It’s always exciting getting the emails that say you have a few Facebook friend request, a new Twitter follower, or a new LinkedIn request. In this case it’s important to remember that bigger networks are not always better. The value of a network is not dependent on the number of contacts you have, but rather the quality those contacts. Social media networks might look like a high school popularity contest, but Jim Connolly has blogged several times about the potential benefits of having high quality contacts.

In his post “Networking and Numbers” Jim says that the value of a commercial network is dependent on three things:

1. The caliber of your contacts
2. The quality of you relationship with your contacts
3. Having the right number of people in your network

This means that having a few influential contacts is more beneficial than tons of drones. Quantity and quality are mutually exclusive however, when you are focused on the quantity you are probably not making contacts that are about you or your cause. People that care about your cause can help you find new contacts in your field, and can use their credibility to advertise for your cause. Now you have too people spreading your message.

Your connections can help you in several ways, first if your new connections have the same interests as you or are people that are generally accepted by people in your target audience then they can help you increase your influence and acceptance.

Candy Hansen-Rogers found my blog via Twitter and she also has a blog about environmental topics. She is always promoting my new posts and in return I promote her content. This works out well for both of us.

There are other ways to benefit from online connections. For example Amanda, of DailyWorth, and I spoke a few times on Twitter and I started reading her blog. I have promoted several of her blog posts, which I found exceptionally useful. Then she offered me advice on how to start a blog and was willing to answer several questions for me. The content of our blogs do not overlap but dome of our contacts do and we have both benefited from our connection.

As much as I love watching the counter on my number of followers increase, I also know that I would rather my ticker move up slower and it be filled with people that care about my content and are willing to discuss these topics with me.

It’s important to remember that just because you have a large number of followers it does not mean that they are not valuable. Jim has amassed 18,000 followers by posting on social media and marketing. He has cross promoted his Twitter account and his blog, but overall these people have found him because they are interested in social media and marketing. These people will promote