Two development firms in Big data and Analytics space; DATA -Tableau and Hortonworks saw a critical time when their data released missed the forecast by 0.05$, and dropped their stock by five percent.  This is what going frequently with companies and no one has any clue on what is going on with BI business Intelligent and Hadoop space. Should companies run from BI and Big data space before it completely collapses?

Instead of focusing on the sensational headlines; the investors and technology corporate leaders should also focus on the missed forecasts as they leave some clue on some important analysis and trends which will help them to grow. 

While the companies need to look at their results in the context of the industry as a whole; which will show the exact results as per the worldwide analysis. As per the Gartner’s analysis for worldwide dollar-valued IT; it says that IT spending has grown in 2016 at a flat percent of 0.0. However, 35% of growth is fairly incomparable by this benchmark, and if we look at Hortonworks’ results for this gone quarter: then the total revenue grew by 46% year over a year. 

This means, the Investors’ expectations are growing high and even they are tough to manage. To manage this kind of issues the industry observers and technology buyers should standardize the performance of both organizations against the rest of the industry before they make a knowledgeable conclusion.

As per recent survey —Teradata also reported revenue and its business shrink by 4% Year over a year. Leaving other things remaining equal, the analysis says that Hortonworks could generate more revenue than Teradata by 2020.

Let’s look on some of the data analysis pitfalls you should avoid before you are sucked in.

Confirmation Preference

If you have a proposed explanation in your mind; but you are only looking for the data patterns that support it and ignore all data points that reject It. Then let us see what will happen.

First, analyze the results of that particular patterns performed well and find the conversion rate on the landing page. This will help you to really perform high than the average you think. By doing or following such analysis you can use that as the sole data point to prove your explanation. While, completely ignoring the fact of those leads will qualify or the traffic to the landing page will be sub-par.

There is again a thumb rule which is very important to remember, you should never approach data exploration with a precise conclusion in mind; as most of the professional data analysis methods are built in a way that you can try them before you actually go and reject your proposed explanation without proving it or to reject it to the void. 

Correlation Vs Cause

Combining the cause of a fact with correlation somewhat will not show any action. While, when one action causes another, then they are most certainly correlated. However, just because two things occur together doesn’t mean that one caused the other, even when it seems to make some sense.  

You might find a high positive association between high website traffic and high revenue; however, it doesn’t mean that high website traffic will be the only cause for high revenue. There might be an indirect or a common cause to both that may help to generate high revenue more likely to occur when high website traffic occurs.

For example, if you find a high association between the number of leads and number of opportunities from a classic B2B data quest, then you might gather a high volume of leads with a high number of opportunities.

Here are some more things that you need to watch when doing data analysis:   

•    Do not compare unrelated data sets or data points and conclude relationships or similarities.

•    Analyze incomplete or “poor” data sets and make proper decisions based on the final analysis of that data.

•     Do not analyze the data sets without considering other data points that might be critical for the analysis.

•    The act of grouping data points collectively and treating them as one. Which means, looking at various visits to your website and creating unique visits and total visits as one and inflating the actual number of visitors and converting it to the best conversion rate.

•    Do not ignore any simple mistakes and oversights which may happen anytime.

Use social media to make your job search more effective and efficient. We can see that social media profiles have become an important part of our everyday life, whatever technology or platform you choose you’re likely to have a few different accounts online. You can create your own brand by making your profiles online, especially when working in digital it is very important to realize what you add online!

Dos

• Show your knowledge in your field and expand your network as social media is the best source. Be interactive and social. Make yourself available and participate in discussions; ask and answer the questions; share info that interests you to the people in your networks.
• Set up a LinkedIn account, with a strong summary adding good keywords and phrases and for skills employers would look for in your industry.
• Many jobs aren't listed on job boards, so there are chances of missing your dream jobs, this is the reason more and more employers are fishing for applicants on professional networks.
• Joining a group and participating in several groups related to your career interests in a good practice which will help you connected. You find such groups on LinkedIn; choose a few relevant groups and make intelligent comments to start conversations - check spellings and grammar before you hit it.
• Follow companies in your industry, and "like" them; that’s the best way you can keep track of what's going on in companies you may be interested in, and show your interest.
• Search for relevant keywords to what you're looking for, and connect with people who come up, with whom you have common professional or personal interests.
• Start a Twitter account; if you don't already have one – with a headline relevant to who you are professionally.
• Search for the keywords and relevant companies (and use Hashtag #), and follow them.
• Tweet and re-tweet links to articles relevant to your followers' interests.
• Comment on tweets and ask followers relevant questions.

Don'ts

• Don't forget that everything you put online stays out there somewhere, and anyone - prospective employers, former bosses, etc. - can see it. So any questionable photos, potentially offensive comments, criticisms against current or former employers, etc. may come back to haunt you.
• Don't use a physical attribute-flaunting photo better suited to a dating site than a professional networking site, on any website you intend to use to network and find possible job leads. Yes, that includes Facebook, which more and more employers are using to find more in-depth info on job applicants. You don't have to wear a 3-piece suit in your photos, but at least business-casual dress.
• Don't refer to yourself in your LinkedIn profile or Twitter headline as "unemployed" or "job seeker." Identify yourself instead as who you are professionally, in terms of the type of job you're looking for ("financial professional knowledgeable about investments"). It doesn't matter if you're not currently employed in that field.
• Don't throw every noun you can think of to describe yourself in your Twitter profile. Focus on the relevant ones you'd want an employer to see. Rather than, "Public relations professional, social media expert, reality show addict, chocoholic, wife, mother, sister" - stop after "social media expert."
• Don't forget to check out Google Plus, Pinterest, and other social networking sites too - Pinterest especially if your field is visual, like architecture or web design.
• Don't just broadcast stuff. Social media has "social" in its name for a reason, so interact with people in your network.
• Don't start an account and never update it. Keeping up with your social media accounts is time-consuming, but you generally get what you put into it. You don't have to spend time on every site every day; a few times a week is fine. It looks better to prospective employers to stay active on two or three sites than to have skimpy profiles on many and rarely visit them.

As long as you’re conscious about what you put online, you’re on the right track! If you have any questions, don’t be shy! Head over to our LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or Google+. We practice what we moralize!, and drop us a line!

Search has become integrated into the fabric of our society. With more than 197.9 billion searches performed worldwide each year since April 2014, more or less 6.6 billion web searches will be performed every day.  That means on an average about 7,500 searches are performed every single second of a day. Moreover; users have grown to wait for that the responses to their search queries will be returned in less than one second. 

If you have ever come across, the various “SEO is dead”,  that claims to make the rounds play periodically in the digital marketing world, rest assured — SEO is both alive and well — and has not as many feared and been killed by social media marketing as a driver of web traffic.  However, in November 2014, Twitter announced that by renewing its focus on SEO, it has increased the numbers of visitors coming to the site tenfold — from 7.5 million to 76 million visitors in a month. 

The demand for search continues to be high; because of the people can now obtain in mere seconds information that 20 years ago would have required planning a trip to the nearest library, the usage of card catalog and the Dewey Decimal system and a physical search through halls of printed volumes — a process that could easily have consumed two hours or more. Through the new channel of search, people can now conduct many of their favorite searches, shopping, banking and personal transactions online—somewhat the things have changed the way our global population lives, interacts, and connects to each other. 

The dramatic shift in behavior represents what the investors are likely to label a disruptive event – an event that has changed something in a fundamental way. Search Engines have been always the center of this disruptive event, and having businesses on website con-tent appears highly in the search engines when people try to look for the service, product or for any resource that business provides is critical to its survival. This is the situation for every business now and then; as most of the paths to success, obtaining such prime search results in real estate is not a simple matter. However, this is how the search engine optimization works in promoting your business.

The Mission of SEO

Web searches are free to use and yet very informative; as there are many available search engines to find what they are seeking, so the burden is on the search engines to develop a related, fast and fresh search experience. Most of the part search engines achieve this by being professed as having the most relevant results and delivering them the fastest, the users will search thinking that they will get them to what they are looking in for and want it in the least amount of time.

As a result, search engines invest an incredible amount of energy, time and capital in improving their significance. Thus, this includes performing wide studies of user responses to their searches, comparing their search results against those of other search engines, and conducting eye-tracking through a click- rate studies and constructing PR and other marketing campaigns.

How will SEO help businesses to Grow?

The recent survey says that the digital market and marketing through search engines is adequately grown as never compared.  The basic marketing strategy is always helpful for many businesses to grow, but is it that enough or do they still need to spend more time on marketing strategy is the big question in many organizations, companies or businesses.

Here is the answer— you can generate good revenue primarily with the help of Search engines through paid advertising; though the majority of this revenue will come from pay-per-use or cost-per-click models, in which the advertisers pay only for users who click on their ads. As we know that the search engines’ success depends on the relevance of their search results, manipulations in search engine rankings result in non-relevant results, and these type of results are generally referred to as spam, and should be dealt very seriously. Each major search engine employs a team who focuses solely on the result or eliminating the spam from their search results; this is generally referred as “web spam” teams. However, this matters to SEO professionals as they use more tactics to promote the products or service, and they should not land the spam by the search engines, as this would carry more risk of incurring penalties for the websites they work on.  

The Human Goals of Searching

When we need some sort of information, or to know something it all depends on upon your search. The basic goal of any human search is to obtain the information relevant to a specific set of keywords or phrases you enter into the search field; which is also known as a query. A searcher may invent the query as a question, but the majority of searches are performed by simply entering word combinations, and leaving the search engines to do their work of determining the “objective.” One  of the  most  important essentials to build an SEO strategy for a website is developing a thorough understanding of your targeted audience, and  how they use  combined words and  concepts to obtain information  about the  services or products you  provide. Once you know how an average searcher or more specifically your target market utilizes query-based search engines, you can more efficiently reach or retain those users.

Search engine usage has increased over the years; however, the major principle of conducting a search remains largely unchanged. Let us understand the following steps most of the search engine consists:

1. Understand the user experience and the need for information, what they are looking in for, on the specific website, or for any navigational search; they might want to buy something, or it may be about the transactional query also; or about any course relates thing – as in informational query.
2. Most of the users formulate their need by using a string of words or phrases comprising the query. The need and the use of the search may use for longer queries to generate more specific results more quickly.
3. Users execute the query, check the results and if they seek additional information, they will try a refined query again.

When this process results in the acceptable completion of a task, you can create a positive experience for the user by the search engine, and the site providing the information or the result.

We learn more on Digital Marketing strategies and how to determine Searchers Intent and the challenges for Search Marketers and Search Engines in our next blog.

Digitalization and networking are prime forms of 21st century learning.  The world is much smaller and thanks to technology; which made learning more transforming into a globally collaborative enterprise. For example professional, networks allow the scientific community to share discoveries much faster than the others.  

The scientists of Harvard are considering that “sharing discoveries is more efficient and honorable than patenting them.”  This idea embodies the true spirit of a successful professional learning network: collaboration for its own sake.

Educators should aim to be connected to advance their craft; and on another level, they need to use networks to prepare and the teach students and make them ready with the ever changing technological needs; as this will make them available in the changing job market.  However, what is the best way to approach professional learning networks - PLNs?

The recent learning networks are based on the theory of connectivism, or learning from varied social webs.  Connectivism implies to learning that relies on communicating ideas with many people at same time. Professional learning networks facilitate learning through meaningful interactions; the advantages of these networks today are two-folded. In one way, they help to improve the classroom teaching and to develop new projects; and on the other hand, they act as a form of shared intelligence that changes communal perceptions.  

We will see more details on what are the ways to grow your PLN and improve the quality of your interactions; as there are diverse ways to build your network and many new management tools.  

• Always keep the spirit of collaboration as your driving force.Professional learning networks are all about working together, so be mutual and resourceful and never think about what you have to gain or gained, rather think what you have to give and Why? This is the right thing to do, when you are working collaboratively. By buying the process and sharing useful information, your professional network will always grow naturally. While collaboration creates a common ground which allows others to see your interests.Authentic interest builds a solid network.Social responsibility is the best kind of motivation for establishing a PLN.
• Join an online community and share ideas by contacting or connecting to people for direct feedback. As direct feedback is more effective in a community setting. The Communities such as, Classroom versions and The Educator’s professional network provide a meaningful circle of experts.These professional development resources, such as online events are a great place to start your networking and build it.
• The next thing to make your network strong is joining a meet-up group.These meet-up groups are common thread interest groups that connect the real world; and make your life easy to extend your social networks. For instance, science teachers in your city or district might create a group to share their teaching ideas; these meet-up groups take online networks and bring them into the real world. But, if in case you can’t meet online then try using Google+ HangOuts, or Skype. Whereas, some university academics even have virtual labs on SecondLife.
• Be as symbol of light.Professional learning networks rely on open sharing of information.So if you know something, then be open to share it!Start with a specific interest and then start growing your network with other topics as time goes on. Turn out to be an expert in your niche by researching current trends.This will draw larger followers on your network, and help you to provide a novel source of information.
• Ask questions; after all, PLNs are all about learning. But do not ask questions that you can easily research. Try simple searches on TED talks, Wikis, blogs, or news articles before posting a question; as these are the. Try to be specific and think of how a question might generate interest from others. For example, you may want to refer to an article or research study when asking a question. Be specific!This will generate the best answers.
• Be an active participant; as brain power is the main asset of any professional learning systems. So you need to spend valuable time to identify the specific cause to communicate on your profile.Let your knowledge be the specific cause as it helps you grow your PLN. Try updating your niche and stay relevant to it.
• Be polite and acknowledge your contributions to the rightful owner. Show respect for the people in your network.
• Designate a professional and personal account. Be active participate in your social life - Facebook and professional life on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.There can be some intersect, but its best thing to keep it least so things are easy to find.So that certain groups will appreciate different types of content. Do this in ways that are comfortable to you.You might designate accounts for each sphere of your life.
• Create a landing page; as it may be a good idea to consolidate all of your accounts on your landing page.A webpage or personal blog will make it easier for people who like to find you; and it will also create a space where you can showcase the different projects you are working on.
• Engage newbies, having this type of diversity in knowledge always allow you to increase your mentoring skills and keeps the essence of collaboration.A blogger can Collaborate, Communicate, and Create any source to be an active participate and can be proved to be the best professional to people who are seeking for connected learning networks; as PLNS trend to create new projects through the power of active collaboration.

The hardest task for any business today is ROI, through promoting; or marketing is the other thing to look in. Today the business entrepreneurs’ of any size are concentrating on getting the best of ROI of social media marketing. But oftentimes we hear complaints rather than the achievement in favor of media marketing. This makes the business owners feel like they are spending more money in media marketing but not getting any return on their investments.  However, the actual problem lies with a lack of understanding about the social media marketing, the process and the strategies that help businesses in the long run.

No one can guarantee a high ROI from social media marketing right from the gate; same applies to any marketing strategies.  Unless the customer purchase something from your business and indicate that specific marketing channel they came to you, nailing down the exact ROI will be tough and tricky for other marketing campaigns.  As per the recent survey, there are billions of active users on social media channels today. The number of people saying that they turn to social media to get their news, the traditional outlets has doubled since 2011 and increased from 9% to 40% of sales.  With the help of these social media channels, the customers have the privilege to directly interact with your business; as this is the direct line to them instead of waiting for call lines to get connected or reaching out through a 1-800 number; and be tossed around customers services executives just to get the question answered. These direct channels help your customers to share their experiences and your content on their own pages which will help you to grab more customers and get the best exposure and the opportunity to reach out the customers who may not have heard of your business before.

“Unlike trade shows, events or magazines that require considerable investments, even small companies with limited resources can use it to reach big audiences around the world.''

However, customers like access to businesses that are user-friendly, more interactive, and more secure. So they prefer using the regular sites they use. When businesses connect with their customers online, that means they are helping their customers’, care about them and welcome their feedbacks at any given time. This gives business owners an opportunity to involve more followers in future. Introducing exclusive offers and benefits to their online community may also help businesses to get good number of customers; but they need to be invited on appropriate time, this is when the consumers actually feel that they are personally invited in the business, and they will develop strong relationships with the company, which, in turn, builds customer loyalty.  When you grab your customers’ attention and loyalty; they will less likely think to go and shop at your competitors’ stores.  The very next step is to imagine how much money one customer could spend at your store over a lifetime. As this figure will be your customers lifetime value (CLV).  That means your customers lifetime value can be defined by the net worth, or the dollar value of a firm over a specified time.  Make sure that more loyal your customers are over their lifetime, will certainly profit your business and help you gain their relationship; this is the time when you can imagine the actual ROI of your business that you would receive if you have several loyal customers.

Understand the below mentioned four actions that will help you to increase your social media growth efforts:

• Define your social media campaign goals clearly
• Use the right social media insights and metrics to measure campaign success
• Understand your target demographic
• Set-up proper goal tracking in Google Analytics

The most important facet of social media marketing is that it provides intangible benefits that are impossible to get from a traditional marketing.  Good planning and strategies will always result good but social media allows you to build the right network, brand your business, earn strong links from highly regarded sources, and most significantly you can interact directly with your consumers at any given time; and this is an invaluable tool that every business owner should be taking advantage of.

“[Social Media Marketing] is a two-step process: the first step is to recruit, engage and build trust; the second step is to target your advertising to the people with whom you’ve built that relationship.” - Ernoult

At its best, the social media marketing can increase your business visibility, give you a bigger chance to reach out the right crowd and engage your current and future customers.