It’s coming, although no one can say exactly when. Governors will lift the lockdowns and millions of people will return to work. The economic engine will restart. What no one knows for certain is when the stay-at-home orders will be lifted. It is increasingly likely that not everyone will be liberated from quarantine at once. The coronavirus is controlling the timeline.

While we all look forward to the day coming soon when everyone will emerge from their bunkers and bask in the golden light, the reality is much more complex. Some businesses are on full pause, others are already operational in remote form. Some will hit the ground running while others take a wait-and-see approach. Based on economic forecasts, we believe that how a business hits the starting gate will determine its trajectory for months to come.

Every business should be doing these seven things now:

• Stay tethered to your customers through your social media channels. If your social presence has been neglected until now, give it some love. It costs you nothing (a HUGE boon to your marketing budget) and your consumers are hungry for any communication you can give them during the lockdown.
• Give your brand a health check. Has the pandemic impacted the way consumers perceive or value your product or services? Are you any more or less relevant?
• Use this moment to gather intel. How have your competitors been using their time? Monitor their websites and listen to the conversations on their social media channels to put your finger on the pulse of consumers and the category.
• Craft your message strategy. You may not know when you’ll be saying “welcome back” but you can decide what to say. And what you’ll say after everyone else says it. Give thought to how your message will vary across target audiences and their decision journey.
• Revisit your creative. Will it be relevant and resonate with your target audiences on the other side?
• Get your advertising plan ready, with consideration for how quickly you can generate leads and convert them to revenue that hits your bottom line (and marketing budget). Consider giving priority to the low-hanging fruit that can help you get traction sooner rather than later.
• Look for ways to increase speed and agility as an organization. Shell-shocked consumers, unpredictable events and fast-moving competitors will throw curves. Be ready to react, adapt and grow stronger.