The average consumer is busier, smarter and more connected than ever. We crave information and entertainment, delivered quickly, relevantly and immediately. We can simultaneously be watching TV, listening to music and browsing the Internet: reading blogs, contributing content to blogs or consumer review sites, comparison shopping for our next household purchase, checking email and researching competitors for work.

Our attention spans are shortening yet our consumption of media and information is increasing. When we’re no longer interested, out of time, unimpressed by consumer reviews, or fed irrelevant content, we leave or change brands - we’ll find better products, cheaper prices or more relevant information elsewhere. When we’ve been scorned by a brand, we share it with others. However, when something impresses us, we share that too. Through the Internet, satellite radio, TV and wireless devices, we consume information about our favorite brands, the world around us and the neighborhoods we live in, and then make educated choices about who and what should garner our loyalty.

This highly participative but non-committal audience is the new consumer, your target audience. If you are trying to market your company's products or services, this noisy environment can be intimidating. Yet, it's encouraging to note that just as consumers are more in control of the advertising they consume, they're also ready to be positively influenced by a relevant message or brand experience. When you do engage the attention of your target customer, you have a better-than-ever opportunity to capture their loyalty.

So what is the strategy to engage? There is one thing you can be fairly certain of: when your audience needs what you offer, they're going to search for it - at a major search engine or the rising number of niche destination sites.

Search is the method by which we cut through the noise and connect with the companies that can deliver relevancy. As Gord Hotchkiss wrote in his SearchInsider article, “Search is the bridge that connects intent and content…This core functionality is what will drive almost all online connections in the future.”

So the next time you publish ad content, whether offline or online, be it a newspaper ad or a search marketing campaign, don't forget to update your paid search listings and your website with the content you’ve advertised. Make sure that you can deliver to the consumer what you’ve advertised or published as content in some blog or publication. This establishes trust.

Remember the new audience: you can engage them, but not for very long. Get them to commit before another offer comes their way or they lose trust because you didn’t deliver on what you advertised, stated or promised. You can do this by delivering relevant information instantly, relevantly and engagingly.

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