It wasn’t until recently, that I realised the way we educate our therapists and clients across the beauty industry has changed. The traditional sit-down, classroom style workshop has been surpassed by multiple digital platforms, as people spend less time off-site, and more time online.
Unique to the individual, their life experience and preference of learning environment, alters the way in which one participates and actively learns content. The evolution from workbook to Facebook group has exponentially grown, as the rise of digital platforms allows for all learning styles to be engaged.
The visual learner is targeted through pictures, diagrams and maps which can be found and created on aesthetically pleasing platforms such as Instagram or Pinterest. While these platforms seem somewhat superficial, rather than being content dense, a visual learner will remember the picture associated with the educational piece, which is the trigger for reciting information retained. An example of this may be an image of a cell which has been drawn and labelled to reflect each individual component. When trying to remember that information the visual learner will flash this image in their mind to relay the information.
Podcasts however, are great for the auditory learner, someone who learns best when information is spoken or heard. A musical introduction, verbiage, pronunciation, articulation and tone of a podcast host, can truly resonate with an auditory learner. Six, sixteen or sixty minutes long, an auditory learner can listen and learn at the same time, from any mobile device, through various applications or desktop websites. Nowadays the library of podcast topics and hosts in which to point your clients or team are widely diverse, catering to all ages and genres. Can’t find a podcast that speaks the same language as you and your brand? Why not create your own podcast channel to educate your tribe?
Facebook groups are a great way to engage those wanting to learn in an informal manner, through posts and groups, whereas forums and online communities allow for direct notifications which are delivered to the learner, allowing them to contribute at their leisure.
Actively participating in group discussion, commenting on articles or being in a conversational forum, are ways in which the reading or writing learner best consumes their information. Often the act of reading or writing, be that with pen and paper or typing, helps the learner secure the content taught at their own pace, and doesn’t slow others around them.
Kinaesthetic learners are your webinar, online training portal, video and ‘live’ platform lovers. The visual aspect of seeing a massage move or a cleansing step, combined with the physical movement to practice, allows for the relay of information when it comes to tangible experiences and treatments or at home facials for your clients. Encourage your audience to interact by practicing the content on themselves or a friend during the session. Video engagement, from an algorithm point of view, is the most favoured content as preferred by Facebook and Instagram. These platforms are encouraging you to be going ‘live’ across your pages, creating videos and hosting online sessions for your audience to interact with for a truly successful educational reach.
Easily accessible for all ages and technology levels, educational platforms are only an Internet signal away and can be taught flexibly for both learners and hosts. For exciting educational pieces, be prepared, be confident and know your content. Be present and consistent with your message and be sure to update your information regularly to stay relevant in the learners’ mind.
- Tamara Shaw is the founder of Beaute Industrie.
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