Audience Research
Discover where your audience actually pays attention online using Rand Fishkin's behavioral intelligence methodology—beyond demographics to actionable media affinity data.
When to Use This Skill
Use this skill when you need to:
- Find where to reach your audience beyond Google and Facebook ads
- Discover podcasts, YouTube channels, and publications your audience follows
- Identify influencers and accounts with real audience overlap
- Plan PR and media outreach with data-backed target lists
- Improve ad targeting on YouTube, Meta, and other platforms
- Create content that resonates by understanding what your audience already engages with
- Find sponsorship and partnership opportunities with creators and publications
- Validate or challenge assumptions about your target market
This skill is particularly valuable for:
- Marketers who want to reach audiences beyond their current network
- PR professionals seeking hidden gem publications to pitch
- Content strategists planning distribution strategies
- Brands launching into new markets or segments
- Anyone tired of guessing where their audience hangs out
Methodology Foundation
Source: Rand Fishkin - SparkToro / Audience Intelligence methodology
Core Principle: Traditional market research (surveys, interviews) cannot reliably tell you where to reach audiences you don't already reach. Behavioral data—what people actually visit, read, watch, listen to, and follow—fills this gap at scale.
"Audience research has always been about what are the places where this audience pays attention. The beautiful thing about the web is it got way more granular."
What Claude Does vs What You Decide
| Claude Does | You Decide | |-------------|------------| | Structures production workflow | Final creative direction | | Suggests technical approaches | Equipment and tool choices | | Creates templates and checklists | Quality standards | | Identifies best practices | Brand/voice decisions | | Generates script outlines | Final script approval |
What This Skill Does
When invoked, I will guide you through modern audience research:
- Define your audience query in behavioral terms
- Identify affinity data - websites, podcasts, YouTube, social accounts
- Analyze search behavior - keywords, questions, trending topics
- Extract self-description patterns - bio keywords, hashtags, skills
- Map the competitive landscape - who else reaches your audience
- Prioritize actionable channels for marketing, PR, content, ads
- Synthesize into problem-specific insights (not generic personas)
How to Use
Provide information about your target audience:
Example prompts:
- "Help me find where interior designers spend their time online"
- "I need to identify podcasts and YouTube channels for B2B SaaS marketers"
- "Research the online behaviors of sustainability-focused consumers"
- "Find hidden gem publications for pitching our fintech startup"
- "Discover influencers with real overlap to our developer audience"
Information that helps:
- Description of your target audience (role, industry, interests)
- Current assumptions about where they pay attention
- Competitors or comparable brands
- Marketing channels you've already tried
- Specific goals (PR outreach, content strategy, ad targeting, etc.)
Instructions
Phase 1: Define the Audience Query
Critical shift: Don't think in demographics—think in behaviors.
Wrong approach:
- "Marketing managers, 35-45, mid-size companies"
Right approach:
- "People who search for 'marketing automation tools'"
- "People who follow marketing thought leaders on LinkedIn"
- "People who listen to B2B marketing podcasts"
Query Formats:
| Query Type | Example | Best For | |------------|---------|----------| | Job role | "Content marketers" | B2B targeting | | Interest | "Sustainable fashion" | Consumer markets | | Search behavior | "People who search 'CRM software'" | Bottom-funnel intent | | Social following | "Followers of @HubSpot" | Competitive intelligence | | Website visitors | "People who visit techcrunch.com" | Media affinity |
Phase 2: Gather Affinity Data
For your defined audience, identify:
Websites & Publications
What do they actually visit and read?
- Industry news sites
- Niche blogs
- Trade publications
- Community forums
- Educational resources
Podcasts
What do they listen to during commute/work?
- Industry-specific shows
- Thought leader interviews
- Educational content
- News and analysis
YouTube Channels
What do they watch and subscribe to?
- How-to content
- Industry commentary
- Product reviews
- Educational series
Social Accounts
Who do they follow and engage with?
- Thought leaders
- Industry experts
- Brand accounts
- Media personalities
Online Communities
Where do they participate?
- Subreddits
- Slack communities
- Discord servers
- Facebook groups
- LinkedIn groups
Phase 3: Analyze Search Behavior
Keywords They Search:
- What problems are they trying to solve?
- What solutions are they exploring?
- What questions do they ask?
Trending Topics:
- What's gaining attention in their space?
- What conversations are emerging?
- What content is getting shared?
Questions They Ask:
- What are the "how to" searches?
- What comparisons do they make?
- What concerns appear in searches?
Phase 4: Extract Self-Description Patterns
How do people in this audience describe themselves?
Bio Keywords:
- Job titles and roles
- Skills they highlight
- Industries they claim
- Causes they support
Hashtags They Use:
- Professional identifiers
- Community signals
- Interest markers
- Movement affiliations
Language Patterns:
- Jargon and terminology
- Values expressed
- Aspirations stated
Phase 5: Apply the Rhetorical Lens
Analyze why certain channels resonate using Aristotle's framework:
Logos (Logic)
Does this channel appeal through:
- Structured, evidence-backed thinking?
- Step-by-step instructions?
- Data and benchmarks?
- Clear methodology?
Implication: Your content for this channel should be logical, structured, and evidence-based.
Pathos (Emotion)
Does this channel connect through:
- Acknowledging audience struggles?
- Relatable failures before solutions?
- Urgency and empathy?
Implication: Your outreach should acknowledge real challenges and emotional stakes.
Ethos (Credibility)
Does this channel build trust through:
- Author credentials?
- Transparency about process?
- Practitioner experience?
Implication: Lead with credibility signals and real experience.
Phase 6: Competitive Landscape Mapping
Direct Competitors:
- Which of your competitors reach this audience?
- What channels are they present in?
- Where are they absent?
Media Competitors:
- Who produces content reaching your audience?
- What formats and topics resonate?
- Where are content gaps?
Opportunity Identification:
- Channels where competitors are NOT present
- Emerging channels with growing attention
- Underserved content topics
Phase 7: Synthesize Actionable Insights
Don't create generic personas. Instead, create problem-specific insights:
| If Your Goal Is... | Your Output Should Be... | |-------------------|-------------------------| | PR outreach | Prioritized list of publications + pitch angles | | Content strategy | Topics, formats, and distribution channels | | Podcast advertising | Ranked shows by audience overlap + listener size | | YouTube ads | Target channels + content themes | | Influencer partnerships | Accounts with authentic audience overlap | | Community building | Platforms where audience already gathers |
Examples
Example 1: B2B SaaS Company (Project Management Software)
Audience Query: "People who search for project management tools" + "Peo