the quickest way to spot them is by targeting Premium users in your search.

There are few ways of finding people open profiles:

Manual search in your network:

Find some one in your network or who have a open profile to message.

If you need a better solution try Outx.ai it will cut short you people tracking with automated algorithms from literally hours to just minutes

Filtered Search:

Since LinkedIn removed the email-invite trick, the Services filter is a handy way to find and message the right people.

Here’s the process:

Go to LinkedIn search and type “people.”
Click All Filters on the right.
Scroll down to the Services section.
Select the services relevant to your outreach (e.g., Marketing, Operations, Consulting).
Hit Show Results and filter by People.

You’ll now see profiles in that service category many of whom allow messages from non-connections. It’s a bit manual, but it’s targeted, and that’s the whole point.

Leveraging Sales Navigator:

Use filters like seniority, industry, job title, and company size to build your ideal lead list.
Within that list, keep an eye out for the “Premium” badge on profiles. A good chunk of these users will also have their profile set to Open.
If you’re targeting consultants, coaches, or service providers, your chances go up even more—many of them keep their profile open to make it easier for potential clients to reach them.
Once you spot the “Open” tag on their profile, you can message them directly without burning an InMail credit.

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It’s not a one-click filter, but mixing Premium + service-based roles usually gives you a pool of leads with a higher chance of being Open Profiles Check out our previous blog for better understanding: How Many LinkedIn Messages Can I Send in a Day

Benefits of LinkedIn Open Profile for Sales Professionals

1. Expanded Reach for Prospecting

Using an Open Profile, sales professionals can receive messages from clients who might have shown interest on products or services.

According to a Hubspot report in 2023, sales reps who used LinkedIn's premium features, saw a 35% increase in lead generation as compared to those who use basic accounts.

2. Removing Gatekeepers

In B2B sales, finding decision-makers can be bit challenging due to organizational gatekeepers. So an Open Profile can provide you with an entry point for prospective clients to contact you directly without having to overcome usual obstacles, This provides more chances for significant conversations and conversions.

3. Building Thought Leadership

Having the Open Profile badge shows that you are willing to engage more broadly with the professional community than simply friends and connections you have made. Getting this further cemented increases your stature as a thought leader.

According to the Content Marketing Institute, 96% of B2B buyers want content from industry thought leaders; this positioning is priceless.

4. Enhanced Lead Qualification

When people message you directly, you can get potential leads more efficiently since you’ll be addressing their specific concerns very early in the sales process.

Benefits of LinkedIn Open Profile for Marketing Professionals

1. Direct Access to Target Audience Insights

An Open Profile gives you unsolicited feedback and questions from targeted audience, this provids valuable insights for campaign optimization and content creation.

According to a survey by Demand Gen Report, 67% of B2B marketers say that understanding the needs of a buyer is their biggest challenge Open Profiles help bridge this knowledge gap.

2. Influencer and Partnership Opportunities

By being more accessible, marketing professionals attract potential collaboration opportunities with industry influencers and complementary businesses.

A recent LinkedIn Business report indicates that brands that collaborate with industry influencers see 7x more engagement on their content.

Source: Working with B2B Creators: Collaborate with Confidence, LinkedIn, 2025

3. Competitor Intelligence Gathering

An Open Profile can occasionally result in communications from competitors or adjacent businesses, this provides valuable intelligence about market trends and competitor activities.

According to a Crayon Competitive Intelligence Study, 41% of businesses now have dedicated competitive intelligence functions Open Profiles can complement all these efforts.

Real-World Success Stories

Case Study 1: B2B Software Sales Executive

James Chen, an enterprise sales executive at a SaaS company, One day he decided to give LinkedIn’s Open Profile feature a try, hoping to expand his reach.

He made effort to improve his profile first then started sharing insights about the SaaS industry, which showcased his expertise through thoughtful posts. The result? Within just three months, he got 47 potential clients from outside his network reached out to him directly.

From those, he got 12 promising leads and closed three deals, bringing in over $180,000. "It was like my LinkedIn profile became a lead-generating engine, working for me around the clock," James shared, still amazed at how a simple tweak opened so many doors.

Case Study 2: Marketing Agency Director

Sarah Williams, she’s a director at a B2B marketing agency, One day she saw the Open Profile feature as and thought of it as a chance to establish herself as a go-to expert in her field.

She then started sharing practical, valuable tips, trends, and strategies which resonated with her audience. She kept her profile open and approachable, this caught the attention of service providers who reached out to her for partnership.

Then over next six months, those connections led to five co-marketing initiatives, which exposed her agency to roughly 40,000 new potential clients.

On this Sarah Said "It wasn’t just about visibility, It was about building real relationships that helped our agency grow in ways I hadn’t imagined."

Best Practices for Maximizing Your LinkedIn Open Profile

To get the most value from your Open Profile, consider these strategies:

1. Refine Your Profile Before Going "Open"

Before shifting to Open Profile, ensure your LinkedIn profile is fully refined with:

A professional headline that clearly says your value proposition
A compelling summary which address your targeted audience
Relevant experience and accomplishments that builds credibility.
Recommendations that validate your expertise

According to LinkedIn's research, profiles with complete information receive 40% more opportunities.

2. Develop a Response Strategy

With more people able to message you, it's crucial to have an efficient response strategy:

Create templates for common inquiries to save time
Set aside specific times each day to respond to messages
Consider using LinkedIn's "Smart Replies" feature for quick acknowledgments

3. Balance Accessibility with Focus

While being open to messages is valuable, it's important to maintain focus on high-priority prospects:

Develop criteria for prioritizing incoming messages like evaluating profiles or agency based of on age in the industry
Use LinkedIn's tagging features to organize contacts
Set boundaries to manage expectations
Consider using LinkedIn's "Away" status during busy periods.

B2B marketers who regularly track performance are 1.7x more likely to achieve ROI targets, according to a report by Forrester Research.

Possible LinkedIn Open Profile Challenges and How to Overcome Them

While having an Open Profile presents many benefits, it's good to know about possible challenges:

1.Higher Number of Messages

Greater accessibility means a greater number of messages, which can take too much time to deal with. To overcome this:

Create notification filters
Reserve specific time slots for LinkedIn communication
Consider outsourcing initial screening to a virtual assistant in case volume gets too high

2. Spam and Low-Quality Outreach

Open Profiles might receive more spam or low-quality outreach. To prevent this:

Be judicious in deciding which messages are worth responding to
Utilize the reporting features of LinkedIn on inappropriate messages
Think about reviewing your Open Profile strategy on a periodic basis

3. Premium Subscription Cost

Keeping an Open Profile active is a Premium subscription, which is an ongoing cost. To get ROI:

Monitor the business coming through your Open Profile
Periodically review the value of other Premium features that you're utilizing
Test periods both with and without the Open Profile to gauge impact

Conclusion

Getting a LinkedIn Open Profile is a powerful opportunity for sales and marketing professionals to upgrade their networking potential, create high-quality leads, and establish valuable business relationships.

By breaking down age-old communication barriers, an Open Profile makes you more approachable for prospective clients, partners, and industry contacts.

As B2B buying processes continue to shift toward digital-first experiences, features such as LinkedIn Open Profile that allow direct communication will grow more valuable. The cost of a Premium subscription to use this feature will pay big dividends when used strategically as part of an overall LinkedIn presence.

For business professionals dedicated to leveraging their LinkedIn potential for lead generation and relationship development, making one's profile Open should be seen as a necessary step. Paired with regular, quality content posting and strategic networking habits, this feature can turn your LinkedIn presence from being an immobile online resume into a thriving business development platform.