Podcast Episode Summary

Do This, NOT That: Marketing Tips with Jay Schwedelson | Presented By Marigold

Episode: SPECIAL SERIES – Stop Freaking Out Over Unsubscribes 🚫 (Bathroom Break #72 Collaboration: The Marketing Millennials + Do This, Not That)
Guests: Jay Schwedelson (Do This, Not That, Subjectline.com) and Daniel Murray (The Marketing Millennials)
Release Date: September 8, 2025

Episode Overview

This "Bathroom Break" special in the Do This, NOT That series presents snappy, actionable marketing advice in collaboration with The Marketing Millennials. In this episode, Jay Schwedelson and Daniel Murray tackle a source of recurring anxiety for marketers: unsubscribes from email lists. They break down seasonal trends, audience expectations, deal fatigue, and why unsubscribes can be a positive signal instead of a cause for panic. Along the way, they weave in their own life updates and humorous banter, maintaining a casual but insight-packed tone.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: Life Updates and Humor

• Daniel Murray shares his experience as a new dad, leveraging AI tools for parenting tips (00:57–01:38).
• Humor around diaper-changing and how “reps” in parenting mirror “reps” in marketing (01:51–02:21).
  • Memorable Quote:
    “Daniel always says about marketing, you gotta get your reps in, and this is the exact same thing.”
    — Jay Schwedelson (02:21)

2. The Reality of Unsubscribes: Seasonal Spikes and Data

• Unsubscribes spike dramatically in Q4 (Oct 1–Dec 15):
  • On the consumer side, unsubscribe rates are 230% higher.
  • On the B2B side, they are 220% higher [02:21–03:16].
• Quote:
  “From October 1 through December 15, it is the highest unsubscribe period... That 75-day period... your unsubscribe rates are 230% higher... on the business side they're 220% higher...”
  — Jay Schwedelson (02:24–03:05)
• Current economic context (tariffs, tighter wallets) will further drive up unsubscribes this year.

3. Why Unsubscribes Happen (Especially During Deal Seasons)

• Consumer Behavior:
  • Many subscribers sign up to get the initial “welcome offer.”
  • After redeeming, they often unsubscribe unless offered new, better deals [03:16–04:22].
  • Actionable Tip:
    “Any discounts you’re giving should be better than the welcome offer. Otherwise you’re not going to win.”
    — Daniel Murray (03:31–03:39)
• B2B Behavior:
  • Q4 is a time for professionals to “get super organized,” unsubscribe from irrelevant lists, and aim for ‘inbox zero.’
    — Jay Schwedelson (04:22–05:16)

4. The Wrong Way to React: Panic & Overcorrection

• Common marketer mistake:
  • Seeing unsubscribes climb, teams question their content/offers/cadence, and often “pull back” on sends—when it’s actually a normal, cyclical pattern [04:22–05:16].
• Quote:
  “This is the time of year that we get high unsubscribes. So… when you see unsubscribe… do you freak out?”
  — Jay Schwedelson (05:05–05:16)

5. Best Practices: Data-Driven Analysis Over Gut Reaction

• Match Content to Audience:
  • If you’re consistently providing value and there’s alignment, steady unsubscribes are okay.
  • A spike tied to off-topic content means you do need to pause and analyze [05:16–06:14].
• Healthy List = List of Engaged, Core Audience:
  • “You want to have people on your list who want to buy and want to continuously buy and it’s a good signal that someone’s alive on your list.”
    — Daniel Murray (03:51–04:01)
• Retention Curve:
  • High unsubscribes in first 2–3 months after signup as people “try out” your content.
  • After 10 months, retention stabilizes among core audience [07:55–08:42].

6. Dealing With Myths: AI Content Skepticism

• Audience sometimes accuses newsletters of being AI-generated due to style or use of emojis.
  • Daniel uses AI to edit (grammar, clarity), but not for content ideas or tone [06:14–08:10].
  • “...People are jumping to conclusion that… too many emojis… means it’s AI… But I’ve been using emojis before AI was a thing.”
    — Daniel Murray (06:56–07:12)

7. The Ultimate Perspective: It’s Okay to Lose People

• Weeding out non-ICP (ideal customer profile) is positive.
  • “If you don’t like my content, unsubscribe. That’s… you want to weed out the people… The point of an email list is to get to the closest to your ICP as possible.”
    — Daniel Murray (07:12–07:32)
• Retention is key metric, not just list size.
  • “Once it goes longer, you normally see you retain those people for a long period of time.”
    — Daniel Murray (08:35–08:42)

8. Light-hearted Close & Parenting Parallels

• Return to baby talk: Daniel’s rules for visitors; importance of boundaries (handwashing, no kissing baby) [08:42–09:55].
• Light ribbing about being a “freakazoid” vs. “chill” new parent.

Notable Quotes

• “From October 1 through December 15, it is the highest unsubscribe period for any other time of the year. That 75-day period... your unsubscribe rates are 230% higher during that period. And on the business side, they're 220% higher.”
  — Jay Schwedelson (02:24–03:05)

• “Any discounts you’re giving should be better than the welcome offer. Otherwise you’re not going to win.”
  — Daniel Murray (03:31–03:39)

• “You want to have people on your list who want to buy and want to continuously buy and it’s a good signal that someone’s alive on your list.”
  — Daniel Murray (03:51–04:01)

• “If you don’t like my content, unsubscribe. That’s… you want to weed out the people… The point of an email list is to get to the closest to your ICP as possible.”
  — Daniel Murray (07:12–07:32)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:57–02:21: Parenting metaphors and leveraging AI
• 02:21–03:16: Why Q4 sees massive unsubscribe spikes
• 03:16–04:22: Deal-seeking behavior and list churn; importance of offer hierarchy
• 04:22–05:16: B2B unsubscribe patterns and common overreactions
• 05:16–06:14: When to analyze vs. accept unsubscribes
• 06:14–08:42: AI skepticism in newsletters and authentic content creation
• 07:55–08:42: Newsletter retention curve explained
• 08:42–09:55: Parenting boundaries; analogy for audience curation

Tone & Style

Casual, authentic, and witty—Jay and Daniel bounce between friendly jabs, real-world analogies, and straightforward advice. Transparency and directness are central (“If you don’t like my content, unsubscribe”).

Actionable Takeaways

• Expect higher unsubscribes in Q4; don’t panic.
• Make subsequent offers stronger than the welcome deal.
• Match content closely to audience expectations.
• Measure retention as the true sign of list health.
• Don’t be afraid of unsubscribes—they refine your audience.
• Use AI as a tool to polish, but keep your authentic voice.

For more tips and episodes, subscribe to Do This, NOT That and The Marketing Millennials, and send your topic requests via LinkedIn.