feat: add SparkToro as audience research tool

Add SparkToro integration guide, registry entry, and references in customer-research skill. SparkToro reveals where your ICP spends time using clickstream, search, and social data — essential for finding podcasts, YouTube channels, subreddits, and websites your audience engages with. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-04-01 13:50:02 -07:00
5 changed files with 206 additions and 59 deletions
@@ -121,17 +121,18 @@ Choose sources based on your ICP type — then read `references/source-guides.md

 | ICP Type | Primary Sources |
 |----------|----------------|
-| B2B SaaS / technical buyers | Reddit (role-specific subs), G2/Capterra, Hacker News, LinkedIn, Indie Hackers |
-| SMB / founders | Reddit (r/entrepreneur, r/smallbusiness), Indie Hackers, Product Hunt, Facebook Groups |
+| B2B SaaS / technical buyers | Reddit (role-specific subs), G2/Capterra, Hacker News, LinkedIn, Indie Hackers, SparkToro |
+| SMB / founders | Reddit (r/entrepreneur, r/smallbusiness), Indie Hackers, Product Hunt, Facebook Groups, SparkToro |
 | Developer / DevOps | r/devops, r/programming, Hacker News, Stack Overflow, Discord servers |
 | B2C / consumer | App store reviews (1-3 star), Reddit hobby/lifestyle subs, YouTube comments, TikTok/Instagram comments |
-| Enterprise | LinkedIn, industry analyst reports, G2 Enterprise filter, job postings |
+| Enterprise | LinkedIn, industry analyst reports, G2 Enterprise filter, job postings, SparkToro |

 **Quick decision guide:**
 - Have a product category? → Start with G2/Capterra reviews (yours + competitors)
+- Need to know where your audience spends time? → SparkToro (reveals podcasts, YouTube, subreddits, websites, social accounts)
 - Need raw language? → Reddit and YouTube comments
 - Need trigger events? → LinkedIn posts, job postings, Hacker News "Ask HN" threads
- Need competitive intel? → Competitor 4-star reviews on G2; Product Hunt discussions
+- Need competitive intel? → Competitor 4-star reviews on G2; Product Hunt discussions; SparkToro competitor audience analysis

 ### What to Extract from Each Source

@@ -282,6 +282,61 @@ Comments on review videos are especially valuable — these are people actively

 ---

+## SparkToro (Audience Intelligence)
+
+SparkToro is a behavioral audience research tool. Instead of mining individual posts and comments, it aggregates clickstream, search, and social data to show what your audience does at scale — what they read, watch, listen to, follow, and search for.
+
+### When to Use SparkToro vs. Manual Research
+
+- **SparkToro first** when you need to understand where your ICP spends time, what content they consume, and which influencers they follow — it answers these questions in seconds with aggregated data
+- **Manual research first** (Reddit, G2, communities) when you need raw language, exact quotes, emotional context, and the "why" behind behavior
+- **Best together**: Use SparkToro to identify which podcasts, subreddits, and websites matter, then go mine those sources manually for voice-of-customer language
+
+### Key Queries to Run
+
+**By competitor:**
+- "People who follow @competitor" — reveals shared audience affinities
+- "People who visit competitor.com" — shows what else they consume
+
+**By audience description:**
+- "People who frequently talk about [topic]" — finds audience behaviors
+- "People whose bio contains [job title]" — profiles a role-based segment
+
+**By your own audience:**
+- "People who visit yourdomain.com" — understand your actual audience
+- Compare against competitor audience profiles to find gaps
+
+### What to Extract
+
+| Data Type | What It Tells You | Use It For |
+|-----------|------------------|------------|
+| Top websites visited | Where your audience reads | Content partnerships, guest posting targets |
+| Top podcasts | What they listen to | Podcast guesting, sponsorship decisions |
+| Top YouTube channels | What they watch | Video content strategy, ad placements |
+| Top subreddits | Where they discuss | Community participation, Reddit ad targeting |
+| Search keywords | What they Google | SEO and content topic planning |
+| AI prompt topics | What they ask AI tools | Emerging content opportunities |
+| Social accounts followed | Who influences them | Influencer partnerships, co-marketing |
+| Demographics | Who they are | Persona building, ad targeting |
+
+### Source Weighting
+
+SparkToro data is aggregated and anonymized — it shows patterns, not individual opinions. Treat it as:
+- **High confidence** for behavioral data (what they visit, follow, search for)
+- **Medium confidence** for demographic data (self-reported, may be incomplete)
+- **Not a substitute** for qualitative research (doesn't capture language, emotions, or the "why")
+
+### Limitations
+
+- Free tier: 5 reports/month, shallow results (top 5–10)
+- No public API — all research done through web interface
+- Skews English-language, US-centric
+- Shows what audiences do, not why — pair with qualitative sources
+
+See [tools/integrations/sparktoro.md](../../../tools/integrations/sparktoro.md) for full tool details and pricing.
+
+---
+
 ## Organizing Your Research

 Use a simple tagging system across all sources:
@@ -319,6 +374,7 @@ Not all sources carry equal weight. Use this guide when assigning confidence lab
 | Survey (multiple choice) | Low-medium | Artifacts of the options you provided |
 | NPS verbatims | Medium | Correlates with score; prompted by the survey moment |
 | YouTube/TikTok comments | Medium | Skews toward engaged viewers; social performance |
+| SparkToro audience data | Medium-high | Aggregated behavioral data; strong for "what" but not "why" |
 | Job postings | Low-medium | Aspirational, not necessarily reflective of current pain |

 ### Confidence Labels in Practice
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 name: social-content
 description: "When the user wants help creating, scheduling, or optimizing social media content for LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, or other platforms. Also use when the user mentions 'LinkedIn post,' 'Twitter thread,' 'social media,' 'content calendar,' 'social scheduling,' 'engagement,' 'viral content,' 'what should I post,' 'repurpose this content,' 'tweet ideas,' 'LinkedIn carousel,' 'social media strategy,' or 'grow my following.' Use this for any social media content creation, repurposing, or scheduling task. For broader content strategy, see content-strategy."
 metadata:
-  version: 1.2.0
+  version: 1.1.0
 ---

 # Social Content
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ The first line determines whether anyone reads the rest.

 ## Content Repurposing System

-Turn one piece of content into many. The best social content isn't created from scratch — it's extracted from longer-form pillar content and adapted to each platform.
+Turn one piece of content into many:

 ### Blog Post → Social Content

@@ -119,61 +119,13 @@ Turn one piece of content into many. The best social content isn't created from
 | Instagram | Carousel with visuals |
 | Instagram | Reel summarizing the post |

-### Podcast / Video → Social Content
-
-Extract "content atoms" — self-contained moments from any long-form content that work on their own:
-
-| Atom Type | What to Look For | Best Platform |
-|-----------|-----------------|---------------|
-| Quotable moment | A bold claim, hot take, or memorable line (15-60 sec) | Twitter/X, LinkedIn, TikTok |
-| Story arc | A complete mini-story with setup, conflict, resolution (60-90 sec) | Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts |
-| Tactical tip | A specific how-to or framework explained clearly (30-60 sec) | LinkedIn, YouTube Shorts |
-| Controversial take | A contrarian opinion that sparks debate | Twitter/X, LinkedIn |
-| Data/stat callout | A surprising number or research finding | LinkedIn carousel, Twitter/X |
-| Behind-the-scenes | Authentic, unpolished moments | Instagram Stories, TikTok |
-
-**Podcast repurposing workflow:**
-1. **Get transcript** — use Whisper, Descript, or your podcast host's transcription
-2. **Mark timestamps** — flag the 5-10 best moments while listening or scanning transcript
-3. **Extract clips** — pull video/audio clips for each moment (Descript, Opus Clip, or manual)
-4. **Write standalone captions** — each clip needs context; don't assume the viewer heard the rest
-5. **Add subtitles** — most social video is watched without sound
-6. **Schedule across 1-2 weeks** — spread a single episode across multiple posts
-
-**Per episode, aim for:**
- 3-5 short video clips or audiograms (15-60 sec) for Reels/TikTok/Shorts
- 1-2 LinkedIn text posts from key insights
- 1 Twitter/X thread of takeaways
- 1 carousel summarizing the main framework or list
- 1 newsletter section or blog post from the best segment
-
-### Webinar / Live Event → Social Content
-
-| Extract | Format |
-|---------|--------|
-| Key slides with commentary | LinkedIn carousel |
-| Q&A highlights | Twitter/X thread |
-| Speaker quotes | Quote graphics for Instagram/LinkedIn |
-| Audience reactions/poll results | Engagement posts |
-| Full recording → short clips | Reels, TikTok, Shorts |
-
-### Newsletter → Social Content
-
-| Extract | Format |
-|---------|--------|
-| Main insight | LinkedIn post |
-| Curated links with commentary | Twitter/X thread |
-| Data or stat | Quote graphic |
-| Hot take or opinion | Twitter/X post, LinkedIn |
-
 ### Repurposing Workflow

-1. **Create pillar content** (blog, video, podcast, webinar, newsletter)
-2. **Extract content atoms** (5-10 per piece — quotes, stories, tips, data)
-3. **Adapt to each platform** (format, length, and tone)
-4. **Write standalone captions** (each post must work without context)
-5. **Schedule across the week** (spread distribution, don't dump all at once)
-6. **Update and reshare** (evergreen content can repeat every 3-6 months)
+1. **Create pillar content** (blog, video, podcast)
+2. **Extract key insights** (3-5 per piece)
+3. **Adapt to each platform** (format and tone)
+4. **Schedule across the week** (spread distribution)
+5. **Update and reshare** (evergreen content can repeat)

 ---

@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ Quick reference for AI agents to discover tool capabilities and integration meth
 | pendo | Product Analytics | ✓ | - | [✓](clis/pendo.js) | - | [pendo.md](integrations/pendo.md) |
 | similarweb | Competitive Intelligence | ✓ | - | [✓](clis/similarweb.js) | - | [similarweb.md](integrations/similarweb.md) |
 | firehose | Competitive Intelligence | ✓ | - | - | - | [firehose.md](integrations/firehose.md) |
+| sparktoro | Audience Research | - | - | - | - | [sparktoro.md](integrations/sparktoro.md) |
 | airops | AI Content | ✓ | - | [✓](clis/airops.js) | - | [airops.md](integrations/airops.md) |
 | buffer | Social | ✓ | - | [✓](clis/buffer.js) | - | [buffer.md](integrations/buffer.md) |
 | wistia | Video | ✓ | - | [✓](clis/wistia.js) | - | [wistia.md](integrations/wistia.md) |
@@ -340,6 +341,16 @@ Traffic analytics, competitor benchmarking, and market research.

 **Agent recommendation**: Similarweb for competitor traffic analysis and market benchmarking.

+### Audience Research
+
+Audience intelligence and behavioral research tools.
+
+| Tool | Best For | Notes |
+|------|----------|-------|
+| **sparktoro** | Audience affinities, behavioral data | Clickstream + social data |
+
+**Agent recommendation**: SparkToro for discovering where your ICP spends time — what they read, watch, listen to, follow, and search for. Essential for customer research, content strategy, and media buying decisions.
+
 ### AI Content

 AI-powered content generation and optimization platforms.
@@ -0,0 +1,127 @@
+# SparkToro
+
+Audience research platform that reveals what your target audience reads, watches, listens to, follows, and searches for — using clickstream data, Google search data, and public social profiles.
+
+## Capabilities
+
+| Integration | Available | Notes |
+|-------------|-----------|-------|
+| API | - | Not yet public (coming soon) |
+| MCP | - | Not available |
+| CLI | - | Not available |
+| SDK | - | Not available |
+
+SparkToro is primarily a web-based research tool. No public API, CLI, or SDK is currently available. Use the web interface at https://sparktoro.com for all queries.
+
+## Authentication
+
+- **Type**: Account login at https://sparktoro.com
+- **Free tier**: 5 reports/month with limited results
+- **Paid plans**: $50–$300/month with expanded results and exports
+
+## Pricing Tiers
+
+| Plan | Price | Reports/Month | Users | Result Depth |
+|------|-------|---------------|-------|-------------|
+| Free | $0 | 5 | 1 | Top 5–10 results |
+| Personal | $50/mo | 50 | 1 | Top 50 results |
+| Business | $150/mo | 500 | 10 | Top 150 results, contact data, AI advice |
+| Agency | $300/mo | Unlimited | 100 | Top 300 results, full CSV export |
+
+## What SparkToro Reveals
+
+### Audience Behaviors
+- **Websites** they visit and engage with
+- **Podcasts** they listen to
+- **YouTube channels** they watch
+- **Subreddits** they participate in
+- **Social accounts** they follow
+- **Search keywords** they use on Google
+- **AI prompt topics** they ask ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini
+
+### Audience Demographics
+- Gender, age ranges
+- Job titles and roles
+- Industries and skills
+- Education levels
+- Geographic distribution
+- Interests and affinities
+
+### Audience Characteristics
+- Bio descriptions and self-identifiers
+- Language patterns in posts and comments
+- Preferred social networks and platforms
+- E-commerce platforms they use
+
+## Common Agent Operations
+
+Since SparkToro has no API, these are the research workflows agents should guide users through.
+
+### Audience Profile Research
+
+Query SparkToro with phrases like:
+- "People who follow @competitor" — reveals shared audience behaviors
+- "People who visit competitor.com" — shows what else they consume
+- "People who frequently talk about [topic]" — finds audience affinities
+- "People whose bio contains [job title]" — profiles a role-based segment
+
+### Finding Where Your ICP Spends Time
+
+1. Search for your ICP by description, competitor followers, or website visitors
+2. Extract: top websites visited, podcasts listened to, YouTube channels watched, subreddits
+3. Use this to prioritize: guest podcast appearances, content partnerships, ad placements, community participation
+
+### Discovering Content Topics
+
+1. Search your audience segment
+2. Review the "Search Keywords" tab — what they Google
+3. Review the "AI Prompt Topics" tab — what they ask AI tools
+4. Use these to inform content strategy and SEO keyword targeting
+
+### Building Data-Backed Personas
+
+1. Run 3–5 queries for different segments of your audience
+2. Compare demographic breakdowns across segments
+3. Note which behaviors and affinities are shared vs. unique per segment
+4. Export data and build personas grounded in observed behavior, not assumptions
+
+### Competitive Audience Analysis
+
+1. Search "People who follow @competitor" or "People who visit competitor.com"
+2. Compare against your own audience profile
+3. Identify: channels they use that you don't, content they consume that you don't produce, influencers they follow that you haven't engaged
+
+## Data Sources
+
+SparkToro aggregates from three sources:
+- **Clickstream data** — anonymized browsing behavior
+- **Google search results** — search keyword patterns
+- **Public social profiles** — bios, follows, engagement
+
+## When to Use
+
+- Identifying where your ICP spends time online (podcasts, YouTube, subreddits, websites)
+- Finding influencers and social accounts your audience follows
+- Discovering content topics and search keywords your audience cares about
+- Building data-backed personas instead of assumption-based ones
+- Planning podcast guest appearances, sponsorships, or content partnerships
+- Understanding what your competitors' audience looks like
+- Validating audience assumptions with behavioral data
+- Discovering AI prompt topics your audience uses
+
+## Limitations
+
+- No public API — all research is done through the web interface
+- Free tier limited to 5 reports/month with shallow results
+- Data skews toward English-language, US-centric audiences
+- Clickstream data may not capture all niche audiences
+- Cannot track individual users — all data is aggregated and anonymized
+
+## Relevant Skills
+
+- customer-research
+- content-strategy
+- competitor-alternatives
+- paid-ads
+- social-content
+- cold-email