For those who are inexperienced in digital marketing, what’s the number one thing they should know?

It depends if you sell products or services.

it also depends if your prospects are business or consumers, age and gender. Last and not least - what is the Geo location you're selling to?

for example, if you sell products to USA consumers and your buyers mostly women in the age of 25 to 50, you want to expand the content and add images (don't just fetch a feed from the manufacturer) have the price in US$ and speak the language of your buyers.

they need to see what they're looking for, not how good you are.

Everyone that has responded to this question - has provided sound advice - and it is also clear that many have experienced the good, the bad & the ugly with Digital Marketing. Keep in mind that our input is from a B2B perspective.
The #1 question that novices and inexperienced users need to ask is:
What are the solid reasons that Digital Marketing needs to be incorporated into their business and Marketing Mix?
If the answer is: It is fashionable/in vogue, a requirement in any business to succeed in today's competitive and brutal market or the old tried-and-true approaches aren't working anymore - then - that is not justification for integrating Digital Marketing into your core business.
Also - let's dispel the false expectations - avoid thinking that you simply need to put Digital Ads, Visual Posts, Videos and other tools into place - to bolster traffic to your website, reach a rich prospect audience (previously untapped) - build an effective position/brand - and count on Digital Marketing solely to take care of it - not going to happen.
There are three (3) fundamentals:
•Sound Industry experience – that speaks the language of the prospective audience.
If you are focusing on the Defense & Aerospace target segments (for example) – then make sure that you have subject matter experts that can translate your position, messaging and solutions properly.

•Market Programs expertise – whether you have an in-house team or leverage an outside source - make sure that there is a program framework, methodology/process orientation, documented plan approaches/techniques to assure program effectiveness.
Otherwise, your Digital Marketing Program may be a high-stakes gamble and miss the mark.

•Rich Contact Base – this is probably the most essential element – and must be based on Industry relationships that have been forged – not through acquiring e-mail lists or contact data-base subscriptions. The element of trusted source does not come easy. With it, you can gain access/entry to key accounts and start your campaign on the right footing. Without it – your program is lost in the noise.

That final message is the key to applying Digital Marketing to your business and the timing - will it be effective or will you be lost in the noise?
For our Clients - we do a deep-dive (called Homework) to fully understand their challenges, opportunities and/or problem set - which then provides insight to the right Marketing Mix - of which - Digital Marketing can be an element of the overall program.
Lastly - avoid being an "experiment in terror" - do Pilot Programs first - to iron things out - before you go full-tilt on Digital Marketing. 

On a different note - we leverage traditional and new wave marketing techniques  (hybrid approach) - for both our company's direct efforts and for our Client Programs.
Digital Marketing continues to be a staple - and we will continue to build upon it - as required - smartly.

How to reach your customers and do business with them the way that they prefer to make them feel safe and secure while still providing a full service to them. Thryv offers that end-to-end software with touchless invoices, payments, appointment set ups that allow the to parties to communicate, get the job done and send thanks to your customer for choosing you as well.

The first thing is to be aware that a website is not a solution itself. A website is a tool to use for sale, but you have to do many different actions to drive people there. Facebook maybe, Google for sure, instagram also helps, but the most important is content in your website, shared on all other platforms. The content has to answer all the common questions that a customer commonly has. What, how, where, how much.

All these actions take time and expertise, that normally entrepreneur doesn't have, so is very important hire a professional or use services from someone who do this professionally.

Digital marketing can sound intimidating to small businesses, first of all acknowledging that you need a professional is your top priority. 

But, before you start adding on services like paid ads, social media, website redesign, etc., you have to think about your audience.

If You want to make the most of your digital marketing efforts to invest where your audience is. Are they young and excited about social media? Are they professionals browsing on LinkedIn? Maybe they're older and listen to podcasts or the radio. Once you start answering these questions, you're more prepared to know exactly how to invest your budget. 

Every business needs a digital presence — especially now! Some business owners think they are too late to get on Facebook or Instagram, but it never too earlier or late to be connecting with your audience online. Having a search engine optimized website and engaged social media accounts are the best was to grow trust in your brand and increase visibility aka sales! 

QUICK DIGITAL MARKETING TIPS

Know your why - You have a story to tell, a journey to reveal and share. Tell it in a way that your audience will relate. Be authentic and true to your mission. 

Know who your buyer/audience is. The more you know, the easier it is to produce content that attracts them AND repels the audience you don’t want.

Be clear and concise in your copy and your content. You want to educate and engage your buyer. Promotions should be only 20% of what you post. The other 80% should actively educate, engage and enlighten your buyer.

Measure - you can’t manage what you can’t measure. Monitor your stats. What posts are doing well and who are you reaching? Tweak your approach based on your data. Remember to look at RESULTS. 

Don’t be afraid to try new things, but remain on brand and on mission.

Don’t try to be everything all at once. Study your audience. Hang out where they hang out. Go where your buyer/audience is and work that platform. 

Pay for what you dislike doing. You know what you’re good at and you probably know what you’re not good at - hire someone else to do that piece.

One thing they should know is that they always need to perform there own due diligence on these marketing companies. A lot of people can sound like they know what they are doing however many actually do not. I recommend reading neil patel or going onto quora and reddit and just read digital marketing group posts. Otherwise you can get played by someone that just says all the right things but brings you no real results at the end of the day. 

What we help our clients with is understanding the reasons behind our our choices. Which we do this with data. We can pull data on them and there competitors to explain why this choice will be made and also what they can even do to improve in the realm of digital marketing. We also use data from studies to make choices like with a facebook ad picture. If you use a very flashy picture with a sleek design and text it won't do as well as a facebook ad with a simple bold catchy picture and the necessary text. This was a study we found because of neil patel which it honestly makes sense. People are fast and want to know what you are selling prompty rather than having to put in work and read a whole bunch. 
Like in video ads you have 3 - 10 seconds to catch the viewers attention or else they are gone. 

I help my clients firmly place their brand in the minds of their target audience. To do that traditionally and digitally, you first need to know why your brand exists. Second, you need to know your brand's purpose. After those two things are established, we can start with effective publicity and advertising. No matter the platform, brands with purpose are leaders. If you're ready to lead, reach out to me. I would love to help you build and or maintain your brand. 

The number one thing they should know is who their target audience is. Investing money to attract ideal customers is necessary, but just trying to target everyone will result in low ROI and wasted spending. Once you determine your target audience, you then need to determine your Key Performance Indicators, or your goals. Combining your end goal with your ideal customer will ensure you get a good ROI.