What is a LinkedIn Open Networker (LION) and how to use it for LinkedIn outreach?

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Looking to grow your LinkedIn outreach list fast?

Let’s talk about LIONs—not the ones in the wild, but the bold professionals on LinkedIn who roar with 30,000+ connections and open the floodgates of opportunity for networking, visibility, and outreach.

These are the LinkedIn Open Networkers, aka LIONs.

They don’t wait for introductions. They don’t limit themselves to common groups. And they certainly don’t let LinkedIn’s connection limitations hold them back.

They’re here to build expansive networks—and if you’re in sales, recruiting, or partnership roles, becoming a LION might just be the secret weapon you didn’t know you needed.

What’s a LION on LinkedIn?

LION stands for LinkedIn Open Networker

A LION is someone who intentionally connects with as many people as possible—no warm intro, no mutual connections required. They’re essentially saying, “My inbox is open. Let’s connect.”

Most LIONs proudly display the label in their profile headline or name. You’ll see something like:

> _“John Smith | CMO | LION | 30K+ Connections”_

They also tend to use hashtags like #LIONLinkedIn, #LinkedInLion, or #OpenNetworker, and join large open-networking groups to grow their connections at lightning speed.

Their goal?

To maximize visibility, boost reach, and leverage LinkedIn’s algorithm for outbound sales, brand building, or job hunting.

Why Become a LION?

Still wondering if it’s worth it?

Here’s why people opt to become LIONs—and why it might work for you.

1. Massive Visibility

With more connections, your content shows up in exponentially more feeds. That means every time you post, engage, or share value, you reach hundreds—sometimes thousands—of people you’d never meet otherwise.

For founders, marketers, and job seekers, that’s a game-changer.

2. Built-in Outbound Power

Once someone becomes a 1st-degree connection, you don’t need InMail credits to message them.

That means more free outreach without relying on cold emails or paid InMails. You can start conversations right in the LinkedIn inbox—no extra tools required.

3. Higher Visibility in Search

LIONs tend to show up in more search results—simply because they’re connected to more people.

So when a recruiter, prospect, or partner searches for a role, industry, or location you match, you’re more likely to appear.

That boosts inbound opportunities, too.

4. More Touchpoints for Engagement

Not everyone replies to messages. But even passive interactions—like profile views, post likes, or page visits—can be the start of a new conversation.

LIONs increase those odds significantly. And when paired with the right engagement strategy, it can lead to real pipeline growth.

⚠️ The Downside of LION Life

Of course, it’s not all rainbows.

With great reach comes… well, spam.

• ❌ You’ll Get Irrelevant Messages

Expect to receive a flood of pitches, requests, and automated spam. Your inbox will fill up—quickly.

• ❌ Lower Engagement Rates

High-volume networks often mean low engagement. People connect quickly but don’t always interact meaningfully. That can make personalized outreach harder.

• ❌ Noisy Network, Lower Trust

It’s harder to build deep relationships when your network is full of strangers. Without the right tools, your message can get lost in the noise.

Enter Konnector: Turning LION Chaos into Outreach Gold

That’s where Konnector.AI comes in.

So you’ve become a LION. Your network is massive. Great!

But how do you activate it?

Konnector helps you turn a bloated connection list into a laser-focused outreach machine.

Here’s how:

• ✅ Auto-Segment by title, location, tags, or industry
• ✅ Personalized Campaigns that feel human, not robotic
• ✅ Smart Engagement using likes, follows, and comments
• ✅ Trigger-Based Follow-Ups based on opens, views, or ghosting
• ✅ Lead Tagging to track hot, warm, and cold prospects

You can label leads as LION – Warm, Replied – Hot, or Ghosted to organize your outreach better.

It’s how you move from random connections to relevant conversations.

LION Outreach Strategy with Konnector

Here’s a simple 3-step strategy to grow and engage your LION network using Konnector.

1. Step 1: Extract Your Connections

Use Konnector’s Connections Extractor to pull your entire 1st-degree contact list.

Then, apply filters like:

– Industry: “Marketing”
– Location: “Ireland”
– Title: “Head of Growth”

Now you’ve gone from 30K+ random connections to a qualified outbound list.

2. Step 2: Automate Campaigns—with Context

Konnector allows you to build conditional messaging flows. For example:

– If connected = Yes
_“Hey [FirstName], we’ve been connected a while—let’s finally chat!”_

– If they viewed your profile
_“Hey [FirstName], noticed you stopped by—was it something I shared?”_

– If not connected yet
_Engage with a post ➝ Send connection request ➝ Warm follow-up message_

These tailored paths help you stay relevant—and human.

3. Step 3: Let Konnector Auto-Follow-Up

Forget spreadsheets and sticky notes.

Konnector automates:

– Smart follow-ups if there’s no reply
– Branches based on opens, views, or clicks
– Optional email outreach in parallel

This means you show up consistently—without spending all day in your inbox.

4. 💡 Real-World Use Case: Meet Anika

Let’s say you’re like Anika—a sales rep at a B2B SaaS company in Dublin.

Your ideal customer? Marketing Directors at mid-sized tech firms.

Anika becomes a LION and adds 500+ relevant marketers over a month.

Then she:

1. Extracts those new connections into Konnector
2. Segments them by title and company size
3. Sends personalized campaigns with soft CTAs
4. Uses Konnector triggers to follow up with people who viewed her profile but didn’t reply

Result?
✅ 12 discovery calls booked
✅ 3 conversions
✅ Zero InMails used

That’s the power of strategic LinkedIn LION networking + automation.

🛠️ Pro Tips for Smart LION Outreach

1. Don’t connect with everyone.
Stay focused on your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP).

2. Add context in your connection notes.
Even LIONs appreciate a quick “saw your post on X, would love to connect!”

3. Post valuable content.
Educate, entertain, or inspire your network—don’t just pitch.

4. Use lead tags and triggers inside Konnector.
Keep your campaigns clean and performance-driven.

❓ Should You Become a LION?

Here’s a quick decision guide:

✅ Say YES if:

– You’re in sales, recruiting, or partnerships
– You want maximum reach and low-cost messaging
– You have Konnector to help personalize at scale

❌ Say NO if:

– You prefer tight-knit, high-trust networks
– You’re not ready to manage a large engagement funnel
– You don’t plan to actively post or interact

Best Bet?

Use LION to grow your reach.
Use Konnector to drive relevance and revenue.

Final Roar

Becoming a LION on LinkedIn unlocks visibility.
But without a strategy, it’s just noise.

With Konnector.AI, you turn that noise into:

– 🎯 Segmented lead lists
– 💬 Personalized conversations
– 🔁 Automated follow-ups
– 📈 Measurable pipeline growth

So while others collect connections, you convert them.

🚀 Ready to Outreach Like a LION?

Don’t just grow your network—activate it.

Start using Konnector.AI to turn your LinkedIn LION strategy into a scalable outreach engine.

👉 Try it now and outreach louder (and smarter) on LinkedIn.