The people you already know already trust you, so deepen first; expand only for a specific reason, and follow up with two known people for every new one.
The idea
Somewhere in your phone is someone who'd take your call today and vouch for you tomorrow, and you haven't talked to them in eighteen months. Meanwhile you're on Zoom with a stranger whose bio you read thirty seconds ago. A new contact starts at zero: no trust, no history. Your existing relationships already have all of that banked. Research on dormant ties backs this up: reconnecting often produces more value than a brand-new contact, because trust plus fresh perspective is a rare combination.
How to do it
Before your next networking event, ask whether you have a specific expansion goal. Good reasons: a new market or industry, a career switch, a new city, or a network that's gotten so uniform everyone thinks like you. "I should network more" isn't one.
No real reason? Skip it and use the hour to reconnect with three people.
Pull up your calendar from a year ago, find someone you enjoyed, and send a two-line message today.
Set a ratio: for every new person you meet this month, follow up with two you already know.
Example
On Janice Porter's Relationships Rule podcast, we got into why "I thought of you today" does 90% of the work of reconnecting. These people don't need to figure out whether you're a good human. They already know. So before you spend another evening clutching a club soda and lime (which I still can't tell apart from seltzer), send three quick texts instead of crafting the perfect LinkedIn post.
Script
"Hey, you crossed my mind this morning. How's the new role treating you?" "Hey! You popped into my head today. How are you?" No pitch. No agenda. No elaborate reason for resurfacing.
Depth Over Breadth: A network's strength is how many people would form a human chain around you when you're down, so go deeper with the people you already know.
Seasons of Your Network: Diagnose your season (planting, nurturing, harvesting or hibernating), match your effort to it, and give yourself permission to say no when it's winter.
It's Never Been Too Long: Relationships have no expiration date. After any gap, assume they'll be happy to hear from you, and reach out with no agenda.
The Smooch: The smallest possible touchpoint, and the one I've seen work best: 'Hey! You came to mind this morning. Hope you're doing well!'