It seems like opportunities to network abound. There are groups you can participate in, parties you can go to, website you can contribute to. Heck, even this blog is a form of networking! But in order to network well, you must be a connector, someone who forges relationships. And relationships, as we all know, are two-way streets. Your clients' goals must be yours as well.
Lou Dubois discusses the different networking media and how to use them, including social media, in
this 2010 article on Inc.com.
LinkedIn, for example, boasts over 100 million other members (quite a pool of leads, to say the least). But none of this has any value unless you are a connector. As much as these tools help, it's up to you to drive the nail home.