Unlike LinkedIn, where I accept requests to connect from people with similar interests and a common professional background, on Facebook I accept friend requests from people who regularly share items of value to me.
If they’re not regularly sharing items of value to me, I’ll delete their friend request. How else can I receive information/news from someone I trust or get to know someone better?
Value could be posts of a personal or news/professional nature. For example, personal items are of great value in getting to know people I want to get know better. Relationships grow by seeing a family’s vacation or a collegue’s speaking engagement across the world.
News items could come from people who follow niche subjects and share items with their commentary or stories from main stream reporters and bloggers who are Facebook friends.
Facebook relationships/connections blossom based on what is shared. On LinkedIn, though people share from time to time, connections are largely based on each other’s “rolodex.”
So when looking to be-friend people on Facebook, you probably should be sharing regularly – personal or professional/news items.
People are not necessarily looking to befriend people on Facebook just because they know them already when will not get to know them any better or see items of value posted by them.
Facebook is all about relationships, relatonships grown through sharing and engagement.