Big Data Isn’t Just for Big Businesses

Big Data doesn’t have to be big.

It comes in all shapes and sizes.

It can be used by companies of any size.

It’s about big insights.

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Big Data is:

The name given to data sets that are so complicated and immense that it requires techniques beyond relational database technology to effectively use

Being generated from many different sources, the biggest generators are social and mobile

Generated from many different types of media - text, video, image, audio

Relevant for varying periods of time, the goal is to understand how long it is relevant for and leverage it in real time

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How can Big Data analysis techniques benefit today’s marketers?

Can be used on smaller markets, putting powerful insights into the hands of everyone

Pull useful information from the complex multi-channel world to pin point who and where consumers are

Gain insight into customer buying habits

Understand when and how customers are engaging

Better segment the market and target each segment with relevant marketing messages 4

Big Data for Small Businesses in Action

Every industry has certain times of the year when customers are more interested in their products and services, a holiday like Black Friday or a specific season.

Using data to understand when people start to become interested in these products and services and targeting them at the right time is key to maximizing marketing buzz and sales.

– For example: A company that normally sells beach towels in May notices data showing people are shopping around for them in mid-April and starts promoting them earlier, resulting in higher sales.

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Who are the top Big Data-as-a-service providers?

There are a number of companies helping businesses gather actionable data by tracking social conversations around specific topics.

Better yet, these tools help marketers join these conversations and publish relevant content.

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Can you afford to ignore Big Data?

A better question is, why would you ignore it?

Even if your business has a very niche audience, you can use Big Data techniques on your small dataset to draw insights and conclusions about your market and better target them.

Using data effectively can be the differentiating factor between those that businesses that go big and those that stay small.

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