{"id":8730,"date":"2026-03-31T21:59:24","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T01:59:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/data-mania.com\/blog\/?p=8730"},"modified":"2026-03-31T21:59:24","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T01:59:24","slug":"do-the-4-types-of-data-analytics-even-matter-in-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.data-mania.com\/blog\/do-the-4-types-of-data-analytics-even-matter-in-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Do The 4 Types of Data Analytics Even Matter in 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s the thing about the 4 types of data analytics &#8211; If you\u2019re new to the data field then you may be curious about the 4 types of data analytics, but if you&#8217;ve been around a while &#8211; you may be wondering why people are still talking about them. If either of these are you, then stay tuned because I\u2019m about to answer those questions in this post.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019m also going to share with you an awesome example &#8211; that you can pattern after &#8211; of the classic \u201c4 types of data analytics\u201d topic DONE RIGHT!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cGAFFgIBgQ0\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>YouTube URL : <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/cGAFFgIBgQ0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/cGAFFgIBgQ0<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you prefer to read instead of watch then, read on&#8230;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For the best data leadership and business-building advice on the digital block, subscribe to my newsletter below and I\u2019ll make sure you get notified when a new blog installment gets released (each week). \ud83d\udc47<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><!-- ConvertKit: Unauthorized --><\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Get to Know Me&#8230;<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In case you&#8217;re new to the community &#8211; Hi, I\u2019m Lillian Pierson and I help data professionals transform into world-class data leaders and entrepreneurs\u2026\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019ve just spent the last 6 months both refreshing and rewriting my third edition of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/businessgrowth.ai\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Data Science for Dummies<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and the discussion about the 4 types of data analytics needed to get weaved in there somehow, so I decided to cover this topic now.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I&#8217;ve been a full-time data professional for the last 9 years, 8 of which have been through my own data business\u2026 For now &#8211; I wanted to teach you a little about data analytics and also give you a data industry insider perspective on how to better position yourself in the online data sector.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I am not going to spend much time defining the analytics types because it\u2019s simple and I assume you already know\u2026 the important part of this post is the part about why they don\u2019t actually matter, but for clarity purposes, let&#8217;s have a look at the each type of analytics first&#8230;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-9931 size-large lazyload\" data-src=\"http:\/\/data-mania.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/4-Types-of-Data-Analytics-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.data-mania.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/4-Types-of-Data-Analytics-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.data-mania.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/4-Types-of-Data-Analytics-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.data-mania.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/4-Types-of-Data-Analytics-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/www.data-mania.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/4-Types-of-Data-Analytics-90x51.png 90w, https:\/\/www.data-mania.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/4-Types-of-Data-Analytics-600x338.png 600w, https:\/\/www.data-mania.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/4-Types-of-Data-Analytics-1154x649.png 1154w, https:\/\/www.data-mania.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/4-Types-of-Data-Analytics.png 1280w\" data-sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/576;\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Descriptive Analytics<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Descriptive &#8211; Describe what happened in the past<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Descriptive analytics are built off of current and historical data sets and they answer the questions: \u201cwhat,\u201d \u201cwhen,\u201d \u201chow many,\u201d and \u201cwhere\u201d something happened.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is the most basic type of data analytic<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The deliverables include: Ad hoc exploration and reporting or even canned reports<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Diagnostic Analytics<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Diagnostic &#8211; Why it happened in the past<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is commonly used in engineering and in the sciences, they basically answer questions like:\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhy did something happen?\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cHow will we know if it happens again?\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They&#8217;re great for diagnosing problems in systems or in sub components of processes.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote>\n<h4><b>I\u2019d love to hear from you about your experience working with any of the 4\u00a0 types of data analytics. Let me know in the comments!<\/b><\/h4>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Predictive Analytics<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Predictive<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Uses correlation to predict <\/span><b>what will happen in the future if nothing changes\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is more in the domain of the data scientists or analysts because you use correlation analysis to uncover correlation between variables<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is built on top of both current and historical datasets<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They use statistical and mathematical methods to predict future events or trends<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prescriptive Analytics<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prescriptive &#8211; <\/span><b>What will happen in the future if we take this prescribed course of action<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is the domain of data scientists who predicts what will happen in the future if they take a prescribed course of action<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is usually built on top of a whole series of:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Random testing<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Experimentation<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Optimization<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recommendations<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The biggest thing you need to take away from this whole 4 types of analytics thing is that:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h4><b>You can\u2019t accurately predict the future if you don\u2019t have an accurate picture of what happened in the past. &#8211; Albert Einstein\u00a0<\/b><\/h4>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What this means is &#8211; <\/span><b>to create prescriptive and predictive analytics, you must have accurate descriptive and diagnostic analytics first.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re enjoying this discussion on the 4 types of analytics then you\u2019d love my video on the <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/data-mania.com\/blog\/reasons-not-to-become-a-data-analyst\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Top 5 Reasons Not to Become a Data Analyst<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Check it out <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/data-mania.com\/blog\/reasons-not-to-become-a-data-analyst\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why the 4 Types of Analytics Don\u2019t Matter<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-11505 lazyload\" data-src=\"http:\/\/data-mania.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Do-The-4-Types-of-Data-Analytics-Even-Matter-in-2021-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"types of data analytics\" width=\"300\" height=\"450\" data-pin-title=\"Do The 4 Types of Data Analytics Even Matter in 2021\" data-pin-description=\"ARE THE 4 TYPES OF DATA ANALYTICS EVEN RELEVANT ANYMORE?\ud83e\udd14 In short: yes, but we need to add way MORE meaning to the conversation. Learn how to talk about analytics in a way that cuts out the noise and creates true value. #DataScience #DeepLearning | http:\/\/data-mania.com\/blog\/do-the-4-types-of-data-analytics-even-matter-in-2021\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.data-mania.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Do-The-4-Types-of-Data-Analytics-Even-Matter-in-2021-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/www.data-mania.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Do-The-4-Types-of-Data-Analytics-Even-Matter-in-2021-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.data-mania.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Do-The-4-Types-of-Data-Analytics-Even-Matter-in-2021-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.data-mania.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Do-The-4-Types-of-Data-Analytics-Even-Matter-in-2021-60x90.jpg 60w, https:\/\/www.data-mania.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Do-The-4-Types-of-Data-Analytics-Even-Matter-in-2021-533x800.jpg 533w, https:\/\/www.data-mania.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Do-The-4-Types-of-Data-Analytics-Even-Matter-in-2021-433x649.jpg 433w, https:\/\/www.data-mania.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Do-The-4-Types-of-Data-Analytics-Even-Matter-in-2021.jpg 1000w\" data-sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/450;\" \/>The thing about any conversation you\u2019d have with anyone (offline or online), is the fact that you need context and relevance in order for any sort of information to have any meaning whatsoever. Because information for the sake of information just completely SUCKS.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Honestly, there is so much noise on the internet now in the data space, that it\u2019s completely overwhelming. It could push people away from even looking at online communities for new and fresh information, just because so many people are saying the same thing &#8211; and finding something truly valuable and meaningful is like finding a needle in a haystack.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, you do not want to <\/span><b>contribute to the noise<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> when discussing the 4 types of data analytics. This topic is still relevant, of course, and you still need to know them. If you\u2019re a data professional then, you gotta bake in the \u201cWHY\u201d into that conversation. What you don\u2019t want to do is repeat the same generic thing that you\u2019ve heard other people say, because it\u2019s not novel, it\u2019s not new and it doesn\u2019t really need to be said again. Not only does it contribute to the noise problem within the data community, but it\u2019s also a <\/span><b>waste of your precious time<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; and really, your time is the most valuable asset you have. So, when you take the time to share something online, just make sure that it\u2019s actually <\/span><b>meaningful and helpful to your intended audience<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cTypes of Data Analytics\u201d Discussion Done Right<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When I say this &#8211; I mean that these conversations are done in a meaningful way with lots of context and purpose, so it\u2019s not just rehashing the same information, but it helps you apply that information to actually get some sort of results in your career or data business (if you\u2019re an entrepreneur).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First, let\u2019s look at my buddy Ken\u2019s video on \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/dlZWB2D-NaQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 4 Types of Sports Analytics Projects<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What I love about this video is, it talks about the types of analytics projects that you can do WITHIN THE SPORTS INDUSTRY in order to attract paid opportunities to work as a data analytics professional. This is good because it is applied to a specific industry which is sports. It has a purpose &#8211; to help people get experience and work as a sports analyst. And it incorporates the 4 types of data analytics without mindlessly rehashing what they are and then not giving an outcome. If you want to create content about the 4 types of data analytics, try to do something applied like Ken\u2019s example here.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another cool <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/retalon.com\/blog\/retail-data-analytics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">example <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I found was by a company called Retalon. Retalon is an award-winning provider of advanced retail predictive analytics &amp; AI solutions for supply chain, planning, merchandising, inventory management, pricing optimization, with a transformational approach to the retail industry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>How are they using this conversation to get traction for their data business?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Well, by targeting and narrowing it down to their ideal client. Not by posting the same old, same old &#8211; but by getting super specific with their data expertise and the content they are publishing around that expertise. They have retail clients in the fashion industry, so instead of creating a blog post on the 4 types of data analytics &#8211; which has been covered everywhere by everyone &#8211; they apply the 4 types of analytics to a specific industry that their business supports &#8211; fashion. And guess what &#8211; Google Search is awarding them for the usefulness of their content by giving their post a high ranking and sending traffic.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Why Talk About the 4 Types of Data Analytics in 2021<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is how and why it would make sense to talk about the 4 types of data analytics in 2021. It is simply because the data field is pretty darn mature compared to what it was 10 years ago. So, we need to keep maturing, progressing and evolving in our conversations about data analytics or data science. We should also learn how to use these super powers to make the world a better place.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This video is not really about the 4 types of analytics at all. It&#8217;s about having meaningful, relevant conversations about analytics or data science. It&#8217;s important because the conversations about those two topics actually have an impact on the people who are involved. This content itself was meant to add value in terms of helping other data professionals. This help includes getting their message out to the world and getting more traction in their career. This can be done by being more specific and more contextual with their communications.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, if you\u2019ve enjoyed this meta discussion about data analytics, then I\u2019m pretty sure you\u2019re gonna love my <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.data-mania.com\/data-superhero-quiz\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">data superhero quiz<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is a super-fun, 45-second quiz. The quiz is about you and how your personality type aligns with the top 50 data roles that companies are actively hiring for.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/www.data-mania.com\/data-superhero-quiz\/\"><b>Take the Data Superhero Quiz Today!<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also, I\u2019d love to see you inside my free Facebook community for data professionals who are working to become world-class data leaders and entrepreneurs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/data.leaders.and.entrepreneurs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Join our community here<\/b><\/a><b>.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hey, and if you liked this post, I\u2019d really appreciate it if you\u2019d share the love with your peers by sharing it on your favorite social network by clicking on one of the share buttons below!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NOTE: This description contains affiliate links that allow you to find the items mentioned in this article and support the channel at no cost to you. While this blog may earn minimal sums when the reader uses the links, the reader is in NO WAY obligated to use these links. Thank you for your support!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><em>Want a clean, repeatable system for measuring B2B growth? Get the free <a href=\"https:\/\/www.data-mania.com\/growth-metrics-os-email-course\/\"><strong>Growth Metrics OS<\/strong><\/a> \u2014 a 6-day email course for technical founders and operators who want to measure growth and make better decisions.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here\u2019s the thing about the 4 types of data analytics &#8211; If you\u2019re new to the data field then you may be curious about the 4 types of data analytics, but if you&#8217;ve been around a while &#8211; you may be wondering why people are still talking about them. If either of these are you, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8735,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"gallery","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[582],"tags":[496,520],"class_list":["post-8730","post","type-post","status-publish","format-gallery","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-startups","tag-do-the-4-types-of-data-analytics-even-matter-in-2021","tag-types-of-data-analytics","post_format-post-format-gallery"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.data-mania.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8730","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.data-mania.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.data-mania.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.data-mania.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.data-mania.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8730"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.data-mania.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8730\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20268,"href":"https:\/\/www.data-mania.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8730\/revisions\/20268"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.data-mania.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8735"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.data-mania.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.data-mania.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8730"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.data-mania.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}