A thriving online network is relationship-based and requires thousands of interactions, which means that you are committed for the long haul! Here are some pointers:

• Weave social networking holistically into your daily activities to provide a valuable and consistent experience to your network.
• Find out where the people you want to connect with are networking and how they like to engage (PC or mobile).
• Build an online presence within suitable social networks which offer a good blend of content and social functionality.
• Invite others to connect with you - it is considered best practice to provide an introduction with your invite.
• Make the most of social functionality such as blogs, forums, events, references, etc. to attract others.
• Create a constant stream of fresh content on various topics of interest to yourself and those you want to attract.
• Gain participation with tools such as discussions, wiki's or allowing others to submit their blogs to your profile.
• Provide real participating... stir the pot, and respond to your network by commenting on their input.
• Gain insights by asking for feedback from your network via polling or direct email.
• Moderate content to ensure that it is relevant and doesn't contain spam.
• Educate clients and employees about building their networks - collective networks are very powerful!
• In due course, once the information you offer become popular, an infectious 'Viral' spread will kick in.
• Be flexible, evolve and adapt your networking efforts as trends are changing very fast!