So you’ve heard it here before, and in a lot of other places too: Multi-channel is the fastest and most effective route to good marketing. The simple and best case for multi-channel marketing is that consumers want—and have come to expect—choice.

We now live in a multi-screen digital world where we are constantly and simultaneously engaging via laptop, smart phone (even smart TV), and back again. So to get marketing right and reach more targets, brands and businesses of all sizes must find ways to not only engage across multiple channels, but do so with a seamless and cohesive message.  Plus, with all the information overload, engagement must be as simple as possible.

Good multi-channel marketing increases revenue and builds stronger, more loyal relationships.  But many businesses, especially small- to medium-sized ones, still rely on a single channel (or maybe two channels) to communicate with contacts and market themselves.

So why the delay in adoption?  

Creating and executing effective, engaging multi-channel marketing doesn’t happen at the click of a mouse. Technology and resource constraints, as well as lack of marketing expertise among staff, all lie at the heart of why even businesses that understand what needs to be done to grow still aren’t doing it. 

To grow revenue through multi-channel marketing, small- to medium-sized businesses have to first determine if they have the internal resources and expertise to do it on their own.

Marketing automation tools are an option, but most already stretched internal employees don’t have the required time nor expertise to implement them effectively. While an initial investment is necessary to outsource, the most cost-effective path may be to hire an expert. An expert familiar with marketing best practices who can effectively execute the work will likely yield results much more quickly than an overextended and inexperienced staff member’s trial and error. With outside help, internal resources can remain focused on other vital business operations also essential to growth.

The bottom line:  Businesses investing in multi-channel marketing are reaping big rewards—stronger customer engagement, reduced competition and ultimately revenue growth. Overcoming the initial technology and resource barriers to multi-channel marketing may not be instant nor come without an investment, but it is necessary for growth in an increasingly online, offline and mobile world. It may also require the help of experts to get it right.