Episode Summary:

What’s Up THIS WEEK: New ChatGPT Marketing! Instagram Big Change?
Do This, NOT That: Marketing Tips with Jay Schwedelson – Ep. 464
Published: December 16, 2025

Overview of the Episode

This episode is a rapid-fire rundown of the biggest marketing, tech, and social media developments relevant to marketers during the week. Jay Schwedelson highlights the rollout of ChatGPT 5.2 and its unprecedented marketing potential, notable shifts in Instagram and TikTok features, a new approach to ad personalization on LinkedIn, and tosses in a couple of quirky pop culture tidbits. The episode is energetic, practical, and loaded with quick wins for active marketers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. ChatGPT 5.2: The New Benchmark for Marketing Insights

Starts at 00:20

• Major News:
  ChatGPT 5.2 is being rolled out (about 80% availability at time of airing) and should be fully live by week’s end. Microsoft Copilot users are affected as well since both tools use the same underlying model.

• What’s Special about 5.2:

  • It predicts where user attention will go on images before campaigns are live.
  • Drastic improvement over 5.1: While the previous model could describe or summarize visual content, 5.2 can simulate human “scan” behavior.
  • Practical impact: Upload an email or promo image and get a simulated readout of the order in which elements are noticed (“eye flow”), distractions, and how well calls to action perform visually.

• How to Use (Jay’s Method):

  • The “2 Second Scan Path Test”:

    “Assume the reader scans this image for 2 seconds in an inbox, email body or on social media—where do their eyes go first, second, third? What message do they walk away with?”
    (Jay, 02:20)

  • ChatGPT 5.2 will report predicted attention paths, distractions, and the effectiveness of your visuals.

• Results from Real Testing:

  • Jay’s agency used the new feature in about 15 campaigns:

    “We saw between a 15% to 25% higher average click-through.” (Jay, 03:17)

  • Biggest impact seen for email newsletters and time-sensitive promos.

2. Social Media Platform Updates

Instagram: Early Access for Reels

Starts at 04:30

• Feature in Beta:
  Instagram is testing early reel access for followers:

  “If you follow somebody, you’re able to see one of their reels that they made 24 hours before anyone else.” (Jay, 04:50)

• Broader Implication:
  Despite recent rhetoric about declining importance of “followers,” this new feature powerfully incentivizes following accounts. If fully launched, expect a push in follower numbers.

TikTok: Nearby Feed Rolling Out in Europe

Starts at 05:40

• New Feature:
  TikTok is launching a “Nearby Feed” (already live in UK, France, Italy, Germany), letting users explore local content and events.

  “I’m very excited about this because it allows users to explore what’s happening around them... This is a game changer for me.” (Jay, 06:10)

• Anticipation:
  Jay eagerly awaits the US rollout and sees this as a unique opportunity for local marketing efforts.

3. LinkedIn: Personalized Ad Copy

Starts at 06:44

• What’s New:
  LinkedIn is rolling out new paid ad features that personalize ad copy dynamically, at the individual user level: name, industry, title, and company are inserted into the ad.

• Example:

  “You’ll see an ad like, ‘Jay, people who are vice presidents of marketing in the retail industry really love this.’” (Jay, 07:12)

• Implications and Concerns:

  • Marketers can now A/B test highly personalized ads in feeds.
  • Jay raises ethical/creepy concerns:

    “I don’t know if that’s going to have the same effect as it does in email… because it’s a little creepy and weird.” (Jay, 07:55)

4. Quick Hits & Quirky Moments

“67” Meme Declared Officially Dead

Starts at 08:10

• Jay jokingly celebrates the demise of the “67” meme:

  “I am so happy to report that 67 is totally dead… If you’re doing this now, nobody who’s even remotely cool says 67 anymore.” (Jay, 08:18)

• Notes Google’s late bandwagon-jumping on the meme with an Easter egg in their search results.

“Home Alone” Casting Tidbit

Starts at 08:45

• Jay shares a briefly mind-blowing holiday trivia:

  “Catherine O’Hara…she almost wasn’t Kate in the movie. They were close to casting either Kristie Alley…or Susan Sarandon instead. That would have been terrible.” (Jay, 09:02)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On ChatGPT 5.2’s Leap:

  “What 5.2 can do now… it can actually simulate human scan behavior, which is a really, really big deal.” (Jay, 01:58)

• On Instagram’s Beta:

  “Instagram right here is kind of doubling down on a massive incentive for people to follow accounts.” (Jay, 05:15)

• On TikTok’s Nearby Feed:

  “This is a game changer for me and I think it’s going to bring even more people to TikTok and more marketing.” (Jay, 06:18)

• On LinkedIn Ad Personalization:

  “It’s a little creepy and weird because you know the company didn’t do it. It’s just kinda like AI doing it or whatever.” (Jay, 07:55)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:20 — Introduction to major updates: ChatGPT 5.2 explained
• 01:58 — The “2 Second Scan Path Test” and upgraded marketing analytics
• 03:17 — Results from early ChatGPT 5.2 application
• 04:30 — Instagram’s early access to Reels for followers
• 05:40 — TikTok’s launch of the Nearby Feed feature in Europe
• 06:44 — LinkedIn’s rollout of individualized personalized ad copy
• 08:10 — “67” meme officially over (and Google’s too-late search gag)
• 08:45 — Home Alone casting “almosts” trivia

Recap & Takeaways

• ChatGPT 5.2 is a must-try tool for A/B testing visuals before launch — it can meaningfully predict and boost user engagement.
• Instagram may soon reward followers with exclusive content, driving organic growth efforts.
• TikTok’s location-based discovery could open new hyperlocal marketing strategies.
• LinkedIn’s new hyper-personalized ad copy is worth experimenting with, but marketers should be aware of privacy and “creepiness” thresholds.
• It pays to stay current on both viral memes and nostalgic pop culture, at least for comic relief.

The episode is lively, packed with actionable insights, and keeps its finger firmly on the pulse of marketing tech and trends. Jay’s quick, no-nonsense delivery makes it a useful, easy listen for marketers looking to stay ahead this week.