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A team of Cambridge University scientists claim to have found the formula for obtaining more friends and followers on social networking sites.
The group said that the strategy of making contacts via ‘friends of friends’ was ‘flawed’ if the goal is to meet like-minded people.
Instead researchers Cambridge University Computer Laboratory said that the best way to gain social networking contacts was via links to "favorite hang-outs such as pubs, gyms, schools and offices."
PhD student Salvatore Scellato said that the theory could be used to improve existing social networking sites.
"If the sites compare the locations users have registered on their profiles, they will be able to predict who a user may want to be friends with," said Scellato.
"More people are now using social networking sites on their mobile phone and uploading their locations – so the information is available," he added.
In a year-long research project, Scellato and his fellow researchers found that 30 per cent of new social networking contacts were forged from among those who went to the same places.
Google’s new social network Google+ already integrates location based details with the mobile application providing a way to see comments being made by those nearby.
