Matthew DiPietro

195

Salut CEO

Install the latest version for iOS and Android. We've made some fun improvements.

Attendee Count 
We fixed a bug where the number of students in your classes sometimes appeared inflated. Now the number will accurately reflect the number of live concurrent students in your class. 

Share Button
We've added a share button to your studio profile. Now, you and your students have an easy way to share your studio's deep link via social, text, and email. Share your studio everywhere, and encourage your students to do the same! 

Welcome Chat Messages
We've created a series of automatic chat messages that welcome your students into your class. When they arrive in your class, your students will see a chat message like, "Welcome Stephanie! Are you ready to go?" 

Automated Donation Request
After about 20 minutes or so, your students will see an automatic donation request. It says "If you enjoyed this class, be sure to donate to your instructor!"

We have some exciting news. Since launching six weeks ago, your top two feature requests have consistently been 1) Full Screen Video and 2) Group Video. We're now launching both.  

Starting later this evening, Salut version 1.0.208 will be available in the app stores. This will require you and your customers to update the app before you're able to open it.

Full Screen

This has been the most requested feature by far, and we're excited to bring it to life. Now, when you teach your classes, your video will be 2X bigger. It takes up the whole screen and chat is visible as an overlay. This is a much more efficient way to leverage screen real estate. Your customers will recognize it because it's closer to an Instagram Live or TikTok experience.

Group Video

As a trainer, you will now have the option to enable group video so that you can see your customers, and they can see each other. When you start a class, you will see a group video icon on the upper right. Simply click on it to enable group video. 

Your customers will see something like the screenshot below. In order to join your group video, they simply click the "Join Stream" button on the upper right. This is where their video will appear. The four thumbnails to the left of that will automatically scroll through all of your customers, no matter how many are in your class. 

Note that these are OPTIONAL features. We know that some of you are more comfortable with a one-way broadcasting style. And we know that some of your customer will prefer to remain anonymous. That's okay! But we believe that group video will be a very compelling experience that will keep you customers coming back. 

Hi all. Be sure to update to the latest version for iOS and Android, published yesterday. We've made some improvements to the browse page. Now you can filter the class list by calendar. 

We're cranking hard on the product updates. You'll see some really cool stuff coming in the next couple of weeks. 

This is everything you need to know to get started with your new virtual fitness studio.‍

Profile and Class Creation

1. Sign Up - Create an account with your email address and pick a unique studio profile name. This is your chance to claim your Salut handle. It can be your Instagram handle or any other fun and memorable name. If you sign up soon, you may even get your first name!
2. Create your Studio Profile - Be sure to pick a really good studio banner image. Tell the world everything about you, your disciplines, your philosophy, and your certifications.
3. Schedule your Classes - Be sure you include as much information as you can about each class including required equipment, duration, etc. Schedule a set of classes so that your clients know when to come back over a period of a couple weeks.

Phone Settings 

Be sure that your phone settings are set such that your phone won’t automatically sleep or auto-lock after a period of time. In the iPhone, these settings are in “Display & Brightness.”

How to Promote your Classes

1. ‍Link to your Salut profile everywhere - Your unique profile link looks like this: joinsalut.com/profile (replace "profile" with your studio handle). This link brings your customers directly to your profile with no need to search or browse.‍
2. Share, share, share - We will help amplify all your social content. But you have to put it out there.‍
3. Announce your profile - This is very important. Please announce your move to Salut, the coolest new thing in fitness.‍
4. Promote every class, every time - Your customers WANT TO KNOW when your upcoming classes are. Get people hyped, ask them to attend, then hold them accountable. ‍
5. Share after class - Share screenshots of your session on Instagram, and tag your clients.‍
6. Make your classes the center of conversation - Encourage your customers to screenshot your session and share it on Instagram.‍
7. Use Email - Don’t forget about email. A simple weekly email to your friends, family and clients with a screenshot of your calendar can be very effective.

How to Run Your Classes

1. Be Welcoming - Welcome everyone into your class. Call them by their name. Ask them questions about their day. Encourage chat engagement. “Give me a thumbs up if you’re feeling good!”
2. Be High Energy - Your customers feed off your energy and attitude.
3. Be Engaging - This is live video. It’s happening now. Check in on chat periodically in between movements. Ask questions. Answer questions and comments.
4. Take Your Time - Your class is as much a social experience as it is a fitness class. Give your customers some time in the beginning and the end of your class. Imagine you’re chatting after class with your favorite clients.
5. Experiment - Try new things and new formats. Maybe mix things up with a cooking hour? Mindfulness sessions? Simple Q&A sessions? Find your unique offering that drives community engagement.

How to Make Money

Simple: You must ask for DONATIONS. Unlike Instagram or Zoom, Salut has donations built into the app. When your customers donate, they are recognized by an automated chat bot. This social reinforcement is important!

Asking for donations may feel uncomfortable. It shouldn't. You are a professional who offers a valuable service and you should be compensated for it. Get comfortable saying to your customers: "I love doing these classes with you! I do this for a living. The only way I can keep doing this is with your help. Your donations are appreciated!" 

Also remember to verbally thank each and every person who has donated. It makes your customers feel good and will keep them coming back. 

‍* Suggestion: Consider dedicating some percentage of your donations to your favorite charity. You customers will feel even better about donating. ‍

How to Keep your Customer Coming Back

1. Invite them to come back - So much in life is about asking for exactly what you want. You want your customers to come back. Ask them to.
2. Remind them of your calendar - Remind your customers of your calendar early and often. “Next class is Tuesday at 10am!” Promote regularly via social media.
3. Create a narrative - This is the cliffhanger effect. Start something today that isn’t completed until the following class. Or, create a 1 month or 3 month challenge. Make it goal based.
4. Be Predictable - You should try to create a habit for your customers. They thrive off of predictability. Do your classes at the same time, same day. Help them know what to expect. Start and end class in a similar fashion.
5. Be Unique - What is your unique take on fitness? How is your community different than others? Don’t be afraid to be different. It’s a strength, not a weakness!

Good news! We pushed Salut version 1.0.191 to the app stores this week. Be sure to update your app for iOS and Android. 

Among other improvements, including better performance monitoring and bugs fixes, we implemented a very important first step in abuse prevention. 

Salut is a place for everyone to create and join fitness communities where they feel safe, motivated, comfortable, and most of all where they can create long term healthy habits. In order for that to happen, we must prevent abusive behavior including harassment, hateful and violent speech, and sexual content. 

If you see content, speech, or behavior that you believe is a violation of the above rules in particular, or our Terms of Service in general, follow the instructions below. 

Reporting

Please send an email to support@joinsalut.com to report a user who has violated these terms of service. Please include as much information as you can including: 

• Salut handle of the user.
• Trainer studio where this incident occurred.
• Date and time of the incident, as best as you can.
• Description of the user behavior
• Screenshot if you have one.

Our Promise

We will start an investigation within 24 hours of the report and block the user quickly if we deem it appropriate. The blocked user’s account will be removed from Salut and, if the individual is a trainer, their classes will also be hidden.

1. Share your profile everywhere! Remember, your profile link is joinsalut.com/profile (replace "profile" with your Salut handle). This link, no matter where your customer click on it, will bring them to your profile and class calendar. From here, your customers can add your class to their personal calendar. 

2. In addition to your current client base and social following, ask your friends and family to come to one of your classes. Really, simply send them an email with a link to your studio, the time and date, and ask them to come. They'll be delighted to take one of your classes. It's super fun to connect with your loved ones in this way. 

3. Make your class an event. Maybe you're raising money for your favorite charity, or a local cause. Make your class a rallying cry where you donate your proceeds to fundraising. Rallying your community around a cause can be a very powerful way to not only kickstart your Salut studio, but also do some good in the world. 

Squad! We've made a significant improvement to the way that your profile link works. Now, when a customer clicks on your profile link, they are brought to an interim web page where they can see your complete schedule,  add your classes to their calendar, and click through directly to your studio in the app. 

Your profile link is simply joinslaut.com/profile (replace 'profile' with your studio handle). 

For example, when @Julie Kikla shares her profile link joinsalut.com/jungalowyoga, her customers are then brought to the page below.

This will work great no matter where you share your profile link, so be sure to share it everywhere!

Hey squad! We're creating a series of interviews with virtual trainers like you so we can all learn from each other. Today, we have Ashley Rhianne, a dance and Pilates instructor who transitioned to virtual when Covid hit. You can find her on Instagram. 

When did you start doing virtual fitness sessions? Did you start before
shelter-in-place policies?
I started doing virtual classes about 2 weeks after the quarantine started. As a dance and pilates instructor I was eager to keep my students but was worried about the transition to virtual.

Do you find that your customers came from your pre-Covid client base? Or did they find you after lockdown started?
Alot of my dance students were already with me but after lockdown started I definitely got more inquiries and different people joining in.

Which do you enjoy more, virtual fitness or in-person fitness?
I enjoy both — I love the accessibility of online classes for people and I think it works well for some people to do it from their homes but I really love being in studio also. I am a people person so its nice to be face to face.

In what ways is virtual fitness better for the teacher and the customer?
In what ways is it worse?
Better: accessibility, affordability, you can do it in the privacy of your own home. Worse: the technology aspect, having to be accountable and staying committed to attending classes.

What do you find are the most challenging aspects of virtual fitness? Teaching technique, technology, audio, studio space? Something else?
I am still working out my ideal space and for me its the challenge of
promoting my classes and keeping people attending. I invested in audio and I have lights so this part isn’t a challenge.

Describe for our readers what you use for hardware, software, and peripherals. How do you handle video broadcast and audio in particular?
I have a headset and body pack for teaching and I use Zoom business for running my classes.

Do you do it all alone, or do you have someone to lean on for production help and the like?
I do it all n my pwn although I want to improve my production skills as this is where I need help.

What advice would you give to a fitness pro who wants to try out virtual fitness via Zoom or other platform?
I would 100% suggest investing in a headset. It makes it so much easier for the students to hear you. I also suggest being engaging with your audience — talk to them as if they are in the same room as you so that you can build the whole experience.

What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned now that you’ve been doing virtual fitness for a few months?
That I love it! And it has made me a better teacher!

Do you plan to pick up in-person fitness again when shelter-in-place comes to a close, or do you believe that virtual is the new normal?
I am already teaching some classes in person but will continue to offer virtual also. I think virtual will be the new normal for the future.