Folks like Jay Baer and Gary Vaynerchuk know, preach, and practice the simple, yet hidden, fact that when you do things for other people, they reciprocate.

I get hit up dozens of times each day by strangers asking for favors, before making friends or creating mutual value. The ones who create value for me stand out. When I was getting started, I’d do good things for people I respected before ever asking for anything.

Imagine how this truism, if widely practiced, would change how people view social networking.