In today's economy, consumers are often time-starved, multitasking and toggling between numerous devices and platforms while on the go. In this shifting landscape, brands that continue to think in long-form, heavy-read content run the risk of being ignored, even if their message is strong.

Focusing on how to shrink complexity, amplify clarity and deliver content in forms that match the consumer’s lifestyle is the way to go. Below, Forbes Business Development Council members describe how companies can make their brands—and the content they share—more appealing to today's busy consumers.

1. Design Targeted Visual Appeal On Mobile Devices

In today’s attention-deficit economy, brands must communicate with precision and purpose by elevating their content strategy and prioritizing clarity and relevance. Messaging should be visually compelling, mobile-first and intelligently segmented to their audience. I've observed that formats like short-form videos, carousels and infographics work well at catching consumers' attention. - Anees Ali Khan, Wipro

2. Use Consumer Language To Connect With Your Audience

Consumers know what keeps them awake or makes them happy. If a brand creates less "generic entertainment" content and develops something that directly resonates with that consumer's needs, it will feel aligned and authentic. So, be more compelling. Talk to the target consumer using their language, addressing their personal needs. - Surash Patel

3. Keep Your Message Relevant And Simple

Brands need to be highly aware that they are breaking into consumers’ daily “interconnected experiences” across the brand universe. Relevance, simplicity and connection are key to capturing that brief attention and cutting through the noise. - Aarthi Murali, BCG

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4. Create Meaningful Content That Solves Problems And Inspires Action

Share content that solves a problem, teaches something useful or inspires action within seconds. Busy consumers decide fast, so clarity, relevance and brevity matter. Lead with what helps them right now, not what you want to say. - Gary Lamach, ELB

5. Experiment With Short- And Long-Form Content

Brand strategists must remember that true brand connection with consumers transcends momentary desire for speed. Establishing microburst strategies with high-impact and immersive content remains critical to share. The need to connect on meaningful messaging in both short and long form still remains prevalent across multiple platforms to present your vision within a more complete story. - Brandon McConnell, Delavan Lake Lawn Management LLC/Delavan Holdings

6. Drop All The Jargon

Not only in finance but across industries, we're seeing consumers run articles through AI engines and request summaries to save time. People are mentally overloaded. It's not that they're not interested in reading what you have to say, but they have little bandwidth to determine whether it's worth it. Drop the jargon and use clear, digestible language in a well-structured format that's easy to follow. - Cody Slach, Gateway Group

7. Apply The 3-30-3 Rule

You have three seconds to grab consumers' attention. Purposefully choose every word, subheading and graphic. Design your content so the 3-second reader, 30-second reader or, hopefully, the 3-minute reader all gain the same message. The 3-30-3 marketing principle has been a powerful tool for decades and it still leads us on the right path today, regardless of attention spans that seem to shorten by the day. - Kimberlee Herndon, PROTECS

8. Offer Real Value That Sparks Consumer Connection

Your content needs to offer real value, feel relatable and spark a connection. People remember how you made them feel, so make sure your content resonates with them on a personal level. The big question they’re always asking is, “What’s in it for me?” So answer that, and you’re on the right track. - Daniel Shapiro, Red Points

9. Speak With Authenticity

Today’s consumers value clarity over complexity. The most effective brands simplify their story, speak with authenticity and create meaning—not noise. Relevance and brevity now define trust and influence. - Rahul Saluja, WinWire

10. Avoid Being Self-Centered And Insensitive

Companies must remember that it's not always about you. In fact, most of the time, it's about your customers and the problems they face. A lot of today's marketing can come across as self-centered and insensitive. Especially in B2B, it's critical to champion your customers and have them be your best spokespeople. Lead with customer stories and outcomes. - Toby Carrington, Seismic

11. Personalize Every Customer Experience

Know your audiences intimately and serve them differently. Consumer content should inspire and simplify the decision journey. Today's audiences—consumer or commercial—will disengage in seconds if you don't deliver immediate value. We've shifted from “What can we say?” to “What do they actually need?” Make every piece of content earn its place. Respect attention as your scarcest resource. - Jenny Nail, Oldcastle APG

12. Reduce Your Value Proposition To A Single Sentence

Lead with outcomes, not features. Today's B2B buyers are drowning in information. Develop messaging that answers one question immediately: “What problem does this solve for me?” Eliminate jargon, reduce your core value proposition to a single sentence and ensure every touchpoint—from your homepage to sales decks—delivers that clarity up front. - Chris Vriavas, pharosIQ

13. Encourage Employees To Tell Their Stories

The best assets for organizations are the people who work for them. We crave real stories, real lessons learned and honest feedback. The best branding you can do is have your employees share their journeys on their platforms of choice. - Olga Lykova, monday.com

14. Write Content That Is By And For Humans

Create human-focused content for human beings. Too often, I see a lot of AI-generated content and not enough human oversight. The quick fix isn’t the most popular answer: Make content by humans, for humans. Make it digestible and helpful. Do this, and you will soar. - Brandon Batchelor, ReadyCloud

15. Make Learning Effortless And Engaging

Companies can capture today’s busy consumers through microeducation—sharing small, impactful bites of value across multiple mediums. Focus on making content quick to consume but hard to forget by making it educational, relevant and a little edgy. When learning feels effortless and engaging, attention turns into loyalty. - Mohammad Hossain, Kinetik

16. Deliver Instant Gratification Through Your Promotion, Product Or Service

Connection and instant gratification are the two fundamentals driving consumer decisions these days. Companies need to harness the power of personification and UGC, build a connection, evoke emotions in the prospective consumer and then make them feel a sense of immediate gratification for viewing the promotion or purchasing the product or service. - Angelica Kopec, She Knows Business

17. Stop People In Their Tracks With Authentic Tone And Small Surprises

You really have to earn a second glance. Today’s consumers scroll fast and forget faster. Design every piece of content to earn the second glance, which I describe as a moment of pause that says, “This feels different.” Authentic tone and small surprises spark that curiosity. - Bryce Welker, The CPA Exam Guy

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This expert panel article originally appeared on Forbes.com here.