Currently I have about 80 followers on Twitter, about 500 Facebook friends and about 500 LinkedIn connections.

There's some overlap between networks, but more or less with a few keystrokes I can send a message to 1,000 people that trust me and are attentive and willing to listen to what I have to say.

That is an asset. A social asset. Not only the captive and trusting audience but the ability to communicate to that audience in real-time, whenever I want and as often as I want.

Like any asset, I can make it more or less valuable over time, either by losing or gaining audience, losing or gaining trust, or losing or gaining attention.

I think it's worth thinking about this for a few seconds next time you want to post something you want people to support. Will it make your social network asset more or less valuable?