Ananya Spa During COVID-19

When Julie Becker decided to update her marketing strategy and brand look for a new year and decade, she could never have guessed the impact that those decisions would have three months down the line.

In January, Becker debuted a new logo, website, and social media strategy for Ananya Spa, her Seattle, Washington-based business of 18 years. The original plan had been to ramp up social media and content marketing in March. When COVID-19 forced Ananya to close, Becker knew that she was poised with the right strategy to stay connected with her customers who could no longer visit the spa.

Ananya’s accounts began posting every day—some days it was an inspiring message and on others it was educational content about how and when to wash your hands. Regardless of the content, it illustrated Becker’s unwavering belief that the spa (and its customers) will get through the pandemic.

“I’ve been in business so long that I’ve been through a couple of roller coasters,” Becker said. “I will definitely make it through this. I’ve got a lot of employees to take care of.”

And since Ananya couldn’t offer services, Becker decided leaning into content was one of the best steps she could take. So, she pulled back her spend on advertising and started focusing on organic content.

“I had to look at my budget and see what I could do,” Becker said. “I think that just by staying engaged with the public is the best way to remind people that we’re still out here.”

Ananya’s posts aren’t just about traditional spa topics. While Becker has showcased her own skincare routine and made product recommendations via Instagram Stories, she’s also passing information to her clients about community updates—including a color code system to keep neighbors in touch without speaking to each other.

For as long as the pandemic continues, Becker and Ananya Spa will continue providing content that her customers and community need. Once it abates, the spa will be ready to welcome old customers back—and likely some new faces.

“The beauty business is never going away,” Becker said. “Everybody’s online 75% more than they were doing before, so we’ve got more attention than we’ve ever had.”