Weak ties are loose connections between people who may provide useful information or new perspectives for one another but typically do not result in strong bonds. Weak ties play an important role in networking, career advancement, innovation, and accessing resources or information. Here are some common examples of weak ties.
Acquaintances
Acquaintances you see occasionally but do not consider close friends are a classic example of weak ties. You may chat with acquaintances when you run into them, add them on social media, or follow their updates, but you do not rely on them for emotional support or see them frequently. Acquaintances expand your network and can expose you to new people, ideas, or opportunities that your closest contacts may not provide access to.
Former Colleagues
When you leave a job, former co-workers often become weak ties. You may keep in touch sporadically over social media or connect if you run into each other, but the day-to-day familiarity is gone. Former colleagues are useful weak ties because they understand your professional background but can offer new perspectives from their new roles and organizations. They can be valuable for exchanging industry information, job hunting, or seeking professional advice.
Friends of Friends
Your close friends likely run in the same circles and share many of the same connections as you. Friends of your friends who you see occasionally, such as at parties or group outings, essentially expand your network by one degree of separation. These weak ties give you access to new people, knowledge, and resources that your own friend group may not provide.
Alumni
Fellow alumni from your university or academic program are weak ties due to the commonality you share but lack of regular interaction. Alumni networks are useful for exchanging professional advice, job hunting, finding mentors/sponsors, or accessing new opportunities based on shared institutional knowledge and identity. Conferences, alumni events, social media groups, and alumni directories help connect you to these weak ties.
Neighbors
Neighbors can be considered weak ties if you are friendly when outside or in passing but not ultimately close socially. Neighbors provide a sense of community identity and place but typically do not offer the emotional intimacy of close friends. However, neighbors may exchange favors, local information or resources, and watch out for each other’s homes.
Extended Family
Extended family like second cousins, great aunts/uncles, distant in-laws etc. are weak ties due to less frequent interaction and emotional closeness than your immediate family. However, they expand your family network and can provide genealogy/family history knowledge, family connections, or inherited resources like property. Occasional visits help maintain these weak tie bonds.
Online Contacts
In the digital age, many weak ties are people we interact with exclusively online via social media, message boards, multiplayer games, or professional networking platforms. While we may not meet these contacts face-to-face, they provide social connection, information sharing, and a sense of community with shared interests or identities.
Community Groups
Participating in community, hobbyist, or special interest groups leads to weak ties with other members through casual socializing and information sharing around the shared interest or activity. These ties grant access to resources, knowledge, and new perspectives related to the interest. Conferences, classes, meetings, and online forums help connect these weak tie networks.
Business Contacts
Business contacts at partner companies, vendors, clients, industry events etc. are often weak ties, providing professional information exchange and referrals but lacking deep social connection. Periodic meetings, emails, conferences, trade shows and other business networking helps sustain these ties.
Mentors
Mentors provide career or professional guidance to a mentee, but the relationship tends to be somewhat formal and focused on goal achievement rather than emotional support. Mentees benefit from a mentor’s experience and advocacy while mentors gain satisfaction helping someone develop. Meetings help maintain this weak tie.
Trainers/Coaches
Trainers and coaches work with clients around specific development goals like health, sports, skills or performance. Client-trainer relationships center around structured improvement sessions and advice, not necessarily social connection, qualifying them as weak ties. Regular training or coaching sessions sustain these ties.
Advisors
Professionals like financial advisors, counselors, consultants, attorneys and more provide specialized advice and expertise to clients as ongoing weak tie relationships. Periodic consultations or meetings allow these advisors to offer tailored guidance to clients on financial, legal, psychological or other matters.
Common Examples of Weak Ties
Type | Examples |
---|---|
Social | Acquaintances, former colleagues, friends of friends, neighbors, extended family, online contacts |
Professional | Alumni, business contacts, mentors, coaches, advisors |
Interest-based | Community groups, online forums |
Benefits of Weak Ties
Why are weak ties valuable?
- Expand your network – more connections means more access to information, resources and opportunities
- Access new perspectives – weak ties expose you to different worldviews and ideas your own circle may not provide
- Provide social support – weak ties still offer a sense of community and belonging even without deep emotional bonds
- Help diffuse innovations – weak ties spread new concepts, technologies or practices through society
- Convey unique information – weak ties give information from distant parts of the social network you may not otherwise receive
- Offers low-stakes bonding – you can socialize without the demands of intimate friendships
- Generate goodwill – doing small favors engenders social capital you can draw on later
Cultivating Weak Ties
How can you develop more weak ties?
Network More Broadly
Get involved with professional associations, special interest groups, community organizations, and social clubs to meet new people outside your usual circles.
Follow Up Post-Interaction
After meeting new contacts, follow up via email or social media to plant the seeds of an ongoing weak tie.
Attend Events
Go to industry conferences, trade shows, seminars, alumni events, conventions, and networking meetups to connect with weak ties.
Seek Mentors and Sponsors
Find seasoned professionals who can advise and advocate for you as you develop your career.
Reconnect with Dormant Ties
Get back in touch with old contacts you have fallen out of touch with to rekindle weak ties.
Follow Up After Life Changes
If you switch roles or organizations, inform your network of contacts, as previous ties can become useful again.
Leverage Shared Identities
Join professional, academic, interest-based, or demographic groups on social media or offline to engage with weak ties.
Provide Value to Contacts
Share useful information, make thoughtful introductions, and provide favors to help add value to your weak ties.
Weak Ties vs. Strong Ties
Weak and strong ties complement one another and serve different purposes:
Weak Ties | Strong Ties | |
---|---|---|
Interaction frequency | Irregular | Frequent |
Emotional intimacy | Low | High |
Bond strength | Low | High |
Network diversity | High | Low |
Type of support | Information | Emotional |
Weak ties provide bridging social capital – low-stakes connections that expand your access to non-redundant information and resources. Strong ties offer bonding social capital – emotional support, intimacy and shared identity with closest contacts.
Conclusion
Weak ties are low-stakes relationships with acquaintances, former associates, casual contacts and others that, while not emotionally close, provide useful information, resources and perspectives. Weak ties connect you to a wider network, expose you to new ideas, and generate goodwill through small reciprocal favors. deliberately cultivating more weak ties expands your social capital and enables greater personal and professional success.