Tip: to make more connections, generously share your expertise

Many people might think that they should only connect to friends and people they know well.

Actually, there's a phenomenon called "the strength of weak ties" where researchers in social networking have discovered that it is the people who are loosely connected to you, who can help you most.

This is because the people you know well, usually have access to more or less the same opportunities or connections that you do.

But the acquaintances and "loose" connections, on the other hand, work and socialize in circles of contacts that you can rarely access, hence they can help you more.

So how can you multiply those loose connections? Offer your expertise and invite people to ask you questions about your professional knowledge.

Specifically list your areas of expertise on your LinkedIn profile, and explicitly welcome queries from people. Don't just list your previous jobs, it might mean very little to readers.

For example, I would include a URL on my LinkedIn profile, which leads people to my blog, where I list all the areas where I'm knowledgeable or expert.