As I am writing this article there is an interesting discussion going on at APSense about the question "how do I get more friends in here".

This question is one of the FAQ's on many networks. In many cases the question is of technical nature about which features/procedures can be used to get contacts. The answer is obviously to explore a network and read help sections.

Having contacts on networks is important, it expands your reach. The more contacts you have, the more people see your posts in the live feed.

Than why are there so many people on networks with thousands of contacts but little success?

What many people forget is that making a connection is only the beginning. This is what I commented in this thread:

"There is a distinct difference between a friend and a contact. I have thousands of contacts, dozens of acquaintances and a handful of friends. I have many contacts I had never contact with, acquaintances (clients and superficial contacts) I had a certain level of contact and interaction with and some I have so much contact and interaction with that I consider them dear friends although I never met them in person. Real online friends you can trust are one of the most valuable assets and ingredients for success on the internet. But it all starts with making the connection and build from there by being active and offering help where you can."

Business relations, clients and especially friends are the human resources you need if you want to build a successful business. Especially online since there are so many aspects and possibilities for online social marketing and advertising (those are NOT the same) that you can't possibly be an expert for all.

You need to try to become a human resource yourself. What is a human resource?

A human resource is a person you turn to for guidance and assistance because you trust that person because he/she has proven to be knowledgeable in a certain field or has given you good advice or customer support.

Many people on networks have knowledge and skills that unfortunately are never demonstrated because many people only use social media sites to post their links and opportunities without interacting with others or writing contributions that show their knowledge and skills. There are many without a complete profile which is your most important marketing tool on any network.

Of course not every contact will develop in a customer relation or online friendship or business partnership. It will grow naturally as you comment on topics that have your interest and help others with advice and help you know something about.

Believe me that posting links only won't do the trick. Where would buy i.e. fishing equipment? Would you order from a link from a person you do not know and never wrote a line about fishing? Or would you buy from somebody who wrote some post about the bate to use, good fishing spots etc? I know where I would go!