How to build a personal brand on LinkedIn

Let’s cut to the chase. If you’re a founder or sales-facing leader of a B2B SaaS company and you still haven’t built a strong LinkedIn presence, you’re leaving leads on the table. Possibly big ones.

In a recent SaaS Marketing Weekly podcast, Ryan (founder of Rocket SaaS) and Jess (Head of Growth) broke down why building a personal brand on LinkedIn isn’t just a nice-to-have – it’s one of the smartest ways to scale your pipeline with limited resources.

Here’s what they said – and how you can act on it right now.

Why personal brands matter more than ever

In the AI-saturated world we live in, where marketing automation has made everything feel… well, automated, your face is the differentiator.

“Everyone’s using AI. Everything’s faceless. But no one can copy you – your story, your tone, your journey,” says Jess.

People want to buy from people, not faceless logos. That’s why personal branding works – especially in founder-led sales environments. And it’s why some SaaS startups win while others stall.

When’s the right time to start?

Three key signs you’re ready:

1. You’ve found product-market fit
   If no one’s biting, the issue probably isn’t your marketing – yet. Nail the product first.
2. You know your ideal customer profile (ICP)
   Founders who don’t define their audience waste time attracting followers who’ll never convert.
3. You’ve got something to say
   No one wants to read posts about product features. People want stories. Share the mission, the challenges, and what you’re learning.

If you’re ticking those three boxes, it’s time to start building.

How to build a personal brand that actually brings in leads

1. Write 100 problems

Take a whiteboard or a Google Doc. Write down 100 specific problems your ICP faces. Not generic fluff – real pain points that cost them time, money, or credibility.

Then circle 10–15 of the spiciest. Build content around them.

Post weekly. Solve those problems publicly.

“This was a game-changer,” says Ryan. “Suddenly, I wasn’t staring at a blank page. I knew exactly what to say.”

2. Use sales calls to fuel content

Every SaaS founder hears the same questions on sales calls. Start documenting them.

• What objections do you get?
• What features get prospects excited?
• What confuses them?

Use tools like Fathom or Fireflies to record calls (with permission). Then pull themes from the transcripts. Let that shape your LinkedIn content strategy.

3. Forget vanity metrics – focus on signals

It’s easy to get caught up chasing likes. But Ryan and Jess recommend watching for intent signals instead:

• Are your profile views increasing?
• Are people saving your posts?
• Are you getting DMs or connection requests from decision-makers?

If yes, you’re on the right track.

“When leads started coming via LinkedIn DMs, I knew it was working,” Ryan shares. “The sales calls felt different. They already knew me.”

4. Boost it (yes, ads help)

Organic is great, but if you’ve got even a small ad budget, consider boosting top-performing posts.

You don’t need to create ad-style content. Just boost your strongest value-led content. This helps get your face in front of more of your ICP.

LinkedIn’s Thought Leader Ads are worth exploring, especially if your sales process is founder-led or sales-led.

How to know it’s working

You won’t always get instant attribution. But if your LinkedIn brand is landing, you’ll start to notice:

• Sales calls open with, “Feels like I already know you.”
• You’re getting more inbound demo requests
• Prospects start using your language in their emails
• “I’ve seen you all over LinkedIn” becomes a regular comment

Even better, people show up to sales calls already warmed up. Less convincing. More closing.

Bonus tip: track it manually

Yes, attribution tools are useful. But don’t over-engineer it. Ryan suggests two simple tactics:

• Add a “Where did you hear about us?” free text field to your demo form
• Ask every prospect on the call how they found you – and record the answer

Most of the time, they’ll say something like “I think I saw you on LinkedIn”. That’s good enough.

TL;DR: Here’s your action plan

✅ Define your ICP
✅ Write out 100 problems they face
✅ Post weekly solving those problems
✅ Boost best-performing posts to your ICP
✅ Track sales signals, not vanity metrics
✅ Keep going for at least 90 days

Final word

Don’t overthink it. Start with rough posts. Share a quick lesson. React to an industry trend. Be honest about a recent win or failure.

Building a personal brand doesn’t mean being perfect. It means being present.

And if you’re struggling to make time or don’t know where to begin, Rocket SaaS can help you turn your expertise into a scalable marketing engine.

Get free ✨ SaaS marketing strategies and campaign ideas in your inbox every Thursday

By Ryan James

Founder of Rocket SaaS