After working in corporate retail sales and management for over decade, operating my own online boutique and coaching over 4,000 e-commerce business owners all across the world, there are 4 essential areas of business that most brand founders fail to master.

The 4 M's of Marketing

Market -- Your market is your audience. The root word of marketing is "market". If you don't have a market or don't know who your market consists of, can your marketing actually be effective?

Message -- Relationship building and relationship management are essential to gaining quality leads and potential customers. This requires you to talk to your audience in a language that they understand and resonate with.

Media -- There are more forms of "media" than just social media. You'll need to learn how to use media to attract an audience on social while also using media to get them off of social and onto your lists. You'll also want to learn how to prioritize other forms of media such as paid advertising to attract and convert your ideal customers.

Math -- I've always said that e-commerce is more about math than it is about product. Selling requires not only great marketing, but also a good understanding of the various numbers within your business. This includes your cost of goods, expenses, profit margins, open to buy budget, advertising budget and more.