From LinkedIn and Plaxo to Twitter, members pursue connections with other members as though it was a race for a grand prize.  The theory apparently is that the more connections you have the more valuable you must be.  But is this really true?

Over the years I've been contacted by a number of people who have 5000+ "friends" on a given network to join their pool of connections.  I've accepted their invites.  I have never heard from them again. Not one of them.

Like many of you, I've reconnected with former colleagues.  I have taken advantage of Plaxo's e-card service; send periodic messages.  Rarely do the recipients reply.  The likelihood is that they are mega busy with their day jobs.  But the lack of response begs the question, why are these people in these social groups if they don't socialize?  Do they appreciate the fact that the other person has spent time to contact them and perhaps they should find the time to acknowledge it? Has it dawned on them that if the time comes they need support for a new business venture, product or service launch, or employment opportunity that management of their networks can play an important role?

As a hiring manager, I guess I'm supposed to be impressed with candidates with huge networks, but generally I'm not.  If they're not working their connections then the numbers they site are meaningless.  If they are working them I want to know what the results have been and how much time they devote to the effort.  If these candidates are not in sales or business development, then I want to know how they apply their social networking to their work and again, how much time they spend on the process.

For me the groups within the networks have proved to be the most valuable, provide the highest return.  The discussions in particular offer a great way to learn about other members and their capabilities, get answers to questions or conduct research, and stay current with developments in a given field.  But again, one needs to find the time to check in, reply to others who've taken the time to post, send invitations or post queries, and periodically check in with your existing "friends."  

Working your social networks requires smart planning and follow up.  If you plan to dazzle prospective employers or sales prospects with your related prowess, be prepared to demonstrate intelligent application of the numbers you've amassed.

Like any other business, marketing, or personal activity, it's wise to find a way to manage your networks so that they truly benefit you, and the other parties.  Size matters when you can leverage what you have.