You have to cut back your marketing budget. There’s no easy answer on what to keep and what to sacrifice. But by investing more time—not more money—online marketing can still be an effective part of your btob marcom program. Even in uncertain times.

Focus on content.
This is the first, and persistent, item on my list. You must commit to producing fresh and valuable content. Better content means a better site, search rankings, and user experience—which support better conversions. If you aren’t willing to commit to producing content then there’s no point in reading on.

Leverage social media.
More marketers are using social media, leveraging blogs and social networks to reach audiences. In order for this to be effective, you have to commit more time, but not a lot of money. It’s a way to experiment with something new and highly engaging (unlike that flashy banner ad) without dedicating a lot of your budget.

Pull people in while your competitors are drawing back.
While your competitors may cut back on digital marketing, if you continue your online promotions, it’s an opportunity to stand out. Focus on an effective message you carry everywhere—and have content on your site to support it.

Deliver more information on your site and address your audience’s concerns.
Your prospects are facing cutbacks too. They are going to be doing more research online before making a purchasing decision. You have to work harder to convince someone and plan for a longer buying cycle. Help site visitors make a move by giving them the information they need to convince others to support the purchase. Content including research, references, customer reviews, and testimonials can all help.

Be found.
Search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) programs can help people who are looking for a solution find you. Oh, and this only works if you have the content on your site.

Improve your landing pages.
A good landing page is your best chance of turning a click into a prospect. Designing special landing pages, and testing them, will increase the likelihood of making a conversion. (Please don't just dump people on your home page.) As support to an SEM program, it's a measurable and controllable initiative.

Measure. And actually do something with the information.
Do something with those analytics reports. There’s money in that data; you just have to find it. Learn what your customers are doing on your site. By tracking their actions, you can get insight into your prospects. And what’s working and what’s not.