{"id":14384,"date":"2020-04-24T09:00:42","date_gmt":"2020-04-24T13:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsup.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/?p=14384"},"modified":"2025-05-27T16:23:30","modified_gmt":"2025-05-27T20:23:30","slug":"setting-up-success-tips-hosting-best-online-classes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/setting-up-success-tips-hosting-best-online-classes\/","title":{"rendered":"Setting Up for Success: Tips for Hosting the Best Online Classes"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Health and wellness businesses across the globe have felt the heavy impact of COVID-19, forcing companies to re-think their strategy to adapt to the world\u2019s new needs. When you rely on person-to-person transactions, how do you stay relevant? If you can\u2019t get up close in person, you do the next best thing: go virtual! Pivoting to an online model with recorded classes or livestreaming content allows you to bring in additional revenue and stay connected with your clients.<\/p>\n<p>With so much competition to attract online attention, you need to address your clients\u2019 needs with your superior service. So, how do you get your virtual game to the next level? Get some help from the pros! We\u2019ve put together a list of must-haves so you can reach expert status in a flash:<\/p>\n<h2>What do you need?<\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s important to have the right tools to do the best job you can for your clients \u2013 they\u2019re expecting the same level of service they\u2019ve come to know and love from you. From your location to your streaming device, here\u2019s a quick list of what you\u2019ll need to get savvy online:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A video source (laptop computer with a webcam, tablet, smartphone or video camera)<\/li>\n<li>A livestreaming platform like Zoom<\/li>\n<li>A secure, reliable Internet connection or wired Internet access<\/li>\n<li>Encoder software (this takes your video and audio data and makes them web-friendly, converting it into a format that\u2019s easily streamed)<\/li>\n<li>A quiet, well-lit room<\/li>\n<li>A clean location<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Now that you\u2019ve got the basics, want to go even further? Here are a few upgrades we suggest for even better production value:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>An external microphone<\/li>\n<li>A higher-end camera<\/li>\n<li>A tripod<\/li>\n<li>LED lights\/LED ring light<\/li>\n<li>Video editing software (free or paid) to merge videos, add your logo and overlay graphics<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Lighting<\/h2>\n<p>Why is lighting so important? The right lighting draws the audience\u2019s eye where you want it to go and sharpens the details so your viewers don\u2019t miss a thing. Bad lighting can even distract your viewer from what you are trying to show them. Lighting can actually make or break your live stream!<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_14383\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14383\" style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-14383\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Successfully-host-online-Image-1.jpg\" alt=\"COVID, online class\" width=\"630\" height=\"354\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Successfully-host-online-Image-1.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Successfully-host-online-Image-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Successfully-host-online-Image-1-600x337.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Successfully-host-online-Image-1-320x180.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-14383\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Why is lighting so important? The right lighting draws the audience\u2019s eye where you want it to go and sharpens the details so your viewers don\u2019t miss a thing.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Pro tips:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The best and most flattering source of light is natural, so pick a sunny place in your house for your filming.<\/li>\n<li>Plan for your background and framing, taking into consideration shadows and what time of day offers the best light.<\/li>\n<li>If you can\u2019t use natural light, LED ring lights are inexpensive and easy to move around.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Sound<\/h2>\n<p>What your audience hears is just as important as what they see. You don\u2019t want to turn your audience off with distortion or background noises. Keeping your audio clear and uninterrupted will hold your audience\u2019s attention and have them coming back for more.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pro tips:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Avoid any background noise when live.<\/li>\n<li>Speak clearly and slowly.<\/li>\n<li>Pause to allow conversation and ask participants to mute their own microphones during your audio.<\/li>\n<li>If you need to use music for your session, call up a friend and have them test the sound to make sure you have the right volume and clarity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Boost your performance!<\/h2>\n<p>Haven\u2019t performed for a virtual audience before? No sweat! Remember to exude the same enthusiasm you have for your in-person classes. Project your passion, engage with your audience and get comfortable teaching in your new setting.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pro tips:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Use your hands, facial expressions and the inflection of your voice to stay interesting.<\/li>\n<li>Choose a background that\u2019s not busy or distracting.<\/li>\n<li>Make sure you have a clear camera angle and check that it\u2019s correctly positioned so nothing gets cut off.<\/li>\n<li>Make eye contact with the camera lens so that your audience feels connected.<\/li>\n<li>Use a tripod for stability and steady\/continuous filming.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Testing your livestream<\/h2>\n<p>Don\u2019t go live to your clients on your first try! A few days before your first live stream, test it with friends and family to get it right. These are your \u201cbeta testers\u201d and they\u2019ll give you feedback so you can improve on the audio, lighting, angles, etc. To give your audience the best product possible, you\u2019ll need a practice round (or two) to get it the way you want it.<\/p>\n<h2>Follow up with clients<\/h2>\n<p>Want to know how you\u2019re doing and whether your customers are happy? Ask them! Was\u202fthere something your clients liked or didn\u2019t\u202flike?\u202fWas it easy to join? Was the class time convenient? Is there something they\u2019d like to see next time? Get\u202ffeedback from your audience\u202fso you can make changes, refine your product and better your livestreaming skills as you go along!<\/p>\n<p>With the effects of COVID-19 forcing businesses to adapt, become an industry leader with your livestreaming expertise. With the proper tools and the best techniques, you\u2019ll find a way to keep your clients coming back for more during the pandemic, as well as long after your doors reopen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Health and wellness businesses across the globe have felt the heavy impact of COVID-19, forcing companies to re-think their strategy to adapt to the world\u2019s new needs. When you rely on person-to-person transactions, how do you stay relevant? If you can\u2019t get up close in person, you do the next [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":861,"featured_media":14386,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable_featured_image":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[466],"tags":[628,2277,2281,2276],"class_list":["post-14384","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-management","tag-business-management","tag-expert-advice","tag-industry-trends","tag-software"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.4 (Yoast SEO v26.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Setting Up for Success: Tips for Hosting the Best Online Classes - WellnessLiving<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Stay connected to your health, wellness or fitness community while your doors are closed! 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