### Communication is crucial to a successful wellness program. 
Fortunately, MoveSpring makes communication easy to manage, from announcements to [chat](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/2961997-should-i-enable-chat) and [content](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/1868596-upload-and-manage-content-within-the-content-module)! In this blog post, we’ll be highlighting how to creatively use the [announcements feature](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/3854206-how-to-use-the-announcements-feature) throughout your wellness program. 

## Why do we love announcements?

Announcements take up valuable real estate on the MoveSpring dashboard, placing relevant information right in your employees' hands. Push notifications ensure no one misses an important update, and adding an optional call to action makes announcements flexible and interactive.

![MoveSpring dashboard - img 1.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1647449787/blog/Move_Spring_dashboard_img_1_73c2e4cdf8.png)

### Customize announcements to fit your every need

To access announcements in the admin center, select Campaigns from the top navigation bar and make sure you’re viewing the [Announcements tab](https://admin.movespring.com/campaigns/announcements). 

All announcements in MoveSpring require a title and description. Beyond that, you can fully customize your announcement to fit your needs! Choose to include an image and a custom call to action directing users to a URL. Then, select your recipients and include an optional push notification to alert users through the app.

![program tip GIF.gif](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1647449787/blog/program_tip_GIF_100e459cb4.gif)

You can also schedule out your announcements in advance to save time later! Learn more about creating and scheduling announcements [here](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/3854206-how-to-use-the-announcements-feature).

## Getting creative with announcements

The announcements feature is fully customizable, which means you can get creative with your communications! We’ve highlighted our best recommendations for using announcements below to help you make the most of the feature.

### Give challenge updates & reminders

Ready to announce a new challenge, or hoping to drum up some excitement during the final week of your event? Announcements are a great resource. You can send announcements to all users in your account or just to your challenge participants depending on what you’re sharing. 

In addition to building the hype for your challenge, remember to also use announcements as a tool to remind users to join teams, sync, or set a personalized goal. Access announcement templates for sharing challenge updates [here](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/4270417-announcement-templates-for-challenge-updates-and-new-features#h_56819e1b44).

### Share company reminders

Remind your employees of important dates and reminders for your wellness program and related benefits, such as when to get your free on-site flu vaccination or where to complete your health risk assessment (HRA).

### Encourage employees

Looking for a fun way to check-in with employees? Create an announcement highlighting users who have been going above and beyond! If you don’t have an active challenge, shoutout employees who have been moving the greatest distance over the past week, or call out the most improved users in your account over the past month. This information can be accessed through [Reporting](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/1828030-how-to-pull-a-report). Access templates to help inspire your user shoutouts [here](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/5728686-announcement-templates-for-user-stat-shoutouts).

![program tip img 3.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1647449787/blog/program_tip_img_3_571d0a8cef.jpg)

### Educate employees

Use announcements as a way to educate your employees on relevant wellness topics, such as sleep or nutrition. Employees will benefit from the reminder to prioritize their health. Access general health and wellness engagement announcement templates [here](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/5728666-announcement-templates-for-general-wellness-engagement).

### Celebrate events and holidays

Sharing timely reminders related to events and holidays is a simple way to engage employees throughout the year. Provide tips related to building healthy habits around New Year’s or remind employees to take care of their hearts in February for American Heart Health month. Access seasonal announcement templates [here](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/5811542-announcement-templates-for-seasonal-events-holidays).

### Highlight features

Another great use of announcements is to highlight MoveSpring features to encourage usage. For example, you may have enabled [user created challenges](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/3028113-should-i-enable-user-created-challenges), but employees may not be aware that this feature is available to them. To help build excitement and encourage usage, send a quick message sharing that the feature is live! Access announcement templates to highlight new features [here](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/4270417-announcement-templates-for-challenge-updates-and-new-features#h_d0aaaa02ae).

### Gather user feedback

Announcements can also be used collect user feedback. Send out a short survey link via the custom Call to Action button. You can gauge employee satisfaction with your wellness programming, poll participants on what they’d like to see next, and more.

## Ready to get started? Use our announcement templates as inspiration:

[Announcement Templates for Challenge Updates and New Features](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/4270417-announcement-templates-for-challenge-updates-and-new-features)

[Announcement Templates for General Wellness Engagement](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/5728666-announcement-templates-to-promote-wellness-topics)

[Announcement Templates for User Stat Shoutouts](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/5728686-announcement-templates-for-user-stat-shoutouts)

[Announcement Templates for Seasonal Engagement](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/5811542-announcement-templates-for-seasonal-events-holidays)

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Get creative with announcements

## One of our most popular challenge modes just got better. Introducing Team Virtual Race.

You asked for more team challenges to take the competition beyond the leaderboard. We’ve answered with our newest team mode: Team Virtual Race.

Team Virtual Race combines our beloved Virtual Race mode with our Team Leaderboard mode. The result? A race to see which team can move the furthest distance. 

You select a map for your teams to race along, and set [a total distance goal](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/2583629-setting-a-group-module-goal) for each team to reach. You can use one of our engaging, [preset maps](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/4201968-guide-to-virtual-race-themes) or create your own map and milestones using our [Virtual Racetrack Creator](https://admin.movespring.com/racetracks/create).

You can either [create teams](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/1898544-how-to-create-teams-edit-a-team-name-or-photo) or allow users to create their own teams. Each team will compete to top the leaderboard by moving the highest average distance over the course of the challenge. Teams will unlock milestones together as they race along the map path. 

![TVR view map and milestones.GIF.gif](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1646328312/blog/TVR_view_map_and_milestones_GIF_905e44f3c9.gif#resizegif)

### How are teams scored during the race?

Team Virtual Race ranks teams from high to low based on a team’s **average total distance.** Just like in our Team Leaderboard mode, averages are used instead of totals to account for teams of various sizes.

![Blog Body Image 1600 w x 900 h (3).jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1646328348/blog/Blog_Body_Image_1600_w_x_900_h_3_66c855f1ce.jpg)

As an admin, you set one distance goal for teams to achieve by the end of the challenge. Simply multiply the average distance you want participants to move per day by the duration of your challenge to set this goal. Teams will move along the map based on their average total distance. The winning team is the one with the **highest average distance by challenge end**. 

For more information on how team challenges are scored, click [here](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/3804067-scoring-guide-leaderboard-and-team-leaderboard-challenge-modules).

## Teams have a fresh look, plus new cover photos!

We’ve made teams even more user-friendly with a new and improved user interface in the app. Additionally, we added the option to add a team cover photo. As an admin, you can upload a unique team photo and cover photo from the MoveSpring Admin Center. Learn more about creating teams [here](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/1898544-how-to-create-teams-edit-a-team-name-or-photo).

If you have user-created teams enabled for your challenge, users will be able to set their team photo and cover photo when they create their team. 

Don’t have the time to customize team photos? No worries! A default photo will be automatically given to each team photo and cover photo. You can choose to edit the images if you want to.

![Cover photo blog image.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1646328385/blog/Cover_photo_blog_image_e84087664c.png)

Team photos allow users to bring even more personality to your next team challenge, whether it is a Team Leaderboard or a Team Virtual Race!

## Create a Team Virtual Race challenge for your next competition.

Ready to try it out? Click [here](https://admin.movespring.com/challenges/create) to create your first Team Virtual Race challenge. Available to all one-time and annual clients.

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Go the distance with Team Virtual Race

## Your employees—and their fitness routines—are unique. Count all activities, from cycling to swimming, in your challenges with our new activity converter and manual activities.

At MoveSpring, we want all users to get credit for their activity, regardless of how they prefer to get moving. That’s why we built our new in-app activity converter. With our latest update, admins can choose to enable the activity converter to allow users to convert any common activity into steps and distance totals.

## With our in-app activity converter, users simply choose an activity and enter a duration. Steps and distance convert automatically.

When you enable the new activity converter from the [MoveSpring admin center](https://admin.movespring.com/account/settings), users will be able to enter their time spent performing common non-stepping activities like cycling or yoga and automatically convert that time into the equivalent steps and distance totals.

Users will choose an activity from the list of options and enter a duration (for example, 30 minutes of yoga). From there, steps and distance convert automatically. All that’s left to do is to save the activity and keep moving!

Once an activity is converted, users can save their entry and it will be added to any existing activity data synced in from their device for the chosen date. Converted steps, converted distance, and the active minute total will be included. Any converted activities will also appear in their list of all logged activities. Users can review and remove logged activities if needed from this list.

![convert movespring v2.GIF](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1646082347/blog/convert_movespring_v2_81c731ceb5.gif#resizegif)

## Allow users to add manual activities for even more flexibility.

We’ve also improved our existing manual entry experience with this new update. When you enable manual activities from the [MoveSpring admin center](https://admin.movespring.com/account/settings)*, users can add a manual activity with an accompanying step, distance, and active minutes total.

Once a manual activity is saved, it is added to any existing activity data synced in from a user’s device for the chosen date. The entry will also appear in their list of all logged activities. 

**If you previously had manual entry enabled for your account, manual activity entry is now enabled for consistency.*

![manual activity logging.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1645125910/blog/manual_activity_logging_8760bfc1ba.png)

### Manual and converted activities never overwrite device data.

Manual and converted activities will never overwrite totals synced by a device totals. These logged activities will be counted in addition to any device data.

## What’s the difference between converted activities and manual activities?

Since converted activities and manual activities both allow users to log additional data into MoveSpring, we’ve outlined what each feature can accomplish for your challenges, as well as how the features differ, below.

### Converted activities

- **Level the playing field between all forms of activity.** Allowing converted activities in your challenges gives participants who prefer non-stepping activities like cycling or yoga the chance to participate in a step-based challenge.
- **Allow users without a device to add data into your challenge.** If a user doesn’t have a device or does not want to [use their phone as a fitness tracker](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/1419827-what-fitness-trackers-and-smartwatches-can-play), they can use the activity converter to log their common activities (walking, running, cycling, etc.) into the MoveSpring app. They’ll just need to track the duration of each workout in order to log their data into MoveSpring.

### Manual activities

- **Allow full customization of logged activities.** When a user logs a manual activity, they have full control over the data they are adding to their MoveSpring account. Users can enter a custom total for  steps, distance, and/or active minutes. They can add just 1 metric (e.g. 10 active minutes), 2 metrics, or all 3 metrics, depending on what data they need to log.  The activity converter does not offer this level of customization, since steps and distance are converted automatically based on the activity and duration entered.
- **Allow users with pedometers and low-tech devices to participate.** Some fitness tracking devices may not have an API for MoveSpring to integrate with, or participants may use a low-tech device, such as a pedometer, that cannot sync to MoveSpring. Enabling manual activities gives these users the chance to participate in step challenges by entering the data they've recorded on these low-tech devices directly into the app.
- **Allow users to enter workouts that weren’t tracked by their fitness tracking device.** Some users may chose not to wear their fitness tracking device during a workout and others may simply forget to throw on their device for an evening walk. Manual activities allows users to log any missed data directly into the app.
- **Allow users to convert an activity that isn’t common.** Manual activities can also be used to convert an activity that is not as common, such as badminton or ballet dancing. Users can convert their activities using this [activity to step conversion chart](https://movespring.com/resources/activity-converter).

## Learn how to add activities in MoveSpring.

Users can easily add their activities straight from the dashboard. When a user selects the floating “+” button from the dashboard, it will open the **Add an activity** overlay. From the overlay, users will see a list of their current challenge-based daily habit activities* and the option to log a new custom or converted activity if enabled through admin settings. If they scroll down and select **View all logged activities,** they can also open a log of all previously logged activities.

![MoveSpring dashboard add activity.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1645125950/blog/Move_Spring_dashboard_add_activity_af42976a86.png)

Users can access this same logging overlay from the **Add activity** button on the dashboard, the side navigation drawer, and the logged activities page. 

The option to add and delete converted activities and daily habit activities is only available on the MoveSpring [iOS app](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/movespring/id1315128138) and [Android app](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.movespring&hl=en_US&gl=US) at this time. Web users can currently add and delete manual activities only.

**When you set up a [custom activity challenge](https://movespring.com/blog/run-a-challenge-based-on-any-activity-introducing-custom-activity-challenges-1) from the admin center, it will show in the app as a daily habit challenge.*

## Customize your admin settings today to get started.

The owner of the account can customize which features are available to users in your account from [admin settings](https://admin.movespring.com/account/settings). 

You can manage access to the activity converter and manual activity entry separately, so you’ll be able to enable both options, just one option, or none. Please also keep in mind that if manual entry was enabled for your account, we defaulted your account to allow manual activity entry for a consistent user experience.

For additional questions, please [contact our support team](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/2207782-how-do-i-contact-customer-support). Happy converting!

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How to count any activity (from cycling to yoga!) in your challenges

Loneliness is on the rise. Research has shown that as many as 1 in 4 Americans claim to have **zero** close friends to confide in*. Unfortunately, loneliness comes at a cost to both physical and mental health. With many companies becoming permanently remote or switching to hybrid schedules, workplace isolation is an increasing concern.

If employees aren’t given resources and opportunities to connect to each other, they can still feel lonely after a day full of meetings. On the other hand, people working remotely can feel genuinely supported and connected to their team if the right structures are in place.

**So what can you do?** 

Create opportunities for meaningful social connection. You can do this whether you have a smaller company coming to work in-person or a fully-remote, global company with thousands of employees.

## Help your employees improve their social wellness by building meaningful connections. Run the Stronger Together challenge.

Incorporate the Stronger Together challenge in your wellness programming by following this guide.

![Stronger Together - img 1.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1644272237/blog/Stronger_Together_img_1_d50f144dc0.jpg)

---

#### CHALLENGE DETAILS

Follow these specifications when [creating your challenge](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/1872650-how-to-create-a-challenge) in the [Admin Center](https://admin.movespring.com/). Note that this challenge includes a Team Leaderboard. We suggest that you create and assign users to teams. Follow [this guide](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/1898544-how-to-create-teams-edit-a-team-name-or-photo) for help with setting up your teams. 

### **Challenge Name:** Stronger Together

### **Challenge Modes & Goals:**

- Team Leaderboard - Compete in teams to have the highest average total step count
- Actionable Content - Complete at least 10 of the 15 [social connection prompts](https://admin.movespring.com/campaigns/content-library/141/collection/45/)

💡 *Team Tip - We recommend [creating and assigning teams](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/1898544-how-to-create-teams-edit-a-team-name-or-photo) of 5-10 members for this challenge. You can adjust this range if needed depending on your company size. This allows you to randomize teams and encourage interactions between people who might not normally engage with one another.* 

*You can check out [this blog post](https://movespring.com/blog/its-all-in-the-name-creative-challenge-names-27) for creative team name ideas. If you have additional time to spend [renaming the teams](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/1898544-how-to-create-teams-edit-a-team-name-or-photo), you could also prompt each team to come up with a fun team name as a group instead.* 

### **Duration:** 3 weeks

### **Description:**

Research shows that maintaining social connections is as important as nutrition, sleep, and exercise to our overall physical and mental health.

Improve your social wellbeing and get stepping with teammates in our Stronger Together challenge!

Your goals are:

👟 Work together as a team to step your way to the top

💡 Complete at least 10 out of 15 social connection prompts

Enhance your social wellbeing by engaging with friends, coworkers, and others. Let’s connect!

**Head to the Admin Center to [create the challenge](https://admin.movespring.com/challenges/create/) now, and don’t forget to [set up teams](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/1898544-how-to-create-teams-edit-a-team-name-or-photo) in the Team Leaderboard.** 

---

#### COMMUNICATION STRATEGY

### **CHALLENGE INVITATION**

Send this invitation as an [in-app announcement](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/3854206-how-to-use-the-announcements-feature) and as a message in Slack, Teams, or email.

**When:** 7 days prior to challenge start

**Title:** Let’s Connect!

**Optional** **Image:**

![Stronger Together - img 2.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1644272387/blog/Stronger_Together_img_2_995f65fb79.jpg)

**Description:**

Join our next company-wide activity challenge, starting [XX DATE] on the MoveSpring app. Build your social wellness muscles by completing various prompts throughout the challenge to connect with others. Get to know coworkers by stepping with randomly-assigned teammates and sharing fun facts in chat!

Follow these steps to sign up:

1. Click this link: [INSERT CHALLENGE LINK]
2. [Connect](http://help.movespring.com/en/collections/854577-getting-started-in-movespring#connecting-a-fitness-tracking-device) & [sync](http://help.movespring.com/en/collections/854577-getting-started-in-movespring#syncing-activity-to-movespring) your device

If you have technical questions or issues, [contact the MoveSpring support team](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/2207782-how-do-i-contact-customer-support). 

Happy stepping! 

---

### **CHALLENGE ANNOUNCEMENTS**

### Challenge Kick-off Announcement

Engage your users from day 1 by sending an [in-app announcement](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/3854206-how-to-use-the-announcements-feature) that promotes your challenge.

**When:** First day of challenge

**Title:** Hone your social health

**Image:** 

![Stronger Together - img 3.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1644272422/blog/Stronger_Together_img_3_cd5f82fabe.jpg)

**Recipients:** Send to challenge participants

**Description:**

Today kicks off the Stronger Together challenge!

We'll spend the next 3 weeks honing our social health. Complete the connection prompts to begin strengthening your social ties. The prompts are for everyone, whether you already feel socially healthy or want to give your social wellbeing a boost.

Don’t forget to sync your steps to compete in the Team Leaderboard as well! 🏃 Contact the MoveSpring support team if you need any help with syncing.

Let's get stepping and connecting!

### Challenge Wrap-up Announcement

Recap your challenge by calling out stats and any rewards or prizes you are giving out. Be sure to include your own information in the placeholders below.

**When:** After grace period ends

**Title:** We're Stronger Together

**Image:** Same as above

**Recipients:** Send to challenge participants

**Description:**

You made it to the end of the Stronger Together challenge! We hope you feel socially healthier and more connected to the people you care about after this challenge.

Everyone who completed at least 10 social connection prompts was entered into our raffle.  [PARTICIPANT] won the [AIRBNB EXPERIENCE]. 🎉

The competition was fierce on the Team Leaderboard. Our 2 leading teams were [TEAM NAME] and [TEAM NAME]. 🏆 You all win a [CELEBRATORY EVENT] together.

Congrats to all!

**Want more announcement templates?** Find more in our [Announcement Templates for Challenge Updates](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/4270417-announcement-templates-for-challenge-updates-and-new-features). 

---

### **CHAT PROMPTS**

All chat messages should be posted from your MoveSpring account in the mobile app or from the [MoveSpring web app](https://app.movespring.com/) in the challenge chat. Be sure to include your own information in the placeholders below.

**When:** First day of challenge

**Message:** 

Our Stronger Together challenge starts today! Get ready for some fierce team competition. 

Let’s get to know each other better here in chat. To kick things off, what’s one goal you have this month to try to improve your social wellbeing?

[EXAMPLE: I want to schedule at least one hour of time with friends each week. I spend most of my time with family, so I want to focus on my friendships this month!]

**When:** Halfway through the challenge 

**Message:**

We’re about halfway through the challenge! Let’s celebrate with a little show and tell. What’s a photo on your phone that represents a favorite social memory? Share it and the story behind it below. 📸

**Pro tip**: Send chat messages throughout the challenge that are fun, prompt participants to share, and help everyone get to know each other better. Some other suggestions include:

- What part of your daily routine do you look forward to the most?
- What are three words that best describe you?
- What don’t we know about you? Drop a fun fact about yourself in the chat.

---

#### REWARDS STRATEGY

Raffle off prizes for your users who complete at least 10 pieces of actionable content. Provide a celebratory event for the members of the top 2 or 3 teams in the Team Leaderboard. 

We suggest prizes that will reinforce the themes of the challenge, such as spending time with others and developing healthy relationships. 

### **Prize Ideas:**

For completing the actionable content goal (raffle):

- [An Airbnb experience](https://www.airbnb.com/s/experiences/online) (virtual)
- An extra day of PTO

For teams that top the leaderboard:

- Tickets to a paint & sip class (option for virtual or in-person)
- Pizza party at bowling alley (in-person)
- Escape room (option for virtual or in-person)

For all challenge participants:

- Host a fun game night, trivia night, or after work happy hour (option for virtual or in-person)

**Want more challenge templates? Ask your client success rep about our [Ultimate plan](https://movespring.com/pricing).**

*Sources*

[http://ccare.stanford.edu/uncategorized/connectedness-health-the-science-of-social-connection-infographic/](http://ccare.stanford.edu/uncategorized/connectedness-health-the-science-of-social-connection-infographic/)

Get creative with announcements

Go the distance with Team Virtual Race

How to count any activity (from cycling to yoga!) in your challenges

Build connection and camaraderie with a social wellness challenge

17 ways to engage employees in wellness programs

Download the MoveSpring Playbook

More Resources

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