Podcast Summary

Podcast: Do This, NOT That: Marketing Tips with Jay Schwedelson l Presented By Marigold
Episode: 🟡Top OFFERS Right Now! Business-Consumer-Non-Profit 🟡 Jay is Annoyed! Ask Us ANYTHING ❓ | Ep. 401
Date: August 27, 2025
Host: Jay Schwedelson

Episode Overview

In this packed episode, Jay Schwedelson dives right into the tactical side of marketing offers for Q4 2025, breaking down what’s truly working now across B2B, B2C, and nonprofit sectors. He also answers listener questions—both work-related and lighthearted—sprinkling in his signature humor, annoyance, and actionable tips for marketers who want to stay ahead in a rapidly changing landscape.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Business-to-Business (B2B) Marketing Offers

(Starts at 02:10)

• The "2026 Content" Shift
  • After September 1st, putting “2026” in your content title increases download rates by 30% and webinar reg rates by 25%.
    • "Whatever the coming years, in this case 2026, if you have 2026 in the content title, it'll actually increase your download rate... over 30%." (Jay, 03:00)
• Best Performing Content Formats
  • Listicles: Now performing better than ever (and favored by AI tools).
    • "Listicles are more important than ever. They're doing actually better than ever." (Jay, 03:45)
    • Examples:
      • "50 Things Every CMO Should Know in 2026"
      • "30 Campaign Ideas You Can Steal for 2026"
      • "9 Mistakes to Avoid in 2026"
  • Toolkits, Cheat Sheets, Playbooks: Don’t just produce ‘guides’. Use creative packaging.
  • The Power of the Word “Trend”:
    • Adding “trend” or “trending” to assets yields a 15% boost in engagement.
    • Examples: “2026 Trend Deck”, “2026 Trending Shifts Guide”.
      • "...anything including the word trend. 2026 Trend Deck, 2026 trending Shifts Guide... you'll get about a 15% boost in engagement." (Jay, 05:10)
  • Inclusion of “AI” in Titles:
    • Combining “AI” and “Trending” with the year can produce dramatic increases in download/registration rates.
      • "If you include AI, you're going to get an additional boost by about 20%... The AI Trending 2026 report—you'll get a 5 billion percent download rate..." (Jay, 05:35)

2. Business-to-Consumer (B2C) Marketing Offers

(Starts at 06:05)

• Shift from Scarcity to “Prices Will Rise” Messaging
  • Offers framed around rising prices (rather than pure discounts or FOMO/scarcity) create a 20% higher conversion rate.
  • Leverage economic uncertainty (tariffs, inflation) to tap loss aversion.
    • "Offers framed in price will rise are seeing a 20% higher conversion rate than standard discount offers because of all the tariffs and uncertainty..." (Jay, 06:45)
  • Messaging Examples:
    • "Today's price, tomorrow higher"
    • "Last day at this price"
    • "Never this low again"
    • "Your future self will pay more"
      • "When you frame your offers in, 'prices will rise'... it is doing so, so well because you're tapping into the psychology of what we're all thinking about." (Jay, 07:30)

3. Nonprofit Offers

(Starts at 08:25)

• Acknowledge Real World Challenges:
  • Be transparent: admit that giving is harder this year, rising costs are real, and you need more support.
  • Direct, honest framing:
    • "This year might be harder. That's why we need you more."
    • "We can't keep up with rising costs without your help."
    • "Rising costs won't stop us if you stand with us."
      • "You want to tap into what we're thinking about... talk about the elephant in the room. Don't just ignore it." (Jay, 08:50)

4. Audience Question: “Since You Didn’t Ask” Segment

(Starts at 09:30)

Listener: Kevin from Virginia Beach, VA

Question: Jay, it’s football time. Are you a football fan? How much do you care?

Jay’s Response:

• Loves football; Gators & Dolphins fan.
• Sports are too long: Every major sport could be an hour shorter.
  • "Major league baseball is easily an hour too long... Baseball is boring. Why? One hour's fine. A round of golf needs to be nine holes, not 18. It is out of control to play four hours of golf. It is so boring. Football is the same thing... we could shave an hour off." (Jay, 10:00)
• Tailgating Observations:
  • Amazed at the elaborate setups; contrasted with struggle to make eggs at home.
    • "I can't even, like, make eggs at my house without it being a disaster. And these people are, like, making lobster tails out of their trunk. And it's like Bobby Flay's backyard..." (Jay, 11:10)
• Drinking at Tailgates:
  • Drinking at 10 am leads to a rough time by halftime—and claims anyone saying otherwise is lying.
    • "By halftime, those you feel like garbage. If you go hard at like 10 am, you feel like garbage. Anybody who says otherwise is a liar. And by the end of the game, you're like, get me home..." (Jay, 11:45)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "2025 is over. 2026 is the game." (Jay, 04:20)
• "You can't just pick, oh, scarcity and urgency and blah, blah, blah. No, we have to understand why things are a little bit different this year." (Jay, 02:40)
• "The magic would be right. The AI Trending 2026 report. You'll get a 5 billion percent download rate if you were..." (Jay, 05:50)
• "The fear of missing out, that ain't this year." (Jay, 06:40)
• "Talk about the elephant in the room. Don’t just ignore it." (Jay, 08:55)
• "It's impossible to not be bored. If you want to lie to yourself and say it's not boring, that's fine, but you're actually a liar. Baseball is boring." (Jay, 10:10)
• "I'm amazed at these people that, that the tailgating, that people set up..." (Jay, 11:05)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction & Listener Questions Setup: 00:01 – 02:10
• B2B Offers & Trends: 02:10 – 06:05
• B2C Offers & Pricing Psychology: 06:05 – 08:25
• Nonprofit Messaging Recommendations: 08:25 – 09:30
• Ridiculous Q&A (Football, Sports Length, Tailgating): 09:30 – 12:40
• Calls to Action (Guru Conference, Instagram): 12:40 – End

Tone & Style

Jay delivers direct, research-backed answers with energy, humor, and a touch of exasperation—making marketing guidance both practical and fun. His advice is honest and often challenges industry “autopilot" thinking.

Actionable Takeaways

• Update your content for 2026—don’t recycle last year's offers.
• For B2B: Lean into listicles, toolkits, and title creativity (incorporate “trend/trending” and “AI”).
• For B2C: Ditch pure discounts and FOMO—frame urgency around rising prices.
• For Nonprofits: Be direct about economic challenges and explicitly ask for needed support.

If you missed this episode, you missed not just a breakdown of what’s working but the why—plus plenty of Jay’s rants and real talk about football, tailgates, and life as a marketer.