In a recent LinkedIn post, Martina Kikic shares her reflections on the true value of professional networking, particularly in light of a recent illness. She contrasts the superficiality of large follower counts with the deep, supportive relationships that can be cultivated on the platform. Kikic’s insights stem from her personal experience reaching 19,000 followers while battling sickness, an event that illuminated the difference between a number and a genuine community.
Kikic highlights the inadequacy of a large following when facing personal challenges, stating:
“Your follower count won’t bring you soup.”
She contrasts this with the overwhelming support she received, which included numerous direct messages and even a celebration for her follower milestone. This experience, she explains, underscored the importance of nurturing authentic connections, many of which began when her following was significantly smaller.
The Pillars of Authentic Networking
Martina Kikic outlines a practical set of habits she employs to foster meaningful interactions and maintain her well-being on the platform. These habits emphasize reciprocity, vulnerability, and genuine engagement over performative metrics.
Cultivating a Supportive Community
Central to Kikic’s philosophy is the idea of actively participating in and supporting one’s network. She suggests several actionable steps:
- Cheer for people in your home feed.
- Share your failures as well as successes.
- Focus on one key message per post.
- Be transparent about the costs of your wins.
- Prioritize personal well-being by logging off on weekends.
- Support emerging talent with the same enthusiasm as established figures.
- Send daily thank-you messages without any sales pitch.
- Take breaks when unwell.
- Comment daily on posts from people you’ve never met.
- Engage with profile viewers who may be lurking.
As Kikic emphasizes, looking at this list reveals a common thread: a focus on people. She notes that the follower count is appealing, but the most cherished aspect of her LinkedIn experience is the evolution of strangers in comments into genuine friends.
“The followers number is lovely, but my favorite part is the people who started as strangers in my comments and now feel like friends.”
These individuals, in Kikic’s view, become advocates, celebrating her successes and introducing her to new connections within their own networks. This organic growth and mutual support system, she argues, is far more valuable than a large, disengaged audience.
The Tangible Returns of Genuine Engagement
Kikic further elaborates on the tangible benefits derived from these authentic connections. She points out that this supportive community can lead to significant opportunities, even business relationships.
“A few of them even hired me, usually over my cold coffee.”
This anecdote illustrates that genuine interaction, even in casual or challenging circumstances, can translate into professional success. Kikic’s core message is a call to action for consistent, authentic engagement.
She encourages fellow users to continue posting, replying, and actively supporting others, even when it feels like no one is paying attention. According to Kikic, the positive returns of such efforts often manifest unexpectedly.
“The goodness returns when you least expect it.”
In conclusion, Martina Kikic’s LinkedIn post serves as a powerful reminder that in the realm of professional networking, the depth of connection often outweighs the breadth of a follower count. Her insights offer a valuable framework for building a truly supportive and impactful online community.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Martina Kikic on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on September 10, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →