Social Networking is a Two-Way Street

Sure it's great to get a lucrative business lead or a promising job tip from a networking event, but those conversations should go both ways. So don't forget to mention the expertise or advice you have to offer, especially if you want to build a network that keeps on giving.

In 2005, Carpenter decided to leave corporate America and start her own business. The only problem was that she didn't really know anyone beyond her cluster of cubicles at Thomson Reuters."

So she joined "a zillion" networking groups, gave away more than 2,000 business cards and even co-founded a group called FreeNet, a professional networking group sans membership dues.

These groups connected her with other like-minded entrepreneurs, while allowing her to help eager networkers make connections of their own in person and online.

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