When businesses go about things right, big data is an extremely valuable tool that can provide specific types of analytics that help those companies find or maintain success. However, without employees on staff who know how to interpret the data and apply it to a company’s everyday operations and future plans, even the most powerful big data resources are largely useless. Below are three types of big data analytics that are proving increasingly relevant. Let’s look at why businesses need to hire people who have solid understandings of them.
1. Big Data SQL
Some analysts forecasted the death of SQL, or Structured Query Language, but they now say that possibility is far from the reality because it’s helping people do intelligent things with big data. One particular use is with native advertising, which serves up ads for viewers that seem more like natural parts of the websites they’re viewing than promotional material that was placed there in glaringly obvious ways.
A company called SQream offers a GPU database that helps with reducing latency of complex queries on large data sets. Many people assert that native advertising is the way of the future because it increases conversion rates, meaning advertisers can spend money more confidently and get better results. Also, big data could make the ads increasingly personalized, which makes people more willing to interact with them.
If companies hire people who are well versed in big data SQL, they could make gains by creating advertisements that resonate more strongly with customers. Even businesses that aren’t directly in the marketing industry need to know how to spread the word about new products and services to customers, and big data SQL could help.
2. Google Analytics
People have relied on Google Analytics for years to plan their marketing campaigns and measure growth. Now, big data is taking those capabilities to new heights by allowing for context-rich applications through tools like Google Cloud Dataflow. Queries that could once only be carried out in hours or even days now only take minutes or seconds. That means company representatives get the information they need faster and can distribute it on a broader scale.
Go to any established search engine optimization company and you’ll find that employees there are already very familiar with Google Analytics and its applications to business. Most people who use search engines don’t look past the first page of results, and SEO experts used Google Analytics and similar tools to verify their strategies were making websites visible enough in search engine rankings.
If company representatives know how to interpret what Google Analytics says while using the newest big data-driven advancements, they’ll be especially valuable to the team. Google Analytics will continue to be crucial in the coming years, and big data makes it even more powerful. Premium Google Analytics users can enjoy native integration with the BigQuery service.
3. Machine Learning
Recent research indicates companies are starting to rely on big data for end-to-end completion of their projects, while traditional statistical techniques are not being used as often. Experts also say what the top algorithms companies want their data analysts to know is related to machine learning. Although there has been some consolidation in the number of machine learning-reliant big data tools, smart businesses are still looking to hire data experts who are comfortable working with multiple tools and can do so from the beginnings of projects to their completions. People who can successfully demonstrate their abilities to extract data produced by machine learning tools are assets to their workplaces and can expect bigger paychecks due to their skills. As machine learning continues to evolve, the respective tools will, too. Versatile employees skilled in using various machine learning resources will thrive compared to people who are not as up to speed.
A global survey of business leaders found 42 percent think big data analytics skills are the most valuable for employees to have. That figure rose eight percent from last year, which indicates the growing dominance of big data within various sectors. It’s not always easy for human resources professionals to assess the kinds of skills that are most in demand within their respective organizations. As the information above shows, big data has a lot to offer. It’s most worthwhile when being examined by people who are skilled in reading the material big data applications collect and are willing to continually expand their skill-sets as needed.
Contributed by: Kayla Matthews, a technology writer and blogger covering big data topics for websites like Productivity Bytes, CloudTweaks, SandHill and VMblog.
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