Is the jury still out in your mind as to whether social media matters in business? If so, a recent survey might make you change your mind. In fact, it may cause you to re-think your entire marketing outreach, especially if you do market to women.

A recent study found that 42 million women in the United States (roughly 53% of the 79 million adult women in the United States who use the Internet) participate in social media at least weekly. As they spend more time with social media, women are spending correspondingly less time with traditional media: 39% less on newspapers, 36% less time reading magazines, and 30% less time watching TV.

That’s according to a recent social media survey by BlogHer, the women’s blog network, along with iVillage and Compass Partners.

To understand her power to influence review the entire study from BlogHer.com and Partners on what women are doing in social media , online and the power of blogs in women’s purchasing decisions.

It’s should be no shock that men and women act differently online, just as they do in everyday life. The Web is an extremely social medium, and Web 2.0 is all about being social. Traditionally, men are the early adopters of new technologies. But when it comes to social media, women are at the forefront.  Rapleaf conducted a study of 13.2 million people and how they’re using social media. While the trends indicate both sexes are using social media in huge numbers, their findings show that women far outpace the men.

Social media marketing is mostly uncharted territory for most aftermarket companies and an untapped opportunity to grow your business with women who are the most influential and powerful brand ambassadors in social media.

Jody DeVere
President and CEO
http://www.askpatty.com
http://www.certifiedfemalefriendly.com

About Jody DeVere

Jody DeVere is the CEO and President of AskPatty.com, Inc. Visit www.askpatty.com to learn more about how to become an AskPatty.com Certified Female Friendly® Dealer.

Waiting rooms are for waiting.  That’s something we adults are accustomed to doing.  At the doctor’s office, at the DMV, and yes – at the auto and tire shop.  Generally speaking, as long as we don’t feel uncomfortable or unwelcome, we adults don’t mind waiting a little bit for good work.  Plush furniture, a plasma television, relevant reading material, and a cozy atmosphere will keep the parents pleasant while they’re waiting, but their children require a different sort of comfort.  They  like to know they’re included too, and a few old toys scattered along the waiting area floor aren’t going to cut it (and they’ll probably trip someone eventually).  Here are a few tips on creating a kid friendly waiting area so that your guests of all ages can be comfortable and entertained.

Create a “Kids Only” Zone. Kids love being kids – and they love having their own space.  Carve out an area in your waiting area that’s set aside for the younger guests, and make it clear it’s just for them.  Brightly colored paint on the walls gives the area immediate visual impact.  Consider exciting colors and patterns for the floor too, by way of a different color carpet, or a fun area rug.  Populating it with kid-size chairs, boxes, or small beanbags will make it clear that there are “no grown-ups allowed” in this area.

1. Interactivity. Even in a fun, bright waiting area, kids will get bored of waiting pretty quickly, and while any kids’ area should have some toys, even those will only go so far.  Put together a coloring book with an automotive theme and your business’ branding on the cover.  To offset the printing costs, consider selling business-card ads on the back cover. On the inside, give the kids different kinds of cars to color, simple word search puzzles, mazes, and other games to interact with.  A few activities like this and a package of crayons will go a long way to keeping kids – and parents – happy.

1. Keep It Clean! This should go without saying, but any kids area shouldn’t look like a disaster. When you choose toys, remember to choose toys that won’t get lost in the adult seats and don’t have a lot of small pieces – because someone has to pick those up!  Toys that are appropriate for a wide range of ages and genders are best – be wary of choking hazards, sharp corners, and other dangers for the younger kids.  Keep disinfectant handy and clean the toys in the kids area frequently – and when you’re choosing toys, pick toys that are easy to clean.

1. Small Gifts Get Big Smiles. Education-focused catalog shops like the Oriental Trading Company can provide you with low-cost trinkets that are perfect to give away to the inhabitants of the Kids Only Zone.  Mini Beach Balls, Silly Bands, Pirate Hats, and other fun gifts can be purchased by the dozen or by the gross, so they’re very cost effective, and go a long way toward winning kids’ approval.

1. Don’t Forget the Restrooms! Many times your waiting room will be inhabited by a single mom or dad with an infant or toddler.  If you don’t have them already, it’s important that your restrooms – both of them – have a baby changing station installed, and are kept clean.  Keep those bathrooms spotless and the changing station immaculate, and go the extra mile and have spare diapers and wipes and you’ll get a lot of brownie points with frazzled parents.

By Jody DeVere

Jody DeVere is the CEO of AskPatty.com, AskPatty.com certifies automotive retailers to attract, sell, retain and increase loyalty with women customers, certified dealers are held to a high level of customer satisfaction. Visit www.askpatty.com to learn more about how to become an AskPatty.com Certified Female Friendly Dealer.

Register for Vision Hi-Tech today: http://www.visionkc.com

Find out how to Get AskPatty.com Certified Female Friendly® here http://www.askpatty.com/getcertified/

How can your business improve non-verbal communication skills with women customers and create a better overall experience. Reputation management and creating positive word-of-mouth with women begins and ends with how effectively you communicate with her verbally and non-verbally during her entire experience with your business.

Let’s look at some keys to non-verbal ways to communicate with women more effectively:

1. Smile and look women in the eyes when you greet them, keep your gaze above the shoulders.
2. Pay attention to her non verbal “cues” , she came to do business with you and wants to feel “in charge”, try not to rush to open doors and be the gentile escort, ask  her if she would like you to get the door for her. Being the “gentleman” is appropriate behavior on a date; however these gestures may undermine her confidence and dilute her feeling in control during the sales process.
3. Provide a wide variety of women’s magazines in your waiting rooms that reflect the demographic of the lifestyles of the women in your local market.
4. Have separate, clean and pleasant restroom facilities that include a changing table for young mothers with small children. Keep it well stocked with supplies. Go the extra mile and stock a few “extra necessities” to show you appreciate their “waiting time”.
5. Women want to be respected as savvy consumers, support and educate her during the sales process rather than take the role of the “know-it-all” automotive expert using acronyms and terminology they do not understand, using pictures or showing her in a more visual way goes a long way in making her understand and feel more comfortable making a buying decision.
6. When women come in to your business with their husbands, greet, speak and make eye contact with both husband and wife EQUALLY, rather than direct all your questions and comments to the husband, in many cases she will actually be the one to make the final buying decision!
7. Go at her pace during negotiations, rushing her to close the deal “today” might backfire, women generally take longer to make a buying decision, however once satisfied with their purchase and experience with your business, women statistically are more loyal then their male counterparts, and more apt to go online and write a positive or negative review.
8. Make sure your website, Facebook, Twitter, coupon programs, marketing and advertising and other visual representations of your business resonate with women.

“Advertising for cars and trucks is still heavily male oriented, dominated by images of wild speed, trucks pounding up mountains and lots of mine-is-better-than-yours”, said Marti Barletta, a specialist in marketing to women who has consulted with major auto companies. “There is very little indication of any attempt to understand what types of communications women respond to,” Barletta said. “I just find myself astonished that the largest consumer industry in the world doesn’t know who its primary buyers are.”

• What are you planning with your marketing and advertising budgets to attract, sell, retain and increase loyalty with women consumers?
• What if any specific training is your business providing for you your sales, service and finance departments to increase their skills with women buyers?
• Do you have a program to recruit, hire and train women for sales, service and other leadership positions?
• Have you mined your customer database to identify and segment your women customers and create retention or loyalty programs?
• What kinds of women’s initiatives are you working on for 2011?
• Are you advertising and marketing to reach and resonate with women?

Women influence 85% of automotive purchase decisions and represent 73% of service and repair customers and are a huge revenue opportunity for your business to focus on to gain market share. What non-verbal messages are you sending women?

About Jody DeVere

Jody DeVere is the CEO of AskPatty.com, Inc., AskPatty.com helps automotive retailers attract, sell, retain and increase loyalty with women customers, our network of certified locations across the U.S. and Canada are held to a high level of customer satisfaction. Visit http://www.askpatty.com/getcertified/ to learn more about how to become AskPatty.com Certified Female Friendly