In today’s increasingly interconnected world, information is frequently exchanged between different types of stakeholders.
That generates a large amount of structured and unstructured information that may hold crucial insights for businesses. The cumulative result of all this data collection and exchange is popularly called big data.
Several companies nowadays are using a host of business intelligence services to implement big data initiatives. What is special about big data, and why is it essential for your business?
What big data can translate to
For one, insights derived from big data can give you a better glimpse of the market. It can show you who are the major players in a particular field and provide you with intel on some strategies they are implementing.
As you learn more about market conditions, get better insights into customer behavior. You’ll see what types of products or services they will prefer, as well as the competitors that they frequent. Customers can also send feedback directly to you, through various digital platforms (e.g., website, social media). Whether it’s positive or negative feedback, you can then use this information to make necessary changes to the product or service.
And as you gather data about competitors and consumers, ultimately, you can make better business decisions. When you take into account historical data, trends, and forecasts, your business can better navigate the market to increase revenue. Additionally, you can use data to improve how you hire employees and find the best talent.
How to get started with harnessing big data
After going through a quick rundown of the benefits of big data, you should also learn how you can get started with it:
- First, you should identify areas in your business where there is a significant challenge. Are there any major obstacles to acquiring new clients? Are there any stubborn flaws in the product? Or are you in the dark when it comes to finding out about competitors’ successful marketing strategies? By ensuring your big data efforts are tied to a specific challenge, you can get more value out of the investment.
- Second, due to limited resources, you should carefully select which challenges can yield the best results. In other words, you must be strategic when implementing big data. Brainstorm with your team to identify the pressing priorities for the business at the moment. If it’s your first time harnessing big data, it’s crucial to first direct these efforts to an area that can potentially yield great results — boosting the team’s confidence in applying the new strategy.
- While it’s important to be hopeful for its success, thirdly, you should have an open and curious mind when it’s time to analyze the data. There should be an effort to separate the results that the data is showing you and the results that you want to see. By being conscious about potential biases, you can analyze data more objectively.
- Lastly, you should do a thorough information audit to identify if there is already existing data that is useful. The last thing you want to happen is duplicating efforts and wasting valuable resources. Scour your repositories of data, from computers and mobile devices to cloud-based applications and social media platforms. The neglected information you find in these sources can further contribute to your big data initiatives.
With these ideas in mind, you can make use of the big data of your business. This way, you can improve how you run your business.
