Programmatic social media and marketing research using free tools: pytrends (Google Trends), yars (Reddit without API keys), and Perplexity MCP (Twitter/TikTok/Web). Use when finding trending topics in a niche, tracking keyword velocity and volume, monitoring Reddit discussions, discovering what's g

Social Media Trends Research Overview Programmatic trend research using three free tools: pytrends : Google Trends data (velocity, volume, related queries) yars : Reddit scraping without API keys Perplexity MCP : Twitter/TikTok/Web trends (via Claude's built in MCP) This skill provides executable code for trend research. Use alongside content marketing social listening for strategy and perplexity search for deep queries. Quick Setup No API keys required. Reddit scraping uses public .json endpoints. Tool 1: pytrends (Google Trends) What It Provides Real time trending searches by country Interest over time for keywords Related queries (rising = velocity indicators) Interest by region Related topics Basic Usage Research Your Niche Keywords Find Viral/Breakout Topics Rate Limiting Rules for pytrends Useful Timeframes Timeframe Use Case 'now 1 H' Last hour (real time spikes) 'now 4 H' Last 4 hours 'now 1 d' Last 24 hours 'now 7 d' Last 7 days (best for trends) 'today 1 m' Last 30 days 'today 3 m' Last 90 days (velocity analysis) 'today 12 m' Last year (seasonal patterns) Tool 2: Reddit (No API Keys Public JSON Endpoints) What It Provides Search Reddit for any keyword Get hot/top/rising posts from subreddits Post engagement data (upvotes, comments) No authentication required Basic Usage Get Hot Posts from Specific Subreddits Using the Bundled Reddit Scraper A helper class is included in scripts/reddit scraper.py : Rate Limiting Rules for Reddit Tool 3: Perplexity MCP (Twitter/TikTok/Web) Use Claude's built in Perplexity MCP for platforms you can't scrape directly. Query Templates for Trend Research Twitter/X Trends: TikTok Trends (works from India): YouTube Trends: LinkedIn Professional: General Viral Content: Using Perplexity with perplexity search Skill If you have the perplexity search skill installed: Combined Research Workflow Complete Trend Research Function Quick Reference Commands Daily Trend Check (5 minutes) Weekly Deep Dive Integration with Writing Skills After research, pass findings to your writing skills: Troubleshooting pytrends Issues Error Solution 429 Too Many Requests Wait 60 seconds, then increase sleep time Empty results Check if keyword has search volume Connection error Check internet, retry in 5 minutes Reddit Issues Error Solution 429 Rate Limited Wait 10 minutes Subreddit not found Check subreddit name spelling Empty results Subreddit may be private or quarantined Connection timeout Increase timeout, check internet Best Practices 1. Always use rate limiting : Sleep between requests 2. Research in batches : Do weekly deep dives, not constant polling 3. Save results : Cache research data locally 4. Cross reference : Validate trends across multiple platforms 5. Act fast : Viral windows are short (24 72 hours) Platform Coverage Summary Platform Tool Cost Risk Google Trends pytrends Free Very Low Reddit requests (public JSON) Free Low Twitter/X Perplexity MCP Free None TikTok Perplexity MCP Free None YouTube Perplexity MCP Free None LinkedIn Perplexity MCP Free None Uses Claude's built in MCP or OpenRouter credits if using perplexity search skill Bundled Resources scripts/trend research.py : Main CLI tool for complete trend research scripts/reddit scraper.py : Simple Reddit scraper class (no API keys)

social-media-trends-research