Jan. 24, 2023

This paid piece is sponsored by Click Rain Inc.

Marketers from across the region looking to level up their digital marketing skills will attend the upcoming 10th annual Trendigital Summit on Feb. 9.

The conference offers marketing professionals an opportunity to learn tactics to make their jobs easier, explore innovative strategies and the latest trends, and network with others in the industry.

Trendigital is hosted by Click Rain and Lemonly, two Sioux Falls marketing agencies that prioritize staying on top of best practices in a fast-moving industry. The agencies are excited to facilitate an afternoon of learning and conversation among marketing leaders, hoping to give attendees strategies they can put into practice in their day-to-day roles.

“We’re focused on helping marketers do their jobs better — simplifying the complexity of digital marketing and giving marketers tools, tips and tactics to advance their skills,” said Kate Kotzea, vice president of products and services at Click Rain Inc. and lead planner for Trendigital.

“Whether you’re a marketing generalist working with a small in-house team or a specialist in a full-service agency, you’ll leave Trendigital with ideas and solutions you can put to use right away.”

Keynote speakers to discuss brand loyalty, Google Analytics 4 platform transition

The afternoon’s events, hosted at The District, will include two keynote presentations focused on the value of brand loyalty and a major transition for website analytics.

Deb Gabor, a well-known branding expert and the author of several books on the topic, will deliver the opening keynote. Gabor is the founder and CEO of Sol Marketing and a sought-after speaker and media contributor.

She’ll share strategies to build what she calls “irrational brand loyalty” — cultivating strong identification and commitment with customers so they become ardent fans and ambassadors for your brand.

Chris Prendergast, a certified web analyst and chief operations officer at Click Rain Inc., is no stranger to the Trendigital stage. He presented the closing keynote at last year’s event about findings from the Digital State of the Midwest report, a research study conducted by Click Rain looking at how people in the Upper Midwest engage with digital marketing.

This year, Prendergast will again deliver the closing keynote, focusing on helping businesses navigate a major transition in Google’s widely used web analytics platform, moving to Google Analytics 4 from Universal Analytics, which will shut down later this year.

“TENx Talks” pack tactical tips into 10-minute sessions

New to Trendigital this year will be a series of five “TENx Talks” that will deliver focused takeaways in 10-minute sessions covering several timely marketing topics:

• How to manage and optimize paid search in 2023 – Melissa Prostrollo, senior search strategist at Click Rain.
• Email marketing tips to start using today – Matt Paulson, founder and CEO of MarketBeat.
• A three-word approach to focus and curate your content – Denise DePaolo, director of marketing and public relations at the Great Plains Zoo.
• Best practices for inclusion and accessibility in design – Molly O’Connor, associate design director at Lemonly.
• Planning your content strategy to make the most of your content – Nick Lorang, senior marketing and communication manager at Lemonly.

Panelists will discuss building positive company culture through internal communication

The conference’s final session will be a panel discussion on the topic of company culture, featuring organizational leaders from a range of industries.

Panelists will share their experiences building company culture, with special focus on how marketers’ skill sets are an asset for crafting intentional, engaging internal communications to connect meaningfully with employees and build a strong employer brand.

Panelists will include keynote speaker Deb Gabor of Sol Marketing, Dr. Vance Thompson of Vance Thompson Vision, Isaac Jorgenson from Bender Commercial Real Estate Services and Danielle Crough from Interstates.

Trendigital will kick off the afternoon of Thursday, Feb. 9, at The District. Doors will open at noon, with sessions starting at 1 p.m. Tickets are available at trendigitalsummit.com.