Do This, NOT That: Marketing Tips with Jay Schwedelson

Sometimes the best insights come from the strangest questions, and this Ask Us Anything proves it. Jay Schwedelson riffs on AI tricks you probably aren’t using but should, why half your “official-sounding” stats might be totally fake, and the one detail that makes your prompts 10x better. And just when it seems like things can’t get weirder, a question about Guam leads to toilets, vending machines...

Turns out the fastest way to win trust isn’t a hack at all. It’s radical transparency, smart self-service, and meeting people where they already are. In this chat, Jay Schwedelson digs in with Marcus Sheridan on the four pillars that make brands truly known and trusted, why YouTube might matter more than your website, and how pricing estimators and honest comparisons become AI-era trust signals....

LinkedIn just added some sneaky-powerful analytics, Instagram is rolling out a surprisingly useful tweak, and Jay Schwedelson has a clever email test that could boost your open rates without writing a single extra word. He also throws in a few life notes, from collapsing toy fads to what’s actually worth streaming this week. Quick, punchy, and packed with the kind of tiny updates that can quietly...

Riding in a driverless car might not sound like the ideal place to kick off a marketing chat, but Jay Schwedelson and Daniel Murray made it work. Between sweating it out in a Waymo and figuring out how to breathe again, they got into why Reddit is one of the most powerful (and underused) platforms for marketers. From spotting trends before they hit the mainstream to actually listening in on real c...

Most marketers never think about the iPhone’s built-in Mail app, but Jay Schwedelson explains why it just became a secret weapon for boosting open rates. Apple’s new “priority” placement is quietly reshaping how emails surface on lock screens, and the right subject line tweaks can get your promotions treated like high-value confirmations. It’s a rare, low-effort hack that could give you a serious...

AI panic is everywhere, but here’s a refreshing take: Jay Schwedelson sits down with Jeff Burningham to unpack why AI might actually make us more human. Jeff sees AI as a mirror that pushes us toward wisdom, deeper relationships, and more intentional living. If you’re tired of doom talk and want a practical, hopeful lens, this convo will hit different. ㅤ Pick up The Last Book Written by a Human o...

Convincing your boss to embrace testing isn’t easy, but Jay Schwedelson has a smart way to flip the conversation. Instead of begging to try new subject lines or tactics, he shows how to reframe experiments as an insurance policy against being left behind. Plus, he shares a hilarious story about a supermarket parking lot that’ll make you think twice about where you stand with your shopping cart. ㅤ...

Parenting hacks, diaper duty, and unsubscribe spikes all in one bathroom break? Yep. Jay Schwedelson and Daniel Murray manage to mix dad life with marketing reality in this episode, digging into why unsubscribes peak at the end of the year and what smart marketers should (and shouldn’t) do about it. It’s funny, a little chaotic, and surprisingly reassuring if you’ve ever stared at your dashboard p...

The smallest detail can make or break your engagement, and Jay Schwedelson is fired up about it. Forget the fancy hooks and long copy—the first word of your subject line or post might be the single biggest factor in whether people keep reading or scroll right past. He breaks down fresh data on LinkedIn, email, and Instagram that shows just how powerful those opening words really are, plus exactly...

When Jay Schwedelson sat down with Sophie Miller , it wasn’t just about social media tips—it was about how one person turned a scrappy Instagram page into the global community for marketers. Sophie built Pretty Little Marketers from her university sofa into a movement that now reaches hundreds of thousands, all while staying laser-focused on simplicity, value, and connection. This episode digs int...

Building a newsletter audience on a shoestring budget might sound impossible, but Jay Schwedelson shows how $1,000 can actually go a long way if you know where to put it. From Instagram Reels ads that quietly outperform LinkedIn to Reddit’s brand-new lead gen units, this episode is packed with practical, tested strategies that make growing your list both cheaper and faster than you’d expect. And y...

Reddit just quietly leveled up in the ad world, and Jay Schwedelson is fired up about it. After years of sending people off-platform, Reddit now lets advertisers run lead gen ads directly inside the app, which means smoother conversions and cheaper cost per acquisition. Jay breaks down why that shift matters, plus wanders into the wild world of prediction markets (yes, people are betting on Taylor...

Public speaking can feel terrifying or electric depending on who you are, and that’s exactly what makes this episode so fun. Jay Schwedelson and Daniel Murray swap raw, honest tips on what actually works when you’re about to face an audience—whether it’s a Zoom call, a boardroom, or a 12,000-person conference stage. From practicing in chaos to ditching those dreaded agenda slides, they get real ab...

If you’ve ever wondered how the biggest names on LinkedIn really built their audiences, Jay Schwedelson pulls back the curtain with Chase Dimond in this episode. From posting frequency to company (or “theme”) pages to why Threads is worth your time right now, Chase shares the exact strategies he’s using to rack up millions of impressions every month. It’s a rare behind-the-scenes look at someone w...

Q4 is looking different this year, and Jay Schwedelson explains why the usual playbook of urgency and discounts won’t cut it. From content tweaks that can boost B2B downloads by 30% to consumer offers framed around “prices will rise,” Jay lays out what’s actually working right now—and why. Plus, a quick detour into football, tailgating, and why baseball might just be the most boring sport of all t...

Sometimes marketing gold shows up when you’re not even planning to work. Jay Schwedelson and Daniel Murray pulled in a surprise guest – Daniel’s far better half, Ari Murray – and ended up with a masterclass on landing page mistakes you’re probably making. From why mobile-first design isn’t optional to the sneaky ways widgets can ruin conversions, Ari drops quick, practical fixes that will actually...

Some people feel awkward about liking or commenting on their own social posts, but Jay Schwedelson makes the case that not only is it not cringe, it actually boosts performance. From stacking early likes with company pages to pinning your own comments on Instagram, he breaks down the small hacks that can move the needle on engagement way more than you’d expect. ㅤ Best Moments: (01:00) Why Jay alw...

Sometimes Jay Schwedelson gets into consultant mode, and with Gary Vaynerchuk in the hot seat, it turns into pure gold. This conversation is part marketing therapy session, part culture playbook, and part Knicks nostalgia trip. From why boosting bad creative is like lighting money on fire, to how brands should actually ride viral waves without getting lost in them, Gary breaks it all down with his...

Sometimes the best career advice isn’t the polished stuff you find in books, but the off-the-radar tips you’d swap with a friend on a coffee break. Jay Schwedelson and Daniel Murray are back with another “Bathroom Break” to spill the unconventional moves that can get you a better job, a promotion, or just out of a toxic workplace faster. From stealth edits to your resume to the surprisingly simple...

Big social shifts are happening quietly, and Jay Schwedelson is here to help you ride the wave before it crashes. From a hidden LinkedIn trick that boosts your reach instantly to Instagram’s secret preference for posts made in its own app, these are the blink-and-you’ll-miss-them moves that can give you an edge. Plus, a timely subject line tweak that could lift your open rates by double digits and...

Small business owners keep asking the same thing: how do you actually use AI without adding more to your plate? With Jay Schwedelson and Tami Cannizzaro , we get real about where AI already works today, from getting found in AI results to handling reviews and easy lifecycle wins. It’s the practical, zero-fluff playbook that helps you compete while you’re still juggling the day to day. ㅤ Grab 25%...

Moving a kid into college is exhausting enough, but Jay Schwedelson somehow turned it into a life lesson on AI. A sweaty battle with a headboard led to a smart, stress-free way to keep up with all the AI changes without feeling like an “expert” (because no one really is). Plus, you’ll hear about one of the wildest product mix-ups ever, and why Celsius handled it like marketing pros. ㅤ Prompt Give...

Sometimes your best growth comes from your worst flops. On this Bathroom Break edition, Jay Schwedelson and Daniel Murray get real about failure in marketing—not just accepting it, but planning for it, documenting it, and even celebrating it. From botched campaigns to abandoned social channels, they dig into why marketers should embrace failure as a feature, not a bug. ㅤ Best Moments: (01:41) If...

Jay Schwedelson just admitted he bullies AI—and thought it worked. Turns out, he’s not alone. A wild claim from Google's Sergey Brin got Jay spiraling: can being mean to AI actually make it perform better? New research says no... but the real reason behind better results might surprise you. Plus, Jay explains why treating AI like a doctor (yes, really) is the key to getting more value from it. ㅤ...

It turns out your smartphone is probably better than the cameras Emmy-winner Tony Gnau used in the early days of his video career—and he’s here to tell you why that’s good news. Jay Schwedelson gets into what’s actually required to make great video, the gear myths you can ignore, and how to stop treating video like a one-off side project. If you think you need a studio and a giant budget to win wi...