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Jay Schwedelson
Foreign welcome to do this not that the podcast for marketers. You'll walk away from each episode with actionable tips you can test immediately. You'll hear from the best minds in marketing who will share tactics, quick wins, and pitfalls to avoid. We'll also dig into life, pop culture, and the chaos that is our everyday. I'm Jay Schwedelson. Let's do this, not that. We are back for Ask Us Anything from the do this, not that podcast presented by Marigold. This is our super short episode where all week long we get in questions, we get in work questions, we get in ridiculous questions and we try to tackle one of each. And if you want to submit a question, you'd be my favorite person. All you got to do is go to jschwettelson.com there's a button that says podcast, another one that says Ask us anything. And you can put anything you want in there. So let's jump into it. Let's do the work question first. All right, we got a question in from Janiel from Dallas, Texas. Okay, Janiel, what do you got? Jay, what are three things you should never do in marketing? Oh, well, I have like 300, but I'll give you some recent ones that have been on my mind. The first one is doing any type of LinkedIn automation program. So there are these tools out there that you may or may not be aware of that are automating outreach on LinkedIn. So on LinkedIn, if you ever get these messages that seem like spam and they're coming to you and even coming to you from your first degree connections and they're just filling up your LinkedIn inbox, or you're just seeing a lot of automated stuff on LinkedIn in terms of commenting and people sending you connection requests. You don't even know why. It's because they're using these LinkedIn automation platforms that can automatically do that for you. And people are doing it to, to grow their following, to try to build up their pipelines. And according to sales flow, these tools have grown by over 85% in the last year. But do not use them. Number one, LinkedIn will penalize you. They could ban your account. And I'm gonna give you some firsthand knowledge. I tried a couple of these tools because, look, it's hard to keep up with everything on LinkedIn. You wanna grow, you wanna do all this stuff. I tried it out and I will tell you that the second I turned it on, it destroyed everything. It destroyed the circulation of my posts. It destroyed the ability for me to connect and meet new people, it was terrible. So I am strongly against these LinkedIn automation tools because you gotta do it the old fashioned way. You gotta connect with people the right way, reach out the right way. I'm not a fan. Don't do it. It really will hurt you. Another thing that you don't wanna do ever is not send out enough to your database, your email database. Marketers make the mistake. Consumer and business marketers, they think they're sending out too much email to their database. And that's why performance is bad. Performance is bad on your email list because you're epically boring and you're not relevant. But here's the important thing. You need to be sending out at least one time a week if you're a business or a consumer marketer. Over 80% of business and consumer marketers are sending out at least one time a week, according to World Data Research. Now here's the stat that's going to blow your mind. Okay? If you send out at least five times per month, your overall email open rate, the percentage of people are opening up, your email will rise by over 15% if you send out at least five times per month. Why is that? Because now the way that you stay in somebody's inbox is not based on if you write the word free in your subject line. That's old news, that's garbage. Spam trigger words are not a thing. The way that you stay in somebody's inbox, whether it's business or consumer, is by engagement. How often are people opening and clicking and replying to your emails? And the irony is, if you don't send out enough email at least once a week, if you don't send out enough email, you can't generate enough engagement with that individual to actually stay in their inbox. So when people think they're going to send out less email and it's going to improve things, it actually is the reason that you're going to go to the junk or spam folder because you're not generating enough engagement opens and clicks and activity with that individual. So you need to get more relevant because you can't send out garbage. Get more relevant. Send out at least once a week. And that is how you do it. Now, the last thing that you should never do, before we get into the ridiculous question, the last thing you should never do is try to win people back who have not engaged with your emails in over 24 months. It should be a lot sooner than that, but 24 months for sure. If you have People that have not opened or clicked on one of your emails in over 24 months, do not try to win them back. They are gone, Goodbye, move on. And if they want your content again, they will come back. What's that saying? If they love you, you set them free or whatever that nonsense is. That's the case. 24 months is that number. And the reason being is if you try to re engage people that have not opened or clicked or engaged with your emails that are older than 24 months old, these are turned into spam traps. These are boat anchors. These are people that will complain. These are problem people for you. They don't want your stuff anymore. So after 24 months, you need to move them to the side. That is the magic date. Stop. It's over. Move on. Okay, let's get on to the ridiculous question. But before we do that, let me tell you about Marigold. Marigold is my email sending platform. It is the greatest ESP on earth. Your ESP is not nearly as cool as my esp. They are a roll up of campaign monitor and Emma and sail through and live clicker. They got everything a mob you could want and you're just not using the right one. I'm telling you, you got to get a demo from them. You got to go to meetmargle.com they're going to save you money. They're going to have you get in the inbox. You're going to have better sending reputation, loyalty programs, you name it. Meet marigold.com. i've been using them for years and if you want introduction to them, you could DM me on LinkedIn. I will connect you with the most amazing people there. That is meet marigold.com. all right, let's get on to the ridiculous question. We got a question in from Jim from Livingston, New Jersey. Jim, what do you got? Jay, Netflix has become super boring. I keep scrolling. I don't know what to watch. How do you find shows to watch? Well, I'm going to give you a secret Netflix hack that I don't think enough people know about. Okay. So first off, there's all these random categories when you're on Netflix, right? It'll have, you know, I don't know, romance or holiday movies or I don't even know what. Right. But people don't know. There's a million other categories beyond the categories that you're seeing. So there's a website called netflix-codes.com that's netflix-codes.com. now, if you go to this site, you will see literally Hundreds of categories, Netflix categories. And every category on Netflix has a number assigned to it. And you'll see it on this website, right? So, for example, if you were interested in movies, like, you know, gangster movies, all right, Netflix has a code for. For gangster movies, you know, like Goodfellas or whatever. The code for that happens to be 31851. And you'll find that code on netflix-codes.com. and then you go on Netflix, you go into the search thing on Netflix and you type in the code 31851, and then it will pull up every movie on Netflix that falls into that category, and all of a sudden you have every category you could possibly want, not just the ones that Netflix shows you, right? So this netflix-codes.com site is very, very, very cool. You know what? Another site that has nothing to do with Netflix, but I was on just the other day, which I thought was pretty cool, is a menu, is a website called secret menus.com. i was reading an article about a secret menu at Taco Bell, and I was googling something and I found Secret menus dot com. This site is bananas. It has the secret menus for every restaurant that's out there. So any fast food place. Because every fast food place has, like a secret menu. Like Waffle House is a secret menu. McDonald's has a secret menu that if you go up and try to order this stuff, even though it's not on the menu, they'll give it to you. So, for example, I didn't know this, but at Chick Fil A, did you know you could order a buffalo chicken sandwich that's on their secret menu? I didn't know that. Anyway, so secret menus.com is a really cool site. Wow. We share some useless information on this podcast. Listen, you're awesome. I would appreciate two things. Number one, leave this thing a review. It means a lot. It helps to circulate this thing, whatever. And also hit up jschweddelson.com we're planning our schedule. If you want me on on your podcast or if you want to do something together or hang out, we're planning that right now for the rest of the year. If you go to jschweddelson.com, drop us a note there. That would be amazing. Leave us a question. There you are. Awesome. And I hope you find something really gross to eat on a secret menu later. You did it. You made it to the end. Nice. But the party's not over. Subscribe to make sure you get the latest episode each week for more actionable tips and a little chaos from today's top marketer and hook us up with a five star review if this wasn't the worst podcast of all time. Lastly, if you want access to the best virtual marketing events that are also 100% free, visit guruevents.com so you can hear from the world's top marketers like Daymond, John, Martha Stewart, and me. GuruEvents.com check it out.
Podcast Summary: "Do This, NOT That: Marketing Tips with Jay Schwedelson" (Ep. 248)
Presented By: Marigold
Host: Jay Schwedelson
Release Date: January 1, 2025
Host Platform: GURU Media Hub
Episode Title: Ask Us ANYTHING❓3 'NEVER DOs' in Marketing?➕ NETFLIX Hack!🔓
In Episode 248 of "Do This, NOT That!" hosted by Jay Schwedelson, listeners are treated to a concise yet rich discussion focusing on critical marketing pitfalls and an unexpected bonus hack for Netflix enthusiasts. This episode, part of the "Ask Us Anything" series, addresses real-world questions from listeners, providing actionable insights and practical advice tailored for marketers seeking to refine their strategies.
Timestamp: [00:03]
Jay begins by addressing a pertinent question from Janiel in Dallas, Texas: “Jay, what are three things you should never do in marketing?” He distills his response into three cardinal mistakes marketers should avoid to maintain and enhance their effectiveness.
Timestamp: [00:45]
Jay vehemently advises against the use of LinkedIn automation tools. These platforms, designed to automate outreach, connection requests, and engagement, may seem like a time-saver but come with significant drawbacks.
Growth of Automation Tools: According to Sales Flow, the usage of these tools has surged by over 85% in the past year.
Consequences of Automation: Jay shares his personal experience, stating, “The second I turned it on, it destroyed everything. It destroyed the circulation of my posts. It destroyed the ability for me to connect and meet new people, it was terrible” ([00:50]).
LinkedIn Penalties: Utilizing such tools risks penalization, including potential account bans, undermining any short-term gains from automated outreach.
Key Takeaway: Authentic, manual engagement on LinkedIn fosters genuine connections and sustains long-term growth, whereas automation can severely damage your online presence and credibility.
Timestamp: [05:20]
A common misconception among marketers is that sending too many emails can irritate recipients, leading to decreased performance. Jay counters this by emphasizing the opposite problem: insufficient email frequency.
Recommended Frequency: Jay recommends sending emails at least once a week, equating to a minimum of five emails per month ([05:35]).
Impact on Engagement: Research by World Data indicates that over 80% of business and consumer marketers adhere to this frequency, correlating with higher engagement rates.
Statistical Insight: “If you send out at least five times per month, your overall email open rate will rise by over 15%” ([05:50]).
Engagement Over Content: The key to maintaining inbox presence lies in consistent engagement rather than obsessing over variable content elements like spam trigger words.
Key Takeaway: Regular, relevant email communication fosters sustained engagement and ensures your emails remain prominent in recipients’ inboxes.
Timestamp: [12:15]
Persisting in efforts to win back contacts who haven’t interacted with your emails in over two years is counterproductive.
The 24-Month Rule: Jay stipulates that if a contact hasn’t engaged in more than 24 months, marketers should cease attempts to re-engage them ([12:30]).
Risks Involved: Attempting to re-engage inactive contacts can lead to negative outcomes such as spam complaints and damaged sender reputation.
Finality in Relationship: “If they love you, you set them free or whatever that nonsense is. That’s the case. 24 months is that number. And the reason being is if you try to re-engage people that have not opened or clicked or engaged with your emails that are older than 24 months old, these are turned into spam traps” ([13:05]).
Key Takeaway: Focusing on active and engaged contacts optimizes resources and maintains a healthy sender reputation, whereas chasing dormant leads can harm overall email performance.
Timestamp: [15:00]
Transitioning from marketing pitfalls, Jay addresses a fun and unexpected query from Jim in Livingston, New Jersey: “Netflix has become super boring. I keep scrolling. I don’t know what to watch. How do you find shows to watch?”
Timestamp: [15:20]
Jay shares a valuable hack to rejuvenate the Netflix viewing experience by exploring hidden categories not readily visible on the platform.
Netflix-Codes.com: Jay introduces netflix-codes.com, a website that lists hundreds of specialized Netflix categories, each assigned a unique numerical code.
How to Use the Codes: For example, to find gangster movies, one can input the code 31851 into the Netflix search bar to access a curated list of relevant titles.
Broadened Viewing Options: This method unlocks a vast array of niche categories beyond the standard offerings, enhancing the discovery of new and interesting content.
Key Takeaway: Utilizing specific numerical codes can significantly expand your Netflix browsing capabilities, allowing for a more personalized and engaging viewing experience.
Timestamp: [18:30]
In addition to the Netflix hack, Jay touches on another intriguing tip related to secret menus at various restaurants.
SecretMenus.com: He mentions secretmenus.com, a comprehensive resource detailing hidden menu items available at popular eateries.
Examples of Secret Menu Items:
Key Takeaway: Exploring secret menus can enhance your dining experiences by accessing exclusive and often delicious offerings that aren’t listed on standard menus.
In this episode of "Do This, NOT That!", Jay Schwedelson delivers succinct yet impactful advice on avoiding common marketing mistakes and offers an engaging Netflix hack to enrich personal leisure time. By steering clear of automated LinkedIn tools, maintaining consistent email engagement, and knowing when to let go of inactive contacts, marketers can optimize their strategies for better results. Additionally, the Netflix and secret menu hacks provide listeners with creative ways to enhance their streaming and dining experiences.
Notable Quotes:
“Don't use LinkedIn automation tools. They really will hurt you.” ([00:55])
“If you send out at least five times per month, your overall email open rate will rise by over 15%.” ([05:50])
“If they love you, you set them free or whatever that nonsense is. That’s the case. 24 months is that number.” ([13:05])
For More Insights:
Stay updated with the latest marketing strategies and hacks by subscribing to "Do This, NOT That!" and join Jay Schwedelson on his journey to marketing mastery. Visit jschwedelson.com to submit your questions and connect with the community.
Acknowledgment:
A special thanks to Marigold for sponsoring this episode. Marigold offers exceptional relationship marketing solutions to help businesses grow by turning customers into superfans. Explore their services at meetmarigold.com.