🤖 AI Research Tools: Detailed Guide to Using Perplexity and NotebookLM

Why Perplexity and NotebookLM Are Essential AI Research Tools

Perplexity excels at rapid web searches, pulling reports, articles, or videos from platforms like Reddit and YouTube. However, each query triggers a new search with varying sources, and even uploaded knowledge bases in Perplexity Space may blend with pre-trained data, leading to inconsistency. In contrast, NotebookLM answers only from your imported sources, ensuring accuracy and minimizing hallucinations. Together, these AI research tools offer broad data collection and focused analysis, suitable for academic, business, or creative projects.

The workflow is straightforward:

1. Use Perplexity to gather high-quality sources (reports, studies, videos, articles) based on your prompt.

2. Create a Perplexity Space to organize sources if needed.

3. Select the most valuable sources and import them into NotebookLM, prioritizing quality over quantity.

4. Ask questions in NotebookLM to extract insights or patterns, using audio features to discuss.

5. (Optional) Return to Perplexity to cross-check with open web data.

Here are 5 ways to apply this workflow with AI research tools.

AI Research Tools for Market Trend Analysis

Market trend analysis is key for planning content or thought leadership strategies. AI research tools enable you to quickly gather and analyze data, such as researching responsible AI trends.

Perplexity Real-Time Search for Reports

1. Open Perplexity, navigate to “Spaces,” and click “Create a Space.”

2. Set the title as “Responsible AI Market Research,” add an optional description (e.g., “A collaborative space for discussing the latest insights…”), and select an AI model (e.g., Claude 3.5 Sonnet).

3. In “Custom Instructions,” enter: “Whenever I type below task code, please perform the following actions: - Task code 'reports': Find detailed reports about Responsible AI from major consulting firms (e.g., Deloitte, McKinsey, BCG) published in the last year. Filter for PDF format where possible. - Task code 'papers': Find research papers or reports about AI risk assessment methodologies from top tech companies.”

4. Type “reports” to trigger Perplexity to search for reports from Deloitte, McKinsey, BCG in the last year, prioritizing PDFs. Review each source, copy links using the copy function, and paste into a notepad.

5. Type “papers” to search for research papers on AI risk assessment from top tech companies. Review, copy links, and save.

NotebookLM Source Analysis for Trends

1. Open NotebookLM, click “Create a New Notebook,” and name it (e.g., “Responsible AI Trends”).

2. Import all sources copied from Perplexity (PDF reports, research papers) by pasting links or uploading files directly.

3. Ask: “What are the major shifts happening in responsible AI?” to get answers like increased adoption and Human-in-the-Loop Oversight, based solely on your sources. If no data is found, NotebookLM will say “No” to avoid hallucinations.

4. Ask: “What is driving companies to invest in this topic?” to uncover motivations, such as regulatory pressures or market demand.

AI Research Tools for Product Enhancement Research

For startups or product teams, AI research tools uncover user pain points and improvement opportunities, even without targeting direct competitors. For example, enhance an email marketing automation tool by analyzing platforms like ActiveCampaign.

Perplexity Focus Search for User Reviews

1. On Perplexity, enter: “Find me the top solution providers in email marketing automation free”

2. Enter the detailed prompt: “Find me all reviews about ActiveCampaign, sourced from Capterra, G2, Product Hunt, TrustRadius, with the direct review link for each.” Perplexity will provide a summary table with direct links.

3. Review the table, click “Show All” to see all sources, and select relevant links to copy into a notepad.

3. Enable “Focus Search,” select Reddit or YouTube, and enter “Active Campaign reviews” to find in-depth user feedback. Click “Show All” to review and copy suitable links.

   

5. Search for industry reports by entering: “Last industry reports and forecasts about email marketing automation Filetype: pdf” copy links, and save.

NotebookLM Document Analysis for Opportunities

1. Open NotebookLM, click “Create a New Notebook”.

2. Import sources from Perplexity (at least two or three competitors like ActiveCampaign, Klaviyo) by pasting links or uploading review files.

3. You will have an interface with sources like this

4. Ask: “What are the common pain points customers mention when using email automation tool?” to get responses like technical issues, email design limitations, or poor customer support.

5. Ask: “What specific features do users consistently mention as missing?” to identify opportunities, such as AI for personalization, lead scoring, or customer data management.

6. Upload your product website page (e.g., a tool overview) and ask: “Suggest an improvement plan for the features or messaging based on the research” for tailored suggestions.

AI Research Tools for Audience Research

Audience research is the foundation of digital marketing, helping you tailor campaigns effectively. AI research tools provide deep insights, such as understanding parents’ needs for a childcare service business.

Perplexity for Surveys and Reports

1. On Perplexity, enter: “Recent surveys about working parents childcare needs after:2023-01 filetype: pdf”

2. Search for research reports by entering: “Lastest research reports about modern parents and childcare needs filetype: pdf” to gather industry data, which may be webpages or PDFs.

3. Search for studies on how parents choose childcare by entering: “Recent studies about how parents choose childcare after:2023-01” without format restriction.

4. Use operators to search reputable media, e.g., “site:.edu OR site:.org childcare selection.”

5. Enable “Focus Search” on videos, enter “Recent childcare industry outlook from experts interviews after:2023” to find YouTube content. Review sources, copy, and save relevant links.

NotebookLM for Audience Insights

1. Open NotebookLM, click “Create a New Notebook”.

2. Import all sources from Perplexity by pasting links or uploading files.

3. Ask: “What are the biggest challenges parents mention about childcare?” to get responses like availability, quality, or lack of learning programs.

4. Ask: “What are the considerations when parents choose a childcare service?” to learn about cost, location, convenience, or branding.

5. Upload your childcare business website.

6. And ask: “Suggest the top three changes to the homepage messaging based on the research” to get suggestions like promoting flexible or extended hours.

7. Ask: “What needs are not mentioned on the website that we can highlight?” to get ideas like learning philosophy or staff qualifications.

AI Research Tools for Podcast Research

Podcasts are a growing content trend, and AI research tools help you position your show by understanding your audience and content. For example, plan a leadership podcast.

Perplexity for Podcasts and Reviews

1. On Perplexity, enter: “List top 10 leadership podcasts launched in the past year with the highest listener ratings on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and their podcast page link” and use the operator “site:listennotes.com” to limit to ListenNotes.com.

2. Save podcast show links from the results, e.g., “No BS Leadership.”

3. If no show page is found, search directly on ListenNotes.com by podcast name and get the link.

4. Download at least one recent episode from each podcast (e.g., the latest from “No BS Leadership”) by clicking “Download Audio,” recommending at least five episodes for analysis.

5. Enter: “Search user review links for these top podcast shows” and limit to “site:podparadise.com” for PodParadise reviews.

6. If Perplexity can’t find review links, search directly on PodParadise by podcast name and access the review page.

NotebookLM for Audience and Content Analysis

1. Open NotebookLM, click “Create a New Notebook,” and name it (e.g., “Leadership Podcast Research”).

2. Import all sources from Perplexity, including downloaded episodes, PodParadise reviews, and show links.

3. Ask: “How do these podcast shows describe their ideal listeners? Like specific roles, experience levels, or company types mentioned” to get details like aspiring leaders or executive coaches.

4. Ask: “Summarize the target audience into five categories” to clarify target listeners.

5. Ask: “Compare the podcast show pages, what unique angles and positioning do they emphasize?” for positioning ideas.

AI Research Tools for Learning New Subjects

Learning a new topic like Marketing Psychology is faster and more engaging with AI research tools, thanks to their smart organization and presentation.

Perplexity for Learning Materials

1. On Perplexity, enter: “Detailed guides and learning materials about marketing psychology” and use the operator “intitle:marketing psychology” to limit to titles containing this phrase.

2. Browse results, select the most relevant and trustworthy sources, and copy links.

3. Enter: “Top 5 podcast episodes on the topic marketing psychology” to find episodes like “The Psychology Behind Effective Pricing” on ListenNotes.com or PodParadise, click “Download Audio” to save.

4. Enter: “Find expert interviews and lectures about marketing psychology” to find scholarly papers, copy links.

5. Enable “Focus Search” on YouTube, enter “expert interviews or lectures about marketing psychology” to find content, copy relevant links.

NotebookLM Audio Overview for Learning

1. Open NotebookLM, click “Create a New Notebook”.

2. Import all sources from Perplexity by pasting links or uploading files.

3. Use the pre-built prompt to generate a “Study Guide” and “FAQ” on marketing psychology, click “Generate” to create.

4. Ask: “Give a beginner-friendly overview of marketing psychology, using simple language and real examples from the sources” to get a clear summary of marketing psychology and its importance.

5. Ask: “Summarize the top marketing psychology principles and how to apply them in marketing” to learn principles like scarcity or anchoring bias with application examples.

6. Ask: “Show me examples of how companies use these psychologicial principles in business” to see cases like using scarcity to boost sales.

7. Upload the childcare business website (e.g., homepage) and ask: “How can these psychology principles be applied to this website?” to get suggestions like highlighting limited enrollment or asking parents to create profiles.

8. Click “Customize Audio Overview,” customize to focus on marketing psychology principles for beginners, and upload to Google Drive for on-the-go learning.

9. Click “Interactive Mode,” click “Join” to pause the audio, and ask: “What makes a good anchor price when using the anchoring pricing bias principle?” If the audio doesn’t cover it, NotebookLM will say “No” even if the source has the info.

Conclusion

Perplexity and NotebookLM are powerful AI research tools that streamline research and learning. From market analysis to presentation prep, this workflow delivers actionable insights. Try it for your next project, join my community for more inspiration, and check out my other video on smart prompting techniques for Perplexity or SearchGPT. Elevate your research with AI research tools today!

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