Imagine waking up, checking your LinkedIn, and discovering your inbox is filled with high-quality leads. No cold calling, no excessive follow-ups—just genuine opportunities waiting for you. This is the power of the LinkedIn Open Profile feature.
Having an open LinkedIn profile means other people on the platform can message you for free.
If it’s closed, they’ll be charged a fee to send you a message as part of LinkedIn Premium.
Essentially, if you have a LinkedIn open profile, you’re more likely to receive cold messages and pitches but also requests from potential prospects who want to work with you. This is probably one of the simplest lead generation tactics we’ve covered so far.
Simply “open” your LinkedIn profile and keep an eye out for any potential prospects going through your profile. Keep in mind, that you’ll need a premium LinkedIn account for this.
But if you already have a paid LinkedIn account, you should strongly consider keeping an open profile if you want to generate leads on autopilot.
Below, we’ll also show you how to automate your outreach with TexAu if you want to take your lead generation to the next level altogether. By leveraging TexAu, you can streamline the process of sending personalized messages to your ideal audience, ensuring you maximize your LinkedIn lead generation efforts with minimal manual work.
What is a LinkedIn Open Profile?
First things first, what is an open profile on LinkedIn and how does it work, exactly?
The Open Profile Premium feature allows anyone on LinkedIn to contact a Premium member for free. Even if they’re not in the sender’s network. Using LinkedIn Sales Navigator, you’ll see a green box with “Open” next to a profile.
So, as you can imagine, this has a lot of potential for lead generation. Read on to see how you can use this for generating leads.
Before we cover that though, let’s first take a look at how to “open” your profile and the benefits you gain when doing so.
How to enable an open profile on your LinkedIn profile page
To change your LinkedIn Open Profile settings from your profile, you need to:
- Click Me at the top of your LinkedIn homepage.
- Click View Profile to go to your page.
- On your profile page, click the Edit icon on the right.
- Click the drop-down icon in the pop-up window.
- Toggle Open Profile under Premium to turn it on.
- Save changes.
If you’re using the LinkedIn app, the steps are the same. Once you turn this on, other Premium LinkedIn users can message you directly even if you’re not connected.
Alternatively, you can also allow Open Profile messages from the Communications tab in the settings. With that said, if someone has a free LinkedIn account, they can still send a regular message (instead of an InMail) if people are not in their network!
Now, why should you enable an Open profile on LinkedIn?
For example, if you to automate outreach to LinkedIn users with Open Profiles, you can use LinkedIn Profile Scraper to extract a list of Open Profiles instead of looking up each profile manually.
How TexAu Automates This Process:
- Leverage LinkedIn Profile Scraper – You can collect LinkedIn profiles with Open Profiles by using Sales Navigator or search results.
- Send Personalized Messages Automatically – With the help of TexAu, you can automate personalized messages to your target audience encouraging meaningful conversations.
- Follow Up Without Efforts – You can schedule follow-up messages for those who don’t reply.
- Track Engagement & Optimize Campaigns – With TexAu, you can use analytics to monitor response rates for improving outreach.
By combining LinkedIn Open Profiles with TexAu automation, you can streamline your lead generation efforts and connect with potential prospects.
Why Opening Your LinkedIn Profile Can Supercharge Lead Generation
Having an Open Profile on LinkedIn means anyone can message you for free out of the blue. As you’re about to find out, this is a good thing.
Here’s why enabling an Open Profile can boost your LinkedIn networking and lead generation.
1. Remove Barriers for Potential Clients and Leads
If a lead wants to work with you, you’ll want to remove as many barriers between you and them as possible.
Which one is better:
- Someone who wants to work with you sends a connection request with no template, which you might miss between other requests and possibly have a lead fall through the cracks.
- They send a direct message because you have an Open Profile and you get on a call the next day.
Obviously, that’s not always the case; sometimes a lead might make it clear in the connection request box that they want to work with you. But if they have a specific question about your work to decide if it’s relevant for them, it might not fit in the connection request length. So, it’s always better to have them get in touch with you directly.
If someone wants to work with you, you shouldn’t make them jump through hoops. Because if they need to follow up on email or comment on your post to get your attention, they might go to your competitor instead.
TexAu Tip: If you want to visit your ideal audience’s profiles, use LinkedIn Profile Viewer to increase visibility. You can also combine it with LinkedIn Auto Connect to send personalized connection requests at scale by saying goodbye to the manual efforts.
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2. Expand Your Networking and Business Opportunities
A similar point applies here. Having an Open Profile means more people can contact you, leading to more valuable business connections and networking opportunities you wouldn’t otherwise make. Most people won’t spend the time to find your contact information. So, reaching you directly through LinkedIn means you’ll receive more relevant messages and make important connections.
Additionally, someone might have already crossed their LinkedIn connection limit and be unable to send connection requests. With an Open Profile, they can simply message you directly instead.
TexAu Tip: Use LinkedIn Followers Export to extract a list of people already following you and connect with them
3. Avoid Spam While Keeping Your Inbox Open
This might seem counter intuitive. After all, if anyone can message you if you have an Open Profile, doesn’t that invite more spammy incoming messages? But surprisingly enough, that is not the case. This “message directly” feature is less abused because it can’t be automated. This is why you often get so many LinkedIn requests and sales pitches in your requests, as opposed to direct messages.
Meanwhile, we’ve found LinkedIn InMails to be ideal for capturing attention. Since you need to spend money on a Premium account for this, most spammers on the platform won’t go out of their way for this.
TexAu Tip: Use LinkedIn Withdraw Invitation to remove old, unanswered connection requests maintaining a natural LinkedIn presence.
4. Position Yourself as Open to New Connections and Business Opportunities
Sounds obvious, right? But if someone went out of their way to enable an Open Profile on LinkedIn, chances are, they’re open to communicating and won’t mind the cold message. So, if you’re thinking of reaching out to someone, see if they have an Open Profile. If that’s the case, don’t overthink it—they’ll probably read your message.
Meanwhile, if you have an Open Profile, welcome the unexpected messages as they might lead to more business.
TexAu Tip: Use TexAu’s LinkedIn Feed Scraper to analyze what your target audience is engaging with. Then, use this insight to send more relevant, personalized messages that spark real conversations.
5. Speed Up Outreach With TexAu Automation
As mentioned above, having an Open Profile removes the friction of getting in touch with someone. If you’re generating leads, you won’t have to follow up via email, send an InMail, or comment on their post to get their attention. Though, you can do all that if your direct message goes unnoticed. Either way, if someone on LinkedIn has an Open Profile, that means they probably do a lot of outreach marketing or are open to receiving messages from new connections.
As a bonus point, an Open Profile can be the final touch to an optimized LinkedIn profile. Once you have optimized your LinkedIn URL, background photo, profile picture, headline, summary, work experience, and other relevant sections, you’ll also want to enable an Open Profile.
This is to show everyone you’re “serious” about your brand. In addition to the other sections, you’re also showing off the gold LinkedIn icon next to your name, which helps with overall premium profile visibility.
TexAu Tip: Use LinkedIn Post Scraper to extract posts and engagement data from your target audience. This helps you engage with relevant posts before sending a personalized message, increasing response rates and credibility.
How An Open LinkedIn Profile Can Help You Generate Leads
As outlined above, one of an Open Profile’s biggest benefits is lead generation.
There are 2 main factors to this:
- If you’re doing a lot of LinkedIn outreach marketing, it’s easier to reach people with an Open Profile. You don’t have to send connection requests and wait for them to accept it first.
- Having an Open Profile helps with inbound marketing as well. If you’re publishing a lot of content and have a lot of reach on the platform, leads are bound to find their way to your profile. And if you have an Open Profile, they’re more likely to directly message you as well for any work-related queries.
Below, we’ll take a look at how this ties into lead generation.
How To Find Open Profiles On LinkedIn
Unfortunately, this step can’t be automated. So, when looking at your list of leads, you’ll have to go to their profile and check if they have an Open Profile manually. This gives you another touchpoint with a prospect, even if they haven’t accepted your LinkedIn request yet.
But there is a bright side to this. To take this a step further, you can compile a list with LinkedIn Sales Navigator full of people with the tag “Open Profile.” And here is where LinkedIn message automation comes in. Because once you have a list of LinkedIn profiles saved, then you can introduce automation to the mix!
Once you have a list of leads with an open LinkedIn profile, you’ll want to save that under a spreadsheet file. Then, you can use a LinkedIn automation tool of your choice to automate your outreach. Fortunately, you can also outsource this to identify prospects, so you don’t have to sort through profiles manually, checking whether they have an open profile or not.
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How to Automate LinkedIn Messaging & Follow-Ups with TexAu
TexAu automates LinkedIn outreach, saving time on manual tasks like messaging, follow-ups, and tracking responses.
1. Use LinkedIn Auto Message for Targeted Outreach
- You can send personalized messages to Open Profiles without sending any connection request.
- To automate outreach, you can upload a CSV of profile URLs, establishing a message template and foster meaningful connections effortlessly.
2. Use LinkedIn Group Auto Message for Targeting Group Members
- You can contact prospects inside LinkedIn Groups without sending connection requests.
3. Use LinkedIn Inbox Scraper for Tracking Responses
- Extract and organize LinkedIn messages for better lead management.
4. Use LinkedIn Message Thread Scraper for Analyzing Conversations
- Review past message threads to refine outreach strategies.
Automate your LinkedIn messaging with TexAu today!
Supercharge Your Lead Generation with an Open Profile
An Open Profile is just the beginning. If you use it right, it can determine your success. Learn how to transform your Open Profile for LinkedIn lead generation and turn visibility into real opportunities.
1. Share Content That Attracts Qualified Leads
Your content should resonate with your audience's needs that positions you as a trusted expert. Focus on valuable and actionable insights instead of generic content.
Example: Instead of saying,
"Do you want more leads? Enhance your LinkedIn profile!"
Try:
"Tired of generating leads on LinkedIn? Try this LinkedIn strategy that helped a client’s conversion rate by 20 % without cold messages.”
**Why it works:**
- It addresses a specific problem that presents an effective solution.
- It positions you as a go-to expert with proven results.
- It encourages engagement and drives conversations in the comments or DMs.
Pro Tip: Add a call to action (CTA) like:
"Curious about the process? Just drop a comment or send a DM,and I’ll send you the details"
2. Leverage LinkedIn Groups to Connect with Your Ideal Audience
Your potential leads are already active in LinkedIn Groups, learning, looking for answers and asking questions. Instead of waiting for them to find your profile, position yourself where they are.
How to engage in groups effectively:
- Join industry-specific groups related to your niche.
- Provide value before pitching your product or service—answer questions, share updates, and comment on discussions.
- Post high-impact content—such as “Here’s how I helped a client in boosting his email list by 30% in just 6 months”
- Start conversations—Ask insightful questions to drive deeper conversations
The more helpful you are, more people will check out your profile. With an Open Profile, outreach becomes effortless.
3. Use Smart DMs to Build Real Connections
Messaging on LinkedIn is easy but getting responses require a strategy. Instead of sending generic connection requests or cold messages, personalize your outreach to create genuine engagement.
*Example of a bad DM:* "Hi [Name], let’s connect and discuss how we can collaborate."
*Example of a smart DM:* "Hi [Name], I saw your post about [Topic]—loved your perspective! I’ve worked with companies facing [Pain Point] and would love to share insights. Let’s connect for a quick chat?"
**Why it works:**
- It builds a connection by referencing their post, comment or any topic.
- It focuses on delivering value instead of sales pitch.
- It fosters genuine conversation rather than selling.
TexAu Tip: If you’re automating outreach with LinkedIn Auto Message, ensure your message templates feel personalized and natural—avoid spammy, robotic wording.
LinkedIn Tactics to Boost Your Growth
Want to enhance your lead generation? Try these LinkedIn hacks to boost your lead generation strategy:
Turn on Creator Mode to attract more connections and increase visibility
Go Live on LinkedIn in real time to drive real-time engagement and build meaningful connections
Use LinkedIn Polls to start discussions and gather insights from your target audience
Try Sales Navigator for deeper insights, helping you to connect with the right people!
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Conclusion: Open Your Profile, Open More Opportunities
If you’re serious about generating leads on LinkedIn, it’s a good idea to have your profile open. But to get the most out of the platform, you’ll also want to be doing active outreach. This will increase your reach overall and allow you to connect with more prospects. And one of the best and most efficient ways to do this is through LinkedIn automation. As this will save you a lot of time spent on otherwise manual tasks such as writing follow-ups.
With TexAu, you can automate your outreach, follow-ups, and engagement, ensuring you stay ahead without spending hours on manual work. When you make your profile easy to find, share helpful content, and connect in a genuine way, you’re more likely to attract the right leads. It’s not just about getting noticed—it’s about building meaningful connections that turn into business opportunities.
So, go ahead, switch on that Open Profile, leverage TexAu’s automation tools, and start making those valuable connections today!
