Podcast Summary

Do This, NOT That: Marketing Tips with Jay Schwedelson

Episode: SPECIAL SERIES – "One Word, More Conversions 😳" | Bathroom Break #91 COLLAB (feat. The Marketing Millennials + Do This, Not That)
Date: January 19, 2026
Host: GURU Media Hub
Guests: Jay Schwedelson & Daniel Murray

Episode Overview

In this special collaborative "Bathroom Break" episode, Jay Schwedelson (Do This, Not That & subjectline.com) and Daniel Murray (The Marketing Millennials) tackle a simple but radically effective marketing tactic: how modifying just one word in your offer title or content piece can lead to substantially increased conversions. They discuss the psychology behind naming, share practical A/B testing strategies, and swap stories about personal pressure, stress management, and morning routines.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Power of a Single Word in Offer Titles

• Radical Impact of Names:
  • Jay emphasizes that way too many marketers don't realize how powerful the name of an offer, sale, or content piece can be on conversions—often more than the actual offer, creative, or landing page.

    “It is the simplest thing. It is the title. It is the name of your content piece, the name of your offer, your sale… If you’re not testing an A/B version of just the title, that could have the biggest impact on all your conversions.” — Jay [04:27]

• You’re Allowed to Change It:
  • Marketers get "confused"—the offer name isn’t set in stone; it should be actively tested and iterated.

2. Segmentation & Personalization of Offer Names

• Daniel suggests personalizing offer names for different segments within your audience to increase relevance and engagement.

  “You don’t have to marry that offer name for everyone. You can personalize names to groups of your audience and still package it the same.” — Daniel [05:24]

• A/B testing isn’t just for subject lines—applies across social, paid ads, thumbnails, and more.

3. Simple, Actionable Modifier Tests

• The Modifier-Only Test:
  • Jay suggests pick a bland offer title and add a single modifier (“Quick Fix,” “Simple,” “Glow Up,” etc.).
  • A/B test the original versus the modified version for real conversion impact.

    “You can throw in literally one modifier word, do an A/B test. …This isn’t like an open rate or click-through rate; this is conversions.” — Jay [07:31]

• Examples:
  • “HR Guide for SMBs” → “Quick Fix HR Guide for SMBs”
  • “Email Framework for 2026” → “Simple Email Framework for 2026”
  • “Skin Care Sale” → “Glow Up Skin Care Sale”

4. How to Structure Your A/B Tests

• Daniel cautions: Test with only a single variable so you learn what really drives changes—don’t run tests where too much changes at once.

  “There should be something that is testable. …You need to have some slight modifier, not big modifiers, when you’re doing A/B tests.” — Daniel [07:51]

• Small tweaks provide repeatable insights (ALL CAPS, emoji, action word, position in the line).
• Use AI tools (like ChatGPT) to brainstorm possible strong modifiers for future tests.

  “Just go on there and say, this is my offer. What are one to two word phrases that I could use as modifiers? And it’ll give you a bunch.” — Jay [08:52]

5. Handling Pressure in Business Deals

• Jay and Daniel share personal stories about feeling pressured to over-deliver—especially with larger deals where expectations are higher or smaller clients where the investment is critical.
• They discuss when to walk away from high-pressure, no-upside deals.

  “When the money means that much to them, and frankly, I’m being a jerk here and there’s no upside if I do a great job, I get concerned about, is this a good use of time? Does that make me a bad person?” — Jay [03:09]
  “I don’t want to be the fail point.” — Daniel [04:13]

6. Jay & Daniel’s Morning Routines for Stress

• Jay shares he recently started a morning routine: staring at the sun (if it’s out), followed by 10 minutes of meditation before checking his phone.

  “Every time I wake up now, and before I look at my phone, I do a 10-minute meditation. Am I the weirdest, biggest nerd now of all time?” — Jay [09:28]

• Daniel references his time at Snack Nation, where he A/B tested different wellness routines.

7. Using Meditation & Apps

• Jay uses Headspace and now the Peloton app for guided meditation.
• They both praise Peloton’s non-bike offerings:

  “I just use the app for meditation. It’s great.” — Jay [10:36]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Power of Offer Titles:

  “Marketers get so confused. Your offer name, your sale name is not your dog. You can change the name…” — Jay [04:27]

• On Selective Testing:

  “We just say, let’s just put it out there and why is my content not getting viewed? Most of the time it’s the hook, it’s the title…” — Daniel [05:42]

• On Simplicity in Testing:

  “You need to have some slight modifier, not big modifiers, when you’re doing AB tests.” — Daniel [08:08]

• On Handling Pressure:

  “I don’t want your pressure of your 100% budget on me. And I’m the fail point.” — Daniel [04:13]

• On Wellness Startups:

  “For like a year I would do everything. I would A/B test: if I go vegan versus this on this diet, what would happen?” — Daniel [09:53]

• Bathroom Break Banter:
  Daniel: “Well, this has been so informative, everybody … The goal today is, go do a five-minute meditation!” [11:00]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [04:16] – The power of one-word changes in offer titles
• [05:24] – Personalizing and A/B testing offer names by segment
• [06:32] – Modifier-only offer name test (+ examples)
• [07:51] – How to properly structure A/B tests; single-variable focus
• [08:52] – Using AI for brainstorming modifiers
• [09:28] – Jay’s meditation routine and stress-management discussion
• [10:26] – Tools: Headspace and Peloton for meditation

Actionable Takeaways

• Don’t neglect your offer title or content name—it’s one of the easiest and most impactful things to test.
• Test single-word modifiers as an A/B test and segment your audience for personalized hooks.
• Use AI tools for brainstorming strong, relevant modifiers.
• Keep your A/B tests simple with minimal changes so the results are actionable.
• In life and business, know when to decline opportunities that carry high risk with little upside.
• Try a five or ten-minute meditation in the morning for better focus and less stress.

Tone: Lively, irreverent, jargon-friendly, highly actionable, authentic banter.
Speakers: Jay Schwedelson (marketing scientist, energizer), Daniel Murray (relatable, reflective, experimental).

This episode is a snack-sized masterclass on how a tiny tweak—a single word—could hugely impact your next campaign's performance. If you only change one thing this quarter, make it your offer’s title.