The old adage "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care" is still rings very true today.
As a Christian counselor and minister, I find that people want to know you care enough to find out what their needs are and help them to solve those problems.
I liken developing my online business with the way I must cultivate my relationships with my clients.
Social networking is a relational business, which means it's about building and nurturing relationships with people.
Like counseling and ministry you are to serve others and not just your own interests.
If you have a Christian business (as I do) or work in the marketplace, we are told to help others.
The New Living Translation says, "Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too" (Philippians 1:4).
Since social networking is about building and cultivating relationships, it really helps if you have a genuine desire to help people by offering products and/or services that add quality to their lives.
In order to do this, however, I believe that having a basic knowledge of psychology is very helpful.
Knowing what drives people and knowing what their needs are for your particular niche or target market will greatly enhance your ability to focus your marketing efforts and increase your sales potential.
To help you to identify the needs of your market, you need to become familiar the Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs: Need for Actualization - Challenging Projects.
Opportunities for innovation and creativity.
Learning at a high level.
Need for Self-Esteem - Important Projects.
Recognition of strengths-intelligence, prestige and status.
Social Needs - Belonging - Acceptance.
Group membership.
Association with successful team.
Love and affection.
Need for Safety and Security - Physical safety.
Economic security.
Freedom from threats, comfort, peace.
Physical Survival Needs - Water, food, sleep, warmth, health, exercise, an sex Based on whatever your product and/or services are you are offering, you can determine which needs and/or emotions are relevant to your niche.
This will likely to help you to provide a higher level of service to your current customers and potential customers as well.
For example, I am in the business of building women and helping them to solve problems through personal development, counseling, coaching, mentoring, etc.
The emotions and needs that I help solve is their need for hope, pain relief, overcoming fear, need to be accepted, love, sense of purpose, reaching their dreams and ambition, etc.
You must be genuine and not try to try and create false needs.
Conducting your business with honesty and integrity will only add value to your business and cause you and your business to grow.
You can only know what people need by becoming a good listener.
You can do this online by listening through the things they blog about and what type of questions they post.
Take a genuine interest in people and they will sense that, even through blogging, and you will turn a friendship into a sale and possible a business partnership!