Big Data isn't just for Big Companies

It’s no secret that technology has grown exponentially over the past decade and with that has come an evolution in marketing. Big Data, which is so cleverly named because it is an extremely large amount of data, can be analyzed to reveal trends, patterns and can even give insight about the lifestyle and behavior of current consumers and target audiences. According to an article published by ScienceDaily in 2013, 90% of the world’s data was generated in just the two years before, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130522085217.htm.

Data can be collected from almost anywhere. If you’re on the Internet, you’re producing data. Facebook, Google, Snapchat, Amazon- ALL of them collect data about their users. But that’s not the only source – data can be gathered from shopping cards (such as a Kroger rewards cards) and from street and traffic cameras, just to name a couple.

So, what does it all mean? When (marketing) companies have access to all of this information it can be incredibly beneficial to them. First off, they are able to analyze trends found in data and get to know their consumers. This allows them to see what kind of products are being purchased and by who. Not just what products are purchased but the process of purchasing as well- Do people buy it immediately or leave it in their online shopping cart for a while? How frequently is your site visited and who’s going there? Do they wait for a sale or always pay full price?

With this incredibly in-depth look at consumer behavior, marketers can decide what their primary target audience is, what they want or need and how to reach them best.  They can see what elements of their marketing campaign were most effective and which ones fell short or cost them money, https://marketingland.com/marketing-can-use-big-data-win-back-users-157462. Big data analysis is essential to modern marketing tactics.

For those that are trying to start their own marketing campaign and aren’t quite sure where to begin, I have a treat for you. Facebook Ads using Facebook Power Editor! They are incredibly easy to make and very useful marketing tool.

To begin, log into your Facebook (or your business’s Facebook) page and click triangle on the far right side to access this drop down menu. Select “Create Ads”

It’s time to begin your Facebook marketing campaign! The first step is to set your objective- what are you trying to accomplish? Then you name your campaign. Since this is a fake ad that I made for the purpose of this article, I decided to look at marketing for a cooking school in Oxford, MS.

Next,  choose your target audience. Think about the goods and services that your company offers and the means of distribution. Since I am in Oxford (it’s a college town for those of you who might not know), I left the age setting at 18 – 65 and targeted both men and women. Adjust your location and other settings however you feel is appropriate for your business. Oxford (and a small surrounding area) is the only place I chose to market to, because a cooking school is very localized. It wouldn’t do me very much good to pay for marketing in Florida. Maybe Memphis, but let’s keep it local for now.

Alright after you have those settings the way you like them, start adding some keywords about your audience. Facebook has a good selection to choose from if you’re not quite sure where to start. I chose to use the words “wine”, “baking”, “recipes”, and “vacations” because I think that would be interested in a cooking school would also be interested in those things. After that you will set an advertisement budget, just based on what you or your company is willing to spend.

Now, add some photos, write your ad and enter your website’s URL (if you have a website) and choose which format(s) you want your ad to be in.

Review everything to make sure you are satisfied. Place your order to finish and become an official advertiser on Facebook.