Do This, NOT That: Marketing Tips with Jay Schwedelson | SPECIAL SERIES – Bathroom Break #44

Hosted by GURU Media Hub | Presented by Marigold | Released on March 3, 2025

In this special episode of the "Do This, NOT That" podcast, Jay Schwedelson teams up with Daniel Murray from The Marketing Millennials to deliver actionable LinkedIn marketing strategies in their unique "Bathroom Break" series. The episode delves into three significant LinkedIn updates, discussing their implications and offering expert insights on leveraging these changes to enhance marketing efforts.

1. LinkedIn Newsletter Metrics: Enhancing Accountability and Sponsorship Opportunities

Overview: LinkedIn has introduced a pivotal update by publishing newsletter metrics, including deliverability and email open rates. This change provides marketers with tangible data to assess the performance of their newsletters.

Key Discussions:

• Actionable Insights: Jay emphasizes the importance of these metrics for reporting and decision-making. "For marketers, meaningful? Because now you can report back to whoever you're doing this activity and say hey, we get X amount of open rates..." [02:16]

• Audience Building Challenges: Daniel points out the difficulty in starting a newsletter without an established audience, suggesting that the metrics are most beneficial for those who already have a subscriber base. "If you built up a bunch of colleagues as you... it'll be sending your bunch of people from the past a newsletter invite request." [02:16]

• Sponsorship Opportunities: Jay highlights that with these metrics, brands can better evaluate potential sponsorships. "Now if you get that sponsored, now you have metrics to go back to the sponsor and tell them, hey, here are my metrics on my LinkedIn newsletter." [03:13]

Conclusion: The introduction of newsletter metrics on LinkedIn is a significant boon for marketers, providing the necessary data to evaluate the effectiveness of their content and attract sponsorships. This transparency fosters more strategic and informed marketing decisions.

2. Impression Counts on Comments: Gauging Engagement and Content Strategy

Overview: LinkedIn has rolled out a new feature that allows users to see the impression counts on their comments. This update aims to provide deeper insights into the visibility and reach of user interactions on posts.

Key Discussions:

• Strategic Commenting: Daniel shares his belief in the power of comments as content. "Comments equal content. So I think that if you're starting out or commenting is a strategy to grow on LinkedIn..." [05:05]

• Interpreting Impressions: Jay discusses how impression counts can help marketers determine the effectiveness of their comments. "If my comment got a thousand impressions and zero likes, directionally, I just say I got more impressions for myself or my brand." [06:19]

• Quality vs. Quantity: The conversation also touches on the nuances of impressions without engagement. "But if it gets a lot of likes and impressions, then I'm doing something right." [06:19]

Conclusion: Understanding impression counts on comments enables marketers to refine their engagement strategies. By analyzing both impressions and interactions, they can better tailor their content to resonate with their audience and boost their LinkedIn presence.

3. Enhancing Video Engagement with Graphical Labels

Overview: With LinkedIn's mobile video consumption downplaying written captions, adding graphical labels directly on videos has become crucial for capturing viewer attention and conveying content effectively.

Key Discussions:

• Visual Hooks: Jay draws parallels with platforms like Instagram Reels and TikTok, emphasizing the importance of visual elements to hook viewers. "IG reels, TikTok YouTube shorts, that's a good thumbnail with a call to action in the front..." [08:04]

• Engagement Boost: Daniel shares their success story of increased engagement after incorporating graphical labels in their videos. "Once they switched to the big, heavy video feed in LinkedIn and we weren't kind of labeling our videos... we saw exponential increase in engagement." [08:50]

• Adaptation to User Behavior: Both hosts agree on the necessity of adapting to changing user behaviors, likening it to the "TikTok brain." "...take the TikTok brain and apply it to LinkedIn, because that's where we're at." [08:50]

Conclusion: Incorporating graphical labels in LinkedIn videos is a strategic move to enhance visibility and engagement. As mobile viewing continues to dominate, these visual cues become essential in communicating the video's purpose and enticing viewers to engage.

4. Navigating AI Content Detection on LinkedIn

Overview: LinkedIn has implemented measures to flag AI-generated content, potentially downgrading posts that contain AI meta tags. This update aims to maintain content authenticity and quality on the platform.

Key Discussions:

• Quality Control: Jay expresses relief over LinkedIn's crackdown on AI-generated content, highlighting its impact on maintaining content standards. "I'm happy about that... When you see an AI comment, it's like somebody talking, like, they're like, from Masterpiece Theater in England..." [09:42]

• Best Practices: The hosts discuss the importance of editing AI-generated content to ensure it blends seamlessly with human interactions. "At least if you're trying to do that, like, edit the comment, you can get ideas..." [09:59]

• Authenticity Over Automation: Daniel emphasizes the value of genuine engagement over automated responses, advocating for originality in comments and posts. "...you can't post that comment." [09:59]

Conclusion: LinkedIn's initiative to identify and downgrade AI-generated content underscores the platform's commitment to authentic and meaningful interactions. Marketers are encouraged to prioritize genuine content creation and personalization to maintain engagement and credibility.

Key Takeaways:

1. Leverage Newsletter Metrics: Utilize LinkedIn's new newsletter metrics to assess performance and attract sponsorships, ensuring your content strategies are data-driven.
2. Optimize Comment Engagement: Use impression counts on comments to fine-tune your engagement tactics, balancing visibility with meaningful interactions.
3. Enhance Video Content: Incorporate graphical labels in videos to capture attention and clearly communicate your message, adapting to mobile-centric viewing habits.
4. Prioritize Authentic Content: Avoid reliance on AI-generated content to maintain authenticity and avoid potential downgrades in LinkedIn's feed.

Notable Quotes:

• "If you haven't built up an audience yet, it's harder to start that newsletter..." – Daniel Murray [02:16]
• "Open rate is a very important metric... directionally, it's not an absolute metric." – Jay Schwedelson [03:13]
• "Comments equal content..." – Daniel Murray [05:05]
• "IG reels, TikTok YouTube shorts, that's a good thumbnail with a call to action..." – Jay Schwedelson [08:04]
• "If you make anything with AI and you don't strip the meta tags out... it will flag your post as made with that AI." – Jay Schwedelson [09:14]

This episode of "Do This, NOT That" offers valuable insights into optimizing LinkedIn strategies amidst platform updates. By understanding and adapting to these changes, marketers can enhance their engagement, maintain authenticity, and drive superior results in their campaigns.