You can increase your social capital by being prosocial: by being helpful and giving, by getting to know people, by strengthening your existing relationships, and by trusting and being trustworthy.
Essentially increasing your social capital is about generating goodwill. It is being a good global citizen and developing networks and reputation for integrity, honour, giving, and trustworthy. You could think of social capital like a “favour bank”, although this only encapsulates part of social capital.
Someday, and that day may never come, I will call upon you to do a service for me. But until that day, accept this justice as a gift on my daughter’s wedding day.
The Godfather (1972)
For an individual, social capital is about knowing a lot of people well, but it’s more than that. It’s about having strong positive relationships embedded in positive social structures with a lot of people from a variety of backgrounds and positions.
You increase your social capital by talking, connecting, giving, caring, sharing, valuing, and trusting.