Podcast Summary: "Do This, NOT That: Marketing Tips with Jay Schwedelson"

Episode: SPECIAL SERIES ==>POWER of ‘3 Min Read’ + Remove NON-ENGAGED! and Beanie Babies? <== | BATHROOM Break #39 (COLLAB: The Marketing Millennials + Do This, Not That)
Release Date: January 27, 2025
Hosts: Jay Schwedelson (Do This, Not That Podcast) and Daniel Murray (Marketing Millennials)

Introduction and Casual Banter (00:00 – 02:28)

The episode kicks off with a light-hearted conversation between hosts Jay Schwedelson and Daniel Murray. They share personal anecdotes about childhood collections, with Daniel reminiscing about his years collecting baseball cards, Pokémon cards, and notably, Beanie Babies. This segment serves to build rapport between the hosts and engage listeners with relatable, nostalgic topics.

Notable Quote:

• Daniel Murray [00:19]: "I actually had a lot of collections, so I had baseball cards, I had Pokémon cards, Beanie Babies."

Leveraging Read Time to Boost Engagement (02:28 – 05:13)

Transitioning to the core content, Jay introduces a tactical marketing strategy inspired by Daniel's newsletters and Ari's newsletter "Go To Millions." The focus is on explicitly stating the time required to consume content, such as adding “[3 Min Read]” in email subject lines. This approach sets clear expectations, enhancing open rates and reader engagement.

Key Points:

• Specificity Matters: Including exact read times (e.g., 3-minute read) in subject lines significantly improves open rates.
• Testing Results: Daniel shares that adding read times to his emails has boosted open rates by 15-20%, increasing from 51% to 54%.

Notable Quote:

• Jay Schwedelson [02:28]: "There would be an email that Ari would send out and in the subject line of the email after the topic was discussed it would put in brackets, you know, three minute read. It would say three min read and it would let me know the recipient that hey, if I open this thing up it's not going to take a lot of my time."

Effective List Management and Quality Over Quantity (05:13 – 08:23)

Daniel delves into the importance of maintaining a high-quality email list by regularly cleaning out inactive subscribers. He explains his process of removing contacts who haven’t engaged in the last 90 days after a series of win-back emails. This strategy not only improves open rates but also ensures that the newsletter remains relevant and valuable to its active audience.

Key Points:

• List Cleaning: Removing non-engaged subscribers helps maintain a healthy open rate and ensures inbox placement.
• Focused Metrics: Emphasizing net new subscribers over sheer list growth enhances overall engagement and loyalty.
• Long-Term Value: Retaining subscribers for over six months fosters loyalty and potential conversions.

Notable Quote:

• Daniel Murray [05:13]: "If you can keep someone on your newsletter for over six months, they become like really loyal lifetime members of that newsletter and will do other stuff with you, like attend your events and ultimately maybe buy from you."

Addressing Common Marketing Metrics Pitfalls (08:23 – 10:27)

Jay raises a critical point about the pitfalls of vanity metrics, such as the size of the email list. He argues that focusing solely on growth numbers can be misleading and detracts from more meaningful engagement metrics. Daniel reinforces this by suggesting a shift in focus towards metrics that reflect genuine interaction and sustained interest.

Key Points:

• Avoid Vanity Metrics: Large lists with low engagement can harm overall email performance.
• Focus on Engagement: Metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and subscriber retention are more indicative of success.
• Balanced Growth: Ensuring that list growth outpaces churn maintains a healthy and engaged subscriber base.

Notable Quote:

• Jay Schwedelson [07:43]: "If your company has an ego about the size of their database, you are on a loser path because that's irrelevant."

Enhancing Content with Read Time Indicators (10:27 – 09:48)

Continuing with the tactical advice, both hosts discuss additional implementations of read time indicators. Jay suggests adding read times to preheaders and within the newsletter content itself, while Daniel recommends incorporating read times on landing pages to increase conversions.

Key Points:

• Preheader Integration: Including read times in the preheader provides immediate clarity to recipients.
• On-Page Indicators: Displaying read times on blog posts or landing pages helps set reader expectations, leading to higher engagement.
• Conversion Boost: Highlighting the time investment required can make the content more approachable and increase click-through rates.

Notable Quote:

• Daniel Murray [09:17]: "If you say this is five minutes to get the best tips for email marketing, like, it'll only take you five minutes to get smarter at email marketing every day. So add it to those landing pages too. The conversion will skyrocket on landing pages if you add that to a landing page."

Final Remarks and Lighthearted Closure (10:27 – 12:20)

As the episode wraps up, Jay and Daniel return to casual topics, discussing their current collection habits and quirky hotel souvenirs. This segment lightens the mood and reinforces the friendly dynamic between the hosts. They conclude by encouraging listeners to engage with their respective podcasts and leave reviews.

Notable Quote:

• Jay Schwedelson [11:06]: "I'm not removing them from the list because they're not interested, they're not engaging. There's no point of keeping them in the list, but you could still use those people."

Key Takeaways

1. Specify Content Duration: Clearly stating how long content will take to consume (e.g., “3 Min Read”) can significantly enhance open and engagement rates.
2. Maintain List Quality: Regularly clean your email list by removing inactive subscribers to improve overall engagement and ensure high open rates.
3. Focus on Meaningful Metrics: Prioritize engagement metrics over vanity metrics like list size to gain a more accurate understanding of your audience’s interaction.
4. Set Clear Expectations: Implement read time indicators not only in emails but also on landing pages to boost conversions by informing users about the time investment required.

Conclusion

This episode of "Do This, NOT That" offers actionable insights into optimizing email marketing strategies through clear communication of content duration and diligent list management. By focusing on quality over quantity and engaging subscribers with precise expectations, marketers can drive higher engagement and foster long-term loyalty.

For more detailed marketing tips and strategies, be sure to follow along with Jay Schwedelson and Daniel Murray on their respective podcasts, "Do This, Not That" and "Marketing Millennials."