Someone asked me a question today.
"Do you have a system you recommend or have written about regarding how to keep track or make contact with contacts? I am having difficulty coming up with a system to manage my contacts. "
I'm probably not the best person to answer this question. I don't have a system I recommend. But I can certainly explain my own personal system for keeping up with contacts.
I think the main fallacy with this idea of keeping up with your contacts is that you can treat all contacts equally. I don't think you can.
Tim Klabunde says, "You have to network with everybody, but you also have to focus your networking efforts.".
What this means is you can't give everyone who gives you a card the same amount of your time and attention.
The HitlistTim recommends, and I use, what's known as a hitlist (Tim may have learned this concept from Ford Harding, who learned it from someone during his research on rainmakers, who learned it from someone, who read it in the Dead Sea Scrolls). What I'm saying is it's a pretty time-honored technique.
The hitlist (by my definition) is a list of 10-15 people that either 1. Can introduce you to clients or 2. Are potential clents (this includes past clients that may rehire you).
The goal is to "ping" these 10-15 contacts on a monthly basis. A ping is an exchange with this person. It could be a phone call, a lunch, a text message, a direct tweet, or a smoke signal. It's advantagous to use this opportunity to give your contact something of value.
For some reason, no CRM system I have ever seen has an integrated hit list feature. Don't get me started on that!
I put my hitlist in Evernote. I review it on a monthly basis. I have a "tag" (category) in Evernote called "Focus." As I explained before, this is the area where I capture lists I review to maintain my focus.
I do my very best (some months better than others) to ping these 10-15 people at least once a month. And I really focus on giving my contacts something of value.
There is a But
But, my list actually has 30 people on it. in addition to my list of potential clients and connectors, I have a list of 15 people that are most important to my professional success. This list includes administrators, CEOs, direct reports, editors, mentors, etc.
So I am pinging 30 people a month. With 40 hours of other work to do, I'm not sure your average professional can do much more.
Obviously there are other people I interact with everyday. But my hitlist keeps me focused on those who I have decided are most important.
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Relationship Marketing 
As an account manager for a large number of clients allow me to suggest a few enhancements:
Look at all contacts and decide the frequency you want to "ping" them (Account Plan). From this you derive your hitlist for the month/quarter.
Don't get hung up on meeting face to face. An email, quick call, comment on their blog/facebook/linkedin can be just as affective.
Always personal. What ever way you decide to make contact always have a unique conversation. Keeping a note of your last chat helps.
Check list. Have your hitlist/Account Plan available at all times (online and printed). You have lots of opportunities to text/email/call while you are waiting around.