DON’T OVERTHINK IT! The most important thing is to get yourself out there. Your members won’t remember if your first online yoga class was a little wonky. They’ll remember that you showed up for them – and kept their mind and body occupied during this uncertain, stressful time.
You may not have physical classes, but your community remains intact and vital to your studio. You need them and they need you – now more than ever!
Don’t be scared to just get out there and get better as you go. We live in a very technologically advanced world. Cameras and sound systems can seem intimidating – but you already have everything you need.
Keeping your setup as basic as possible, all you need is a cell phone or computer, Facebook Live, and some open floor space to take your yoga class online. Zoom is another easy option to enable audience engagement directly during the class.
Prepare for launch… then just do it!
If you spend too much time trying to curate a perfect system instead of putting the content out there, it won’t be as powerful. They’re not expecting perfection. They’re expecting you to show up.
Deciding on a filming location? Some things to consider:
- You’ll need some distance from your camera in order to show the entire yoga pose. That means a relatively large space.
- Where is the lighting? Put your brightest light (or a nice sunny window) at 45˚. A second dimmer light can be used on the opposite side to soften your shadows – if you have it.
- Distance yourself from the background to keep your image crisp on screen. If you’re right up against a wall, you’ll blend into it.
Have a spot in mind? Set up your camera and do a quick trial run. Once you see it on camera, you might realize your position needs tweaking or there is a bad echo. Large empty rooms tend to echo more than smaller, carpeted spaces.
You really do have everything you need. But if you’re looking to upgrade, a lapel mic is a good investment. Air pods can work for this too. When you’re teaching online, you’ll be far away from the camera to show the entire pose. A mic will help your sound come in clearly.
Ok, So you’ve decided where to film your online yoga classes, and maybe even created your first video. What do you do with it now?
Sharing on your site
Creating member-only online yoga classes isn’t as hard as you think. It can be as simple as creating a private Facebook group and recording a Facebook Live within the group or posting them later. Once you have recordings of your live classes, you can group them together by type so they’re easier for members to find.
Truth → Keep it simple.
Want to keep members on your website? Create a password protected page and nest your recordings there. First upload them to YouTube as private videos, then grab the embed code from the share menu. Add that line to your page behind the scenes.
Remember to keep the titles of your videos clear and simple. You want your members to know what type of yoga class it is and if they’ve already seen it. The date (or #1, #2, etc.) should be in the title.
Always keep your member in mind! When you take your yoga classes online, they must be easy for your members (and the public) to find and use.
- Your members should know which video to watch – that means clear titles.
- Accessing the content should be easy – that means only entering their password once to get to the member’s only area.
- Send a reminder email 10 minutes before class time with a link so they don’t lose track of the time and miss it.
Everything you do RIGHT NOW is about building community. Providing community for your members will get them through this difficult time and come back as strong and healthy as possible. It will also drive your business forward during this time and set you up for a strong comeback.
Take the leap and get started teaching online. Your community needs you, and you need them!
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