As life altering as social distancing has been for your studio, it’s temporary. You’ve weathered the storm and shown true leadership when your community needed you the most. Now it’s time to plan the transition back into your physical location.
Things won’t automatically be the same as they were before social distancing. But that can be a good thing. It gives you an opportunity to take a hard look at your studio. What’s working? What isn’t?
Truth → Your community has changed, it’s time to change with it.
Doing what you’ve always done because you’ve always done it has never been a good option, and it’s a recipe for disaster after the stress and overhaul of social distancing.
Truth → To make your studio the best it can be, you need strong vision.
Were you intentional when you set your class schedule and pricing? Or did you go with what everyone else was doing? Do you have a vision for your studio over the next 3 years? 5-10? Now is the time to make impactful changes and move the needle.
How do online classes fit into your studio vision?
You may not have had online yoga classes before, but you certainly do now. Social distancing forced yoga studios that weren’t ever planning to go online to get there and encouraged others to move up the timetable. It hasn’t always been an easy transition, but we’re here now. What does that mean for the future?
Reopening studios will change the virtual class landscape. Right now, the bar is pretty low for live streaming video and sound quality. Your members know you’ve been pushed into online with no time to prepare. They probably won’t be as understanding a few months from now.
Truth → If you choose to keep video on demand and livestream going you will have to up the quality.
Investing in a better camera, backdrop, lights or sound may be worth it for your studio. If you’re having really high engagement with your online offerings members might be clamoring to keep it. Keep in mind, it will be much harder to navigate an online schedule and an in person schedule. Is it worth it to your clients?
Truth → Dropping live stream but keeping a video on demand library is a simple way to add value to your membership.
Splitting the difference and keeping video on demand while dropping the live stream will take some of the pressure off. Filming can be worked around your studio class schedule so you have options. Plus once a bank is created you won’t need to add new classes as often.
Having video on demand ups the value bar for your membership. Depending on your location you could even explore a virtual membership with limited monthly classes. Now you’ve expanded your geographical area.
How far would someone drive to take class two times a week? How far for two classes a month if they also had virtual class options? Your members would rather take a virtual class on demand with a teacher they have met and know is high quality.
WILL online yoga classes fit into your studio vision?
Some of you are counting the days to turn off online classes and never look back. There is a play here, but you have to lean ALL THE WAY in. People are used to having online options, especially those in their 20s who have grown up with a computer in their pocket.
If you drop online classes, be intentional and explain why. Make it a selling point.
The line between online versus offline reality is very thin right now, and it has always been for a lot of younger people. The risk is you will be incongruent with how people normally experience most of what they do. Depending on your market, that can also be a positive selling point.
Weigh your options against your bigger vision and what’s happening in your local market. Make sure your studio is heading in the direction you want. Now is the time to make the changes you’ve been hesitant about with little to no pushback.
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