Digital Summit

Digital Summit is known as the US’s largest conference series for digital marketers. Each year, the conference is hosted in several different cities, bringing together thousands of marketing professionals from the private, nonprofit and public sectors, and many other industries. Attendees represent Fortune 500 companies, tech startups, charitable nonprofits, state/local departments of transportation (DOTs), transportation service providers, consultants and many other stakeholders working to share the best practices in digital marketing so customers, users, riders and more get the information they need.

4 Key Takeaways

This year members of the TripShot team attended the Digital Summits in both Phoenix and Washington, D.C. We met with other attendees, participated in many sessions and represented how we solve problems in commuter transportation. Here are some key takeaways:

1. The Artificial Intelligence Revolution is Underway
   Artificial Intelligence (AI) is shaking up the marketing industry, and it’s only getting started. Marketers can use large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT to get a jump start on creative writing and uncover new insights, use tools like Midjourney to develop quick brainstorming graphics and research so many AI tools that save time while creating content. These tools allow professionals to be more thoughtful about content intent, goals, their audiences and more. Marketers who harness AI to build connections between content, search engine optimization (SEO), strategy and communications stand to succeed.
2. SEO - There’s Always Room for More Optimization
   Advances in AI mean that search engines are quickly moving to respond. Traditional SEO remains an important focus, but marketers should anticipate how voice and LLMs will change search in the future. Who are your user personas? What are the most important keywords to prioritize with your transit system or organization’s online presence? 60% of searches result in no clicks at all because search engines are starting to populate answers directly on the results page. Is your organization making it easy for search engines to get the info right to your riders?
3. Revisit Your Social Media Strategy
   Are you considering changing your strategy or communication processes via social media like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and more? Now might be the time. Social media platforms and your audiences are always changing. Do you use social media to simply make announcements to riders? Marketers should consider making their organization pages a destination where riders are encouraged to learn more about the stories of your transit service, the destinations they can access, the day-to-day operations and so much more.
4. Marketing is Always Changing
   The Digital Summit made it more apparent than ever that marketing is an industry and concept that is always changing. This is similar to the transportation industry with commuters and other riders who have changed their habits many times over the last several years. Marketers who stay at the forefront of innovation in marketing, artificial intelligence, communications and more can make a difference in the success of their organization’s transit systems. 

The connections made at Digital Summit will help to move marketers, commuters and general riders forward as they communicate the changes that run alongside transportation operations on campuses and in communities. Marketing leaders everywhere will go forth and bring best practices back to their campuses and communities, so riders know all the benefits that their transit systems have to offer.