When it comes to advertising, many small businesses rely on the power of social media to drive customers thought their doors.
And going ‘viral’ is the holy grail when trying to increase profits.
But when a hair stylist got arrested for violating a domestic protective order, she had no idea that her mugshot was going boost her business.
Selfie: Shia Yearwood, 23, from Charlotte, North Carolina, was arrested on January 3 and her mugshot got lots of attention after people took to Twitter to praise her hair style
Viral: The picture was shared on Twitter by the account @CharlotteMugs and quickly went viral after Shia retweeted it, including information about her hair braiding business
Not camera shy: Shia shared that she wasn’t embarrassed to share her mugshot as she thought she looked ‘good’ and that her braids looked ‘amazing’
Shia Yearwood, 23, from Charlotte, North Carolina, was arrested on January 3 and her mugshot was posted to the county’s records.
It was then shared on Twitter by the account @CharlotteMugs.
After noticing most comments related to her hair, Shia decided to turn her negative experience into a positive and retweeted the picture, including the hashtag #BraidByShia.
Speaking to BET, Shia explained her motivation: ‘I was just simply showing people that I had nothing to be ashamed about. I thought I looked good and I thought my braids looked amazing — they were literally done two hours prior to the mugshot.’
‘At first, I was a little embarrassed that it was getting attention because I didn’t want people to think I was taking being arrested as a joke. Instead, I saw it as a lesson and an opportunity to show off my skills,’ she added.
The picture has been retweeted over 4,000 times and has received over 9,000 likes.
And most of the comments on the post are requests from prospective customers asking Shia if she has any available appointments.
Twitter user @babyA1angel wrote: ‘When you free?’
Kween: One Twitter follower commended the way Shia handled the situation and how she used it to her advantage to boost her online presence and promote her business
Making history: Others praised her savvy business acumen and how she used the power of social media to promote her skills
Blessing: The young mother has received lots of new clients thanks to the viral post
Skills: Shia has been braiding for 15 years and credits her mother and grandmother with teaching her the skills needed to complete her creations
Secure the bag: She has advised others to turn negative experiences into positive ones to get ahead in life
While @nikkiLynette praised her initiative: ‘The way you turned shade into a marketing opportunity is a great moment in Black a Twitter History.’
And @thailaand typed: ‘A fellow Charlotte queen. They tried to blast you little do they know they gave you a platform to expand your clientele. Get it sis’.
A sentiment shared by @CassBrown90: ‘Great story! Turning a negative to a positive. This shows that people make mistakes and can over come them.’
Shia has been braiding for 15 years and credits her mother and grandmother with teaching her the skills needed to complete her creations.
However, she also admitted that she fell into braiding as she only started doing it for money when her daughter was born and needed extra money.
Her advice for others trying to harness the power of social media?
‘No matter what, if you stay true to who you are and what you believe in you will flourish. When people try to break you, stand up tall and proud and look people in the face — and don’t be ashamed! Own it and then flip it. The goal in life is to secure the bag and prosper.’