The LinkedIn Growth Playbook: How Matt Barker Scaled to 169K Followers (and How You Can Too)

If you’ve ever scrolled through LinkedIn and wondered how some creators seem to explode overnight, this one’s for you. Matt Barker went from zero to over 169,000 followers – and in this breakdown, we reveal exactly how he did it.

Whether you’re the founder of a bootstrapped SaaS or running a lean marketing team, growing your brand on LinkedIn doesn’t have to be a mystery. It’s about consistency, clarity and a clever blend of professional and personal content.

Why LinkedIn Still Works for B2B SaaS

If your ICP (ideal customer profile) hangs out on LinkedIn, then you’re sitting on a goldmine. It’s still one of the few platforms where organic reach isn’t completely dead, especially for thought leaders and professionals who are prepared to show up consistently.

According to Matt, the early days were hard. “I started completely from zero. I had no network. Just a regular profile with a few job updates,” he recalls. But his consistent effort – posting, commenting, connecting and messaging – created a compound effect. “That standard LinkedIn advice you hear everywhere? It works,” he says.

Step 1: Create a Daily LinkedIn Routine

The biggest game-changer? Treating LinkedIn like a job, not a hobby.

Here’s the exact framework Matt used in the early days:

1. Post once per day – Add value, be useful or relatable, and keep it clear.
2. Connect with 10–20 new people daily – Prioritise those in your target market or active in your niche.
3. Comment thoughtfully on other creators’ posts – Build visibility and relationships.
4. DM new connections or engaged followers – Not with a pitch, but a genuine message to build rapport.

“When you comment on someone’s post, you gain visibility, start conversations, and become part of a community,” says Matt.

💡 Pro Tip: Use a spreadsheet to track new contacts and conversations to stay organised.

Step 2: Share Both Your Expertise and Your Life

Matt makes a compelling case for mixing personal and professional content. Not in an “Instagram influencer” way, but in a way that builds trust.

He calls it “professional and personal growth” – not “personal branding” (a term he feels is overused and misunderstood).

His best-performing posts? They’re often the ones where he’s enjoying a beer on a beach in Cyprus or talking about lessons he’s learnt from life and business. “People want to learn, but they also want to relate,” Matt explains.

How to Apply This:

• Post 2–3x per week about your area of expertise (eg: improving onboarding, reducing churn, marketing attribution).
• Once per week, post something personal: your founder story, a challenge you’ve overcome, a photo from a recent win (or failure).
• Don’t overthink it. Write how you speak.

Step 3: Build a 3-Pillar Content Strategy

Matt breaks his content strategy into three simple themes:

1. Who you are – The human side of your journey.
2. What your expertise is – Teach your audience something they care about.
3. What you offer – Talk about your solution, but not in every post.

By rotating through these three themes, you avoid sounding salesy or repetitive.

💬 Example Post Topics:

• A mistake you made in your first year of building your SaaS
• Why a client said no – and what you learnt from it
• A simple framework for running better demos
• A day in your life as a remote SaaS founder

Step 4: Start Conversations, Not Campaigns

LinkedIn isn’t just a content platform – it’s a networking one. And Matt reminds us that content is just a vehicle for conversations.

After every post, comment, or connection request, he looks for opportunities to start a genuine dialogue. “I’d message people who liked my content, thank them, ask them a question,” he says. It’s not automated. It’s not spammy. It’s real.

This might not scale forever, but if you’re a small SaaS business, you don’t need scale – you need relevance.

Step 5: Embrace the Confidence Boost

Ryan and Matt both touched on an unexpected benefit of showing up online: confidence.

From delivering wedding speeches to pitching investors, consistently creating LinkedIn content builds your ability to communicate. “Five years ago, I wouldn’t have imagined doing podcasts or speaking publicly,” Matt admits. “But showing up on LinkedIn gave me that confidence”.

Final Word: LinkedIn Is the New Top-of-Funnel

Matt’s story proves that LinkedIn isn’t just for CVs and company pages – it’s a high-converting top-of-funnel channel for SaaS founders and marketers.

If you want leads, trust and long-term relationships with your audience, you need to show up consistently. No fancy tools. No viral hacks. Just value, vulnerability, and volume.

TL;DR: Your LinkedIn Action Plan

✅ Post daily (or at least 3x/week)
✅ Connect with 10–20 people in your ICP
✅ Leave thoughtful comments daily
✅ Mix expert insights with personal stories
✅ DM people who engage – start a conversation
✅ Be consistent for at least 3 months

If you’d like Rocket SaaS to help you craft a content strategy that converts, apply for a free strategy call. It could be the best 30 minutes you spend on your marketing all year.

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By Ryan James

Founder @ Rocket SaaS