At its best, social media is a valuable tool that connects people from around the globe. It forms tight-knit communities over a common interest or experience. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter empower people and brands to create content and share ideas. At Academy of Hair Design, we are blessed with the opportunity to add our voice to this thriving online beauty community, locally and around the world. Since the start of our social media contributions, we share our love for our school and our industry. As we enhance our social media efforts, that original goal remains the same—to spread love.
Join contributing writer, Trevor Cobb, in this four-part series that peeks through the curtains and curriculum of AOHD to answer this simple question: what is left when we strip away the extras and examine the core elements that make us who we are?
Social media enables us to connect with alumni, spotlight students, share information, and hopefully make some people laugh. And, that is what social media is all about, isn’t it? Sharing passions with other people, connecting with like-minded individuals, and finding your voice among a larger community.
Alongside adding our voice, it is important to us that our students use social media to find their voice and cultivate their online network. That is why our educators and social media team show students how to promote themselves, their skills, and their work as part of a larger push to teach professional marketing tactics. And of course, beyond the business aspect, we encourage students to honor in social media because we know the benefits of an active online presence that connects us in meaningful ways.
At AOHD, we focus on providing innovative content that facilitates community and engagement. We ask our audience questions because we want to know what you think. We share our student’s work because we are incredibly proud of what they are doing. We post articles because we know sharing information and knowledge matters, and we are continually fascinated by the diversity of voices in the beauty community.
We love what we do so much that we want to share it with others, and that is the power of social media. With just a few clicks, we can share an impressive photo of nail art with salons in Springfield and magazines in New York City. We can connect with alumni in Alabama and Texas and Ohio. When you do what you love, you cannot do it quietly. No matter where we are posting or who we are telling, the motive is the same. We want to spread the love.
The fact is this: social media grows communities and larger communities lead to larger opportunities. We will continue building our beauty connections with salons, schools, and stylists to create an inclusive beauty network. When we strengthen our local communities in Springfield, Austin, and even Kigali, Rwanda, everywhere we touch flourishes. It is easy to see that we love what we do – And hopefully you will be inspired to believe in your passions and abilities, too.
Okay, so let’s get back to our original question: what is left when we strip away the extras and examine the core elements that make us who we are?
Underneath all the posts and the memes and the photos, this is what we want to leave you with: a love for our school, our industry, and our community. Social media allows us to love publicly, and we encourage you to do the same.
Remove all the jokes, photos, tweets, and articles, and you’ll see what’s left is love.
Want to check out other blog posts that discuss our core values? Easy, click here!
Want to know how to pick a school that values Love, Excellence, Fun, and Transformation? Easy, click here!
Ready to invest in yourself and turn your passions into a paycheck? You know the drill, click here!
Trevor Cobb is a 2018 graduate of Drury University who majored in Writing, Spanish, and Graphic Design. He was a social media intern for Academy of Hair Design in 2017 and is currently the Digital Marketing Specialist for 360 Communities in Burnsville, Minnesota. He enjoys creative writing, design and finding beauty wherever he goes.