Do This, NOT That: Marketing Tips with Jay Schwedelson

Partner with Jay: https://www.jayschwedelson.com/contactㅤCheck out Jay Schwedelson's new book: Stupider People Have Done It All net proceeds are donated to The V Foundation for Cancer Research, let's kick cancer's butt: https://www.amazon.com/Stupider-People-Have-Done-Marketing/dp/1637635206ㅤSubscribe to Jay's newsletter for weekly marketing tips and tactics: https://www.jayschwedelson.com/newsletterㅤRegister for GuruConference (FREE + VIRTUAL!) https://www.guruconference.comㅤCheck out Eventastic (FREE + VIRTUAL!) https://www.eventastic.comㅤConnect with Jay on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schwedelson/Check out Jay's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@schwedelsonCheck out Jay's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayschwedelson/Ask Jay anything: https://www.jayschwedelson.com/askㅤLeave a comment and follow the show, it really helps us out!ㅤCheck out the new Bathroom Break podcast with Jay Schwedelson and Daniel Murray on Apple and Spotify.ㅤFollow Daniel on LinkedIn and check out The Marketing Millennials podcast for sharp, no-fluff marketing insights. Subscribe to Ari Murray’s newsletter at gotomillions.co for sharp, actionable marketing insights.ㅤGoogle is cracking down on lazy AI content, but the AI tools themselves still love a cheesy listicle and ignore any page you haven’t touched in a year. Jay Schwedelson calls it the 1995 version of the internet, and Daniel Murray shares a retargeting text that actually got him to click. There’s also a Halloween rant about parents using babies as candy spokespeople, and a skincare mishap that had half of Instagram worried about Jay.ㅤBest Moments:(02:43) Google’s latest update flags low-quality AI content, scraped posts, and spammy backlinks(03:38) Pages that haven’t been updated in a year are two times less likely to be cited by AI tools(05:35) Why listicles dominate AI citations, even though they feel like a throwback(06:04) Ahrefs tracked 1,900 pages and found adding schema did nothing for AI visibility(06:46) A retargeting text with a 2:00 PM deadline that really expired, and why that works(08:09) Retargeting is one of the most cost-effective channels if you treat it as its own program

Partner with Jay: https://www.jayschwedelson.com/contactㅤCheck out Jay Schwedelson's new book: Stupider People Have Done It All net proceeds are donated to The V Foundation for Cancer Research, let's kick cancer's butt: https://www.amazon.com/Stupider-People-Have-Done-Marketing/dp/1637635206ㅤSubscribe to Jay's newsletter for weekly marketing tips and tactics: https://www.jayschwedelson.com/newsletterㅤRegister for GuruConference (FREE + VIRTUAL!) https://www.guruconference.comㅤCheck out Eventastic (FREE + VIRTUAL!) https://www.eventastic.comㅤConnect with Jay on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schwedelson/Check out Jay's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@schwedelsonCheck out Jay's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayschwedelson/Ask Jay anything: https://www.jayschwedelson.com/askㅤLeave a comment and follow the show, it really helps us out!ㅤBig shoutout to our sponsor, Knak!Marketers, you know the pain… You spend hours on a campaign, and then it gets stuck in review cycles and barely looks like what you started with. Knak makes it simple. Build emails, landing pages, and mobile messages; collaborate and launch - all in one place. No tool hopping, no messy handoffs, with AI built in to help you move faster.See how it all works, get started at knak.com/demoㅤElection season is making your cost per acquisition look terrible, your emails are landing in spam, and your LinkedIn views fell off a cliff. None of that is your fault this month. Jay Schwedelson walks through brand new data on how $11.6 billion in political ad money is quietly wrecking inbox placement and ad pricing, and what to pull out of your reporting before you start blaming the offer. Stick around for the candy corn verdict, which is not up for debate.ㅤBest Moments:ㅤ(01:19) Political ad spend hits $11.6 billion this cycle, more than the last presidential raceㅤ(02:08) Thirteen states soak up over 70% of that spend, and your cost per acquisition there is paying for itㅤ(03:28) New Validity data shows inbox placement dropping more than 5% the week before election dayㅤ(04:44) Why November 3rd is the worst possible day to launch a sale or run a webinarㅤ(05:41) LinkedIn impressions and video views cratering across the board, and why that is not a you problemㅤ(07:58) The candy corn rant that ends with a full prosecution and no witnesses for the defense

Partner with Jay: https://www.jayschwedelson.com/contactㅤCheck out Jay Schwedelson's new book: Stupider People Have Done It All net proceeds are donated to The V Foundation for Cancer Research, let's kick cancer's butt: https://www.amazon.com/Stupider-People-Have-Done-Marketing/dp/1637635206ㅤSubscribe to Jay's newsletter for weekly marketing tips and tactics: https://www.jayschwedelson.com/newsletterㅤRegister for GuruConference (FREE + VIRTUAL!) https://www.guruconference.comㅤCheck out Eventastic (FREE + VIRTUAL!) https://www.eventastic.comㅤConnect with Jay on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schwedelson/Check out Jay's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@schwedelsonCheck out Jay's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayschwedelson/Ask Jay anything: https://www.jayschwedelson.com/askㅤLeave a comment and follow the show, it really helps us out!ㅤConnect with Louisa Evans on LinkedIn.See how Hornby Hobbies uses Bloomreach: Hornby Hobbies Achieves Fast ROI With BloomreachㅤMost marketers sit on a mountain of customer data and still guess who to email next. Louisa Evans uses Bloomreach to run a loyalty program built on the same math she once used to design drugs. She's already testing what happens when AI plugs straight into the CDP and picks the next best action for every customer. Jay Schwedelson gets a look at where agentic CRM is headed and why the right setup matters more than a flood of AI ideas.ㅤBest Moments:(03:57) A Lorenz curve borrowed from finance turns millions of data points into a clear plan(08:56) Inside the Bloomreach hackathon and what a read-only MCP can already do(09:39) Why AI is a massive distraction unless you have a really clear goal(11:59) An MCP plugged directly into the Bloomreach CDP to find the next best action at scale(12:22) How Bloomreach clears out data silos so one model can power multiple campaigns at once(13:36) Why agentic CRM is where all of this is headed

Partner with Jay: https://www.jayschwedelson.com/contactㅤCheck out Jay Schwedelson's new book: Stupider People Have Done It All net proceeds are donated to The V Foundation for Cancer Research, let's kick cancer's butt: https://www.amazon.com/Stupider-People-Have-Done-Marketing/dp/1637635206ㅤSubscribe to Jay's newsletter for weekly marketing tips and tactics: https://www.jayschwedelson.com/newsletterㅤRegister for GuruConference (FREE + VIRTUAL!) https://www.guruconference.comㅤCheck out Eventastic (FREE + VIRTUAL!) https://www.eventastic.comㅤConnect with Jay on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schwedelson/Check out Jay's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@schwedelsonCheck out Jay's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayschwedelson/Ask Jay anything: https://www.jayschwedelson.com/askㅤLeave a comment and follow the show, it really helps us out!ㅤFollow Daniel on LinkedIn and check out The Marketing Millennials podcast for sharp, no-fluff marketing insights. Subscribe to Ari Murray’s newsletter at gotomillions.co for sharp, actionable marketing insights.ㅤThe Bathroom Break just got a remodel, and the new format borrows from Pardon the Interruption to rapid-fire through what's actually working in marketing right now. Jay Schwedelson and Daniel Murray swap the subject line tactics they'd die on a hill for, disagree about where emojis belong, and ask whether Instagram's new AI coach is a gift or a shortcut to a feed full of sameness. Stick around for the grocery store confession, because a two-second shot of pushing a cart should not take eight takes.ㅤBest Moments:(02:35) Daniel makes his case for odd numbers like 7 and 5 at the front of subject lines(03:33) Why capitalizing the entire first word of a subject line works for B2B and B2C(03:53) The accessibility problem with leading emojis, and where to put them instead(04:37) How LinkedIn collaborative posts push one post into up to five feeds at once(06:40) Instagram Edits now has AI telling you what to post, and why that could backfire(08:56) The seven-take grocery aisle shot that nearly got Daniel kicked out of the store

Partner with Jay: https://www.jayschwedelson.com/contactㅤCheck out Jay Schwedelson's new book: Stupider People Have Done It All net proceeds are donated to The V Foundation for Cancer Research, let's kick cancer's butt: https://www.amazon.com/Stupider-People-Have-Done-Marketing/dp/1637635206ㅤSubscribe to Jay's newsletter for weekly marketing tips and tactics: https://www.jayschwedelson.com/newsletterㅤRegister for GuruConference (FREE + VIRTUAL!) https://www.guruconference.comㅤCheck out Eventastic (FREE + VIRTUAL!) https://www.eventastic.comㅤConnect with Jay on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schwedelson/Check out Jay's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@schwedelsonCheck out Jay's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayschwedelson/Ask Jay anything: https://www.jayschwedelson.com/askㅤLeave a comment and follow the show, it really helps us out!ㅤMASSIVE thank you to our Sponsor, CallRail!CallRail is the AI-powered lead intelligence platform that helps marketers prove exactly what’s driving results. With CallRail, you can connect every call, text, chat, and form submission directly to the campaign that generated it so you finally know what’s working and where to double down.Plus, with built-in AI conversation intelligence, CallRail analyzes your customer conversations, captures leads 24/7, and gives you deeper insights into what your prospects actually care about.If you’re tired of guessing about your marketing ROI and want real data behind your campaigns, CallRail has you covered.Start a Free Trial Here: https://www.callrail.com/dothisㅤLinkedIn is about to flood your notifications with something that looks like a connection request but isn't, and how you respond affects your own profile too. Jay Schwedelson also makes the case that the B2B audience you're chasing is hanging out in places most marketers still write off as "just consumer." There's also a punctuation mark making a comeback, plus a strong opinion about the best show on television.ㅤBest Moments:(00:33) LinkedIn's new peer verification prompts are coming, and saying yes puts your name on their profile(01:40) Verified LinkedIn members are getting 50% more post engagement and 90% more profile views(02:45) The three dots are back, and subject lines ending in an ellipsis are seeing an 18% higher open rate(04:11) 85% of B2B buyers consume business content on personal social channels like Instagram(04:45) Instagram beat LinkedIn on B2B cost per lead, $138 vs. $202(06:13) Why The Great British Baking Show is the best thing on TV, and what Nigella Lawson brings to the judges' table

Partner with Jay: https://www.jayschwedelson.com/contactㅤCheck out Jay Schwedelson's new book: Stupider People Have Done It All net proceeds are donated to The V Foundation for Cancer Research, let's kick cancer's butt: https://www.amazon.com/Stupider-People-Have-Done-Marketing/dp/1637635206ㅤSubscribe to Jay's newsletter for weekly marketing tips and tactics: https://www.jayschwedelson.com/newsletterㅤRegister for GuruConference (FREE + VIRTUAL!) https://www.guruconference.comㅤCheck out Eventastic (FREE + VIRTUAL!) https://www.eventastic.comㅤConnect with Jay on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schwedelson/Check out Jay's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@schwedelsonCheck out Jay's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayschwedelson/Ask Jay anything: https://www.jayschwedelson.com/askㅤLeave a comment and follow the show, it really helps us out!ㅤDownload IMEX's free report, Why Design Matters: https://imexevents.com/why-design-mattersㅤJoin Jay at IMEX America this October in Las Vegas: https://america.imexevents.com/ㅤCarina Bauer thinks the next luxury is disconnection: a room full of real people, nobody glued to a screen. The CEO of the group behind the world's biggest meetings industry trade show tells Jay Schwedelson that design is really about intention, not aesthetics. She also shares a sharp way to get leadership to see your next event as strategy instead of just another cost.ㅤBest Moments:(02:16) Why design is the invisible force that shapes what people feel, trust, and remember(03:50) In-person events may be the only medium people can fully trust right now(05:55) Where AI belongs at an event and where it needs to stay out of the way(10:17) How to pitch an event to the C-suite so it reads as strategy, not cost(12:19) Why live human connection is becoming the new luxury(16:33) Disconnection is the next luxury too, and hotels with no Wi-Fi are already proving it

Partner with Jay: https://www.jayschwedelson.com/contactㅤCheck out Jay Schwedelson's new book: Stupider People Have Done It All net proceeds are donated to The V Foundation for Cancer Research, let's kick cancer's butt: https://www.amazon.com/Stupider-People-Have-Done-Marketing/dp/1637635206ㅤSubscribe to Jay's newsletter for weekly marketing tips and tactics: https://www.jayschwedelson.com/newsletterㅤRegister for GuruConference (FREE + VIRTUAL!) https://www.guruconference.comㅤCheck out Eventastic (FREE + VIRTUAL!) https://www.eventastic.comㅤConnect with Jay on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schwedelson/Check out Jay's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@schwedelsonCheck out Jay's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayschwedelson/Ask Jay anything: https://www.jayschwedelson.com/askㅤLeave a comment and follow the show, it really helps us out!ㅤFollow Daniel on LinkedIn and check out The Marketing Millennials podcast for sharp, no-fluff marketing insights. Subscribe to Ari Murray’s newsletter at gotomillions.co for sharp, actionable marketing insights.ㅤLanding pages are where most marketing budgets quietly go to die, and the fixes are usually smaller than you'd think. Jay Schwedelson and Daniel Murray run through the specific things killing conversion rates right now, from the number of form fields you're demanding to the word sitting on your button. There's also a fairly involved detour into airplane hygiene that produces a new favorite word.ㅤBest Moments:(03:05) Every extra must-fill field on your form costs you 8% of your registrants(03:27) Social proof under the CTA works better when the number is oddly specific and the audience is named(04:30) One testimonial is enough, but "I loved it" does nothing compared to a hard percentage(04:47) Navigation bars on a landing page can cost you 30% of visitors who came ready to buy(06:29) Logos only validate if they match the size of company actually landing on your page(07:37) The word "submit" on a button, and what to write instead so people know exactly what they're getting

Partner with Jay: https://www.jayschwedelson.com/contactㅤCheck out Jay Schwedelson's new book: Stupider People Have Done It All net proceeds are donated to The V Foundation for Cancer Research, let's kick cancer's butt: https://www.amazon.com/Stupider-People-Have-Done-Marketing/dp/1637635206ㅤSubscribe to Jay's newsletter for weekly marketing tips and tactics: https://www.jayschwedelson.com/newsletterㅤRegister for GuruConference (FREE + VIRTUAL!) https://www.guruconference.comㅤCheck out Eventastic (FREE + VIRTUAL!) https://www.eventastic.comㅤConnect with Jay on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schwedelson/Check out Jay's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@schwedelsonCheck out Jay's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayschwedelson/Ask Jay anything: https://www.jayschwedelson.com/askㅤLeave a comment and follow the show, it really helps us out!ㅤFollow Daniel on LinkedIn and check out The Marketing Millennials podcast for sharp, no-fluff marketing insights. Subscribe to Ari Murray’s newsletter at gotomillions.co for sharp, actionable marketing insights.ㅤTurns out the emails winning in an AI-summarized inbox are the ugly ones. Jay Schwedelson and Daniel Murray pick up the live text conversation from last week with fresh data on what Gmail, Apple Mail, and Copilot are actually pulling out of your sends, and the fix involves bullet points and a formula that fits in two hundred characters. There is also a genuine moral crisis about cheating on your barber, which somehow sets the tone for everything after it.ㅤBest Moments:(00:38) The haircut dilemma, and whether you can book with another stylist without earning the death stare(03:45) AI summaries pull 29 words on average, so the first 150 to 200 characters carry the whole email(04:15) Action plus product plus deadline, the formula lifting click-through rates around 19 percent(06:13) Bullets are ugly and they work, with pull rates of 77 percent in Gmail, 84 in Apple Mail, 92 in Copilot(07:29) Why vague, spammy headlines fall apart once a summary has to describe themㅤ(08:19) Over 70% of people say they are fine with AI reading their inbox to surface deals