What is a targeting analyst?

A targeting analyst or “targeter” for short, is someone who finds out every little detail there is to know about a person, place or thing.

Imagine having the knowledge that your parents, your best friend, and your significant other have about you all rolled into one person.

They know your spouse’s name, your place of work, and that you take lots of pictures of your dog and post them on instagram around 10 am most weekdays. They also know how you like to spend your time and energy. This last part is the true value of a targeter.

A targeter knows their target’s past and present, and uses that data to predict future behavior.

Say you like ice cream and whenever you get ice cream, you get vanilla. You have been ordering vanilla ice cream since you were a kid and it is familiar to you. Now, every time you go out on a date, you end the night with ice cream at your favorite ice cream shop. The data shows a high likelihood that you are getting vanilla.

This is how targeting analysts around the world guess a bad guy’s next move.

First, they learn all there is to know about the target. What they do for

You can benefit from the power of prediction too!

This skill of prediction and pattern recognition is useful in many areas. Taking notes about your own tendencies can help you make changes to better your own life. If your boss has a big deadline coming up, you can make sure your team is working smoothly. If your spouse has a rough day, you can anticipate what would help them rebound.

What are some patterns in your daily life? How can you use them to predict what might happen next?