What Is OpenLink on LinkedIn?
OpenLink is a feature available to LinkedIn Premium Account holders that lets you receive messages from anyone using LinkedIn that may not be in your specific network. You can also send free messages to other OpenLink members. Messages sent to you from OpenLink members are also free. The service is accessible via your LinkedIn profile, as well as the “Settings” page.
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Signing Up
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To sign up for OpenLink, click the down arrow next to your name in the upper right-hand corner of your LinkedIn profile. Click “Settings” and then click the “OpenLink” icon on your account settings page. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the registration process. Once you are part of the OpenLink network, you can make changes to your membership settings, including leaving the service, by entering the “Settings” screen again and clicking the “Change” link next to “OpenLink.”
OpenLink Symbol
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LinkedIn members who are part of the OpenLink network have the OpenLink logo next to the Premium account symbol on their profile page. The OpenLink symbol is a series of colored dots in a circle. You can send these members messages as well as view their profiles and connect them to your network, if you so desire.
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Sending OpenLink Messages
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To send an OpenLink message to another OpenLink member, navigate to the member’s profile and click the “Send InMail Free” link in the top right corner. Enter the message you want to send in the InMail form, then click “Save.” The message transmission is free and instant. Usually sending an InMail message costs $3 if you have a "Business" LinkedIn account (as of August 2011); $10 if you have a Business Plus account; or $25 if you have an Executive account.
Receiving OpenLink Messages
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Messages from other OpenLink members appear in your LinkedIn “Inbox” like other InMail messages. Click the “Inbox” link at the top of your LinkedIn profile, then click on the message you want to read. You can reply, forward, archive or delete the message once you open it. You can also report the message as spam. OpenLink also includes a search feature that lets you look for and connect only with OpenLink members, if desired, so you may communicate via InMail for free.
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References
- LinkedIn Training: What is Openlink on LinkedIn; Mark White; June 2011
- LinkedIn Help: Definition of OpenLink Network - What Is the OpenLink Network?
- LinkedIn.Help: Joining or Leaving the OpenLink Network - How Do I Join or Leave the OpenLink Network?
- LinkedIn Help Center: Sending an OpenLink Message
- LinkedIn: Contact Anyone On LinkedIn Directly With InMail Messages!
Resources
- Photo Credit Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News/Getty Images
