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

Episode 411: This is WORKING! Apple Mail Tip Nobody Knows Yet! 🤫🤫 Jay’s SCOOP
Date: September 12, 2025
Host: Jay Schwedelson, presented by GURU Media Hub & Marigold

Episode Overview

In this episode, Jay Schwedelson breaks down a hot, under-the-radar Apple Mail hack that’s dramatically boosting email open rates—revealing how marketers can use 'priority confirmation language' in their emails to exploit recent changes in the Apple Mail app. Jay walks through how Apple's AI-driven system now promotes certain emails straight to iPhone lock screens and the priority inbox, and he drops actionable, no-cost tactics that listeners can A/B test immediately. The episode then shifts into Jay’s trademark “Since You Didn’t Ask” segment, delivering offbeat commentary on urinal marketing, reality TV, and nostalgic candy—a punchy and fast-paced ride designed both for actionable takeaways and entertainment.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Apple Mail’s New “Priority Email” Behavior (00:20 - 09:00)

• Major update: Apple Mail is now pushing certain emails directly to the lock screen and ‘priority’ inbox.
• Who’s affected: With 47% of email opens happening on Apple Mail (Litmus), the impact is huge—even if you personally don’t use the blue Mail icon.
• What triggers priority placement:
  • If your email looks like a “confirmation” or uses action/official language up front, Apple’s system is more likely to flag it as important—regardless if you’re Southwest or Amazon.
  • Example: Southwest flight confirmations show up on the lock screen as priority—this behavior can be gamed by marketers.

Quote:

“Basically, everybody’s sleeping on it, and it’s going to give you an advantage.”
— Jay Schwedelson [00:35]

Notable Impact:

• Emails showing up as priority get a 28%+ boost in open rates, just by semantic hacking.

2. How to ‘Game’ Apple Mail for Promotion Priority (01:45 - 09:00)

• Key tactics:
  • Use “confirmation” style terms at the start of the subject line and within the email body.
  • Stylistic tweaks: Frame even standard promotions as access, approvals, or activations.
• Power words to trigger priority:
  • “Confirmation”, “Access Approved”, “Subscription”, “Activated”, “Update”, “Renewal”, “Time Sensitive”, “Action Required”.
• Example subject lines:
  • “Access Approved: Air Marketing Event Live in Two Days”
  • “Webinar Confirmation: Your Access Link for September 19th”
  • “Subscription: VIP Newsletter Access Here”
  • “Activated… VIP Early Access”

Quote:

“Apple is looking for words like activated, confirmation, access, update, renewal, time sensitive, action required... It is increasing priority placement by over 50% which is then leading to that 28% increase in open rates.”
— Jay Schwedelson [06:35]

Jay’s Caution:

• This tip may become less effective over time as Apple adapts.
• Marketers should run A/B tests rather than blindly trust the tactic.

Quote:

“A year from now this may not work because Apple's not stupid... But right now it is working incredibly well.”
— Jay Schwedelson [05:44]

3. Recommended Next Steps—AB Testing (08:10 - 09:00)

• Marketers should:
  • A/B test “confirmation” vs. “non-confirmation” subject lines and see which garners higher open rates.
  • Use the approach for any vertical: B2B, B2C, nonprofits, and events.

Quote:

“All you’re doing is taking the emails that you’re sending out and reframing them a little bit differently.”
— Jay Schwedelson [06:30]

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

Apple Mail Hack

• “If your emails actually show up as a priority email … you will increase your email open rates by about 28%.”
  — Jay Schwedelson [03:54]

• “This is called marketing. And what we're always trying to do is navigate what is the new thing. And this is the new thing right now that if you take advantage of it, costs you nothing.”
  — Jay Schwedelson [07:20]

[Fun Segment] “Since You Didn’t Ask…” (09:00 – close)

Jay switches gears and delivers rapid-fire, comedic takes:

1. Worst Event Marketing Ever (09:05 - 10:10)

• He recalls witnessing a QR code on a urinal at a conference, prompting people to take out their phones in the restroom.
• Quote:

  “It is easily the worst type of market I could possibly imagine, where you’re encouraging people to take out their phones at a urinal...”
  — Jay Schwedelson [09:45]

2. Pop Culture Sidebar: The Bachelorette (10:15 - 11:25)

• Jay riffs on new Bachelorette Taylor Frankie Paul crossover (from “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives”), predicting the franchise’s decline.
• Quote:

  “The whole Bachelor franchise is in horrible trouble because the numbers are going down, down, down, down, down because nobody’s watching except for me.”
  — Jay Schwedelson [10:40]

3. Candy Lawsuit & Tier Rankings (11:26 - 13:05)

• Ferrara Candy (Nerds) is suing Dweebs.

• Jay offers a personal ranking of non-chocolate candy:

  • Gummy bears (top), Swedish fish (“get stuck in my teeth”), Mike & Ike’s (“great”), Starbursts (“terrible”), Skittles (“should go away”), Sour Patch Kids (“overrated, except watermelon”).

• Quote:

  “Starbursts are terrible. They’re not good. I don’t know why they still exist. Whoever likes Starbursts? They’re horrendous.”
  — Jay Schwedelson [12:30]

• “Sour Patch Kids. Overrated. The only good ones are the watermelon versions of them...”
  — Jay Schwedelson [12:40]

4. Guru Conference Plug & Final Jokes (13:06 - end)

• Shout-out to upcoming free, virtual Guru Conference featuring Flavor Flav and Nicole Kidman.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:20 — Apple Mail’s new “priority email” behavior
• 01:45 — How Apple determines priority emails & Outlook for marketers
• 05:44 — Why this might be short-lived (Apple will catch on)
• 06:35 — Power trigger words for subject lines and body
• 08:10 — The need for AB testing and no-cost opportunity
• 09:05 — “Since You Didn’t Ask…”: QR code urinal marketing
• 10:15 — Bachelorette franchise riff
• 11:26 — Nerds vs. Dweebs candy lawsuit + Jay’s candy rankings
• 13:06 — Upcoming Guru Conference shout-out

Summary Takeaway

Jay Schwedelson delivers a timely, actionable Apple Mail hack—use confirmation/action language in subject lines and body copy to dramatically increase open rates on iPhone. He backs this up with stats, examples, and realistic caveats. The episode is a combination of tactical marketing advice and sharp, personality-driven commentary, giving listeners both practical takeaways and entertaining tangents.