How to Prep Your Content for 2027 Right Now | Bathroom Break #120

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Marketing Millennials – "How to Prep Your Content for 2027 Right Now"

Bathroom Break #120
Release Date: August 10, 2026
Host: Daniel Murray
Guest/Co-host: Jay Schwedelson

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Episode Overview

This special "Bathroom Break" edition features Daniel Murray (The Marketing Millennials) and Jay Schwedelson (Do This, Not That Podcast & SubjectLine.com) sharing rapid-fire, actionable tips on how brands and marketers should prepare their content strategies for 2027. With only two months left before content planners pivot to the next calendar year, Daniel and Jay discuss why it’s crucial to start creating and updating content for 2027 now, focusing on formats and tactics that will maximize discoverability, engagement, and pipeline in a shifting digital landscape.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Rush to 2027 Content Planning

• Timing is Critical:
  Marketers must recognize that while it may feel early (mid-year), content for 2027 needs to be ready by September/October to capitalize on planning and budgeting cycles.
  • “People are preparing for 2027 now, whether it’s budget planning, whether it’s thinking about next year, thinking about what channels they should invest in...” – Daniel (03:25)
• Why Act Now:
  Marketers who wait will fall behind as AI platforms and audiences prioritize the newest, most relevant content.

2. Content Formats That Drive Results

• Calendars Are King:
  Jay and Daniel agree that calendars—whether industry events, marketing schedules, or niche-specific timelines—are the highest-performing content type for audience growth and engagement at year’s end.
  • “The number one content format that we see...if you want to grow your database, get more people...is some version of a calendar from October 1st all the way through the end of January.” – Jay (04:30)
  • Calendars can be industry-centric, consumer-focused (e.g., healthy eating), or highlight your own webinars or product launches.
• Resource Updates & Recency:
  Update every resource and cornerstone page to reflect applicability for 2027 starting October. Both search engines and AI platforms elevate the freshest, year-specific content.
  • “You want to go to every single thing that you have in your resources page and you want to add for 2027. Right. Starting in October 1st say this applies for 2027 because that is the content that is going to get consumed...” – Jay (04:53)

3. AI & Content Visibility

• Recency Matters:
  AI and search algorithms prioritize updated, year-forward content, making quick content refreshes a high-ROI move.
  • “AI loves relevancy with its type of content...you just need to update a little bit. And a lot of things, especially with marketing...don’t change that much.” – Daniel (05:54)
• First-Mover Edge:
  There’s little current content about 2027, so produce forward-looking assets now to stand out.

4. Practical Execution Tips

• AB Testing with Dates:
  Simply adding “for 2027” to event or resource titles results in measurably better conversions once audiences start planning for the new year.
  • “If you saw one webinar promo...it says, you know, the top trends in healthcare or whatever. And the other one...says the top trends in healthcare for 2027...Which one are you gonna register for? The one that says for 2027.” – Jay (06:55)
• Update, Don’t Reinvent:
  Most perennial content just needs minor tweaks—there’s no need to build everything from scratch.

5. Authenticity & Editing in Content Creation

• Leave In the Imperfection:
  The hosts candidly discuss whether to edit out mistakes or awkward podcast segments. Daniel says most editing is guest-driven, and sometimes “bad” episodes surprise him with audience praise.
  • “I released episodes I thought were horrible that...I was embarrassed...And then those would be the episodes people [loved].” – Jay (10:31)
• Reluctance to Scrap Content:
  Both agree on the importance of putting the audience first but admit to sometimes shelving or even re-recording dud episodes, sharing stories of awkward moments and failures.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On urgency for 2027:

  • “People are preparing for 2027 now...any content that has that. So...creating prediction content for 2027, updating, remixing, things...from last year...calendars. What important events are happening in 2027 that you should plan for.”
    — Daniel (03:25)

• On the power of calendars:

  • “If you want to grow your database...the number one content format...is some version of a calendar from October 1st all the way through the end of January. Calendars are what get consumed the most.”
    — Jay (04:30)

• On making slight updates for big results:

  • “You probably have tons of this content already in your database. You just need to update a little bit. And a lot of things...don’t change that much...”
    — Daniel (05:54)

• On conversions with “2027” labeling:

  • “Which one are you gonna register for? The one that says for 2027. And the problem is...if you don’t start planning now, you’re not gonna be able to do that.”
    — Jay (06:55)

• On perceptions of “bad” content:

  • “I released episodes I thought were horrible...and then those would be the episodes people [loved]...I am clueless.”
    — Jay (10:31)

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Key Timestamps

• 03:25 – Why and how to start planning content for 2027 now.
• 04:30 – Calendars as the top-performing format; strategies for calendar-based content.
• 05:54 – How recency and quick updates drive AI visibility.
• 06:55 – AB testing year-forward titles for better engagement.
• 08:01 – 10:00 – Real talk on podcast editing and imperfection; authenticity vs. curation.

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Tone & Style

The episode is energetic, candid, and irreverent, blending actionable advice with real-life anecdotes and self-deprecating humor. Daniel and Jay keep it unscripted, bantering about pop culture, mishaps in their podcasting careers, and sharing honest, practical tips for marketers without the corporate sheen.

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Takeaways for Marketers

• Start updating or creating 2027-specific content now—especially high-demand formats (like calendars) that audiences want for planning.
• Refresh all key resources for recency; even small changes can make a difference in AI-driven discovery.
• Don’t wait for the New Year rush—pipeline and brand impact are won by first movers in the season’s closing months.
• Keep your content real and don’t be afraid to leave minor flaws in—it builds authenticity and sometimes surprises you with what resonates.

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Connect with the hosts:

• Daniel Murray: LinkedIn, Twitter
• Jay Schwedelson: Do This, Not That Podcast

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Transcript

[A]

Wait, I want to know something, though, because I've done this. I want to know something. Have you ever recorded with somebody that was so epically horrible that you just didn't release the episode?

[B]

Welcome to a new special series called the Bathroom break. That extra 10 minutes you either have to listen to marketing tips or use the bathroom. Or both. But I don't recommend both. But that's your choice.

[A]

This collab is going to be super fun. We have Daniel Murray from the Marketing Millennials and me, Jay Schwedels from the do this, not that podcast and subjectline.com each episode in the series, we are going to go over quick tips about different marketing topics. And if you want to be in the bathroom, fine. Just don't tell us about it. Thanks for checking it out. We are back for another episode of the Bathroom Break. I'm here with Daniel Murray, the marking millennial. And I'm Jay Schwedelson. Daniel, I want to know something. I know that you're very busy because you have a young child, so you can't really watch tv, but do you watch nothing? Like, none of these Netflix documentaries? Nothing like that. Are you not up to date on anything going on on the planet?

[B]

I am watching. You gonna like House of the Dragons. But that's not a documentary.

[A]

That's Game of Thrones. Yeah, I've never seen one second of Game of Thrones.

[B]

You have to now. That's your new, like, project. Like, I'll tell you something, you and Ari both like reality tv.

[A]

Love it.

[B]

Ari loves it because it's like. Like old school. Like, reality draw. Like, it's all drama. So, like, you would love Game of Thrones. There's so going.

[A]

I don't want to care about a dragon. Like, I'm going to fly around on a dragon.

[B]

Yeah, you don't have to think about a dragon the first couple episodes. There's not like the first se. Couple seasons. There's no dragons.

[A]

Do people like, like, love their dragons and walk them around like dogs?

[B]

No. I think there is. There is a little love of dragons, but that doesn't appear for a while. You love Game of Thrones. You need to watch.

[A]

Everyone's like, you got to watch Game of Thrones. You got to watch the Wire. All these shows I never saw.

[B]

No, Game of Thrones is a must. Like the Wire. The Wire is like one season, too.

[A]

I don't know. I know nothing.

[B]

What are you. What documentary should I watch?

[A]

Oh, on Netflix right now, I just watched the one about the cruise, the Concordia going Down. Which was very sad because people died. That was wild. And then I watched the one about the woman who pretended to be pregnant. That was crazy. I don't know how they pump these things out. There's just a million of them.

[B]

I did watch, like, because my cousin was in town, like, an HBO documentary on, like, Scientology that was, like, crazy to watch.

[A]

I wanted to watch the Hulk Hogan one. That came out, too. I need to watch that because I have no life. Well, who cares? We have no life. We are going to talk about AI stuff. Staniel, let's get into it. What are some AI things that are off people? That's not what we're supposed to talk about.

[B]

Yeah, I'm like, what are you talking about?

[A]

That's not the topic. That's amazing. I totally forgot.

[B]

You just hated that idea.

[A]

I know. I totally forgot. Whatever. All right. I'm going to tell you what the actual topic is. The actual topic is getting your content and stuff ready for 2027 now, because we have about 60 days, and we're going to get into why you have 60 days, and we're going to share with you the exact content things you need to be doing. They're going to crush it. So, Daniel, because I'm clueless, why don't you kick us off on what we're talking about?

[B]

Yeah. So big content pieces and content takes time to produce. And people are going to want things for next year, like now, because people are preparing for 2027 now, whether it's budget planning, whether it's thinking about next year, thinking about what channels they should invest in, and any content that has that. So, like, some content you could think about is creating prediction content for 2027, updating, remixing, things that you have from this year, from last year, like calendars. What important events are happening in 2020 and 27 that you should plan for, having this produced ahead of time. Then you could run that for the end of the year. Because people are planning right now thinking about planning for 2027. They're starting to think about budgeting. I know it's a. I know it's July, but it's. It's going to come faster than you think. And then you're going to be way behind the eight ball if you haven't prepared your content calendar to be launching in September, October, November. Where people are going to care about 2027 stuff.

[A]

Yeah. So let's just dig into that a little bit further. The number one content format that we see across all of our clients, that gets consumed more if you want to grow your database, get more people, I don't care what industry you're in or what market you're in is some version of a calendar from October 1st all the way through the end of January. Calendars are what get, get consumed the most. Like Daniel said, you can make an industry calendar. All the events are gonna happen in the industry and then you put your webinars and your events on that calendar. You could have a healthy eating calendar. If you're on the consumer side, you an anything calendar. I mean my company puts out the worst days to send out email campaigns and we put all these dates around this calendar. Everybody wants a calendar starting October 1st. They could plan for the next year. But in general what else you want to have ready is especially because the AI platforms, every AI platform is looking for recency signals to decide what they are going to use when someone asks it a question. You want to go into your resource tab. You want to go to every single thing that you have in your resources page and you want to add for 2027. Right. Starting in October 1st say this applies for 2027 because that is the content that is going to get consumed as you head into the end of year. So 2026 is over. It's now a 2027 game from now until the end of January.

[B]

And we're talking about like and there's like little things you do. Like one things is one thing updating your content because AI is looking at Jason recency. But like if, if you, if you're, if you're ahead of the game with like predictions, if you're ahead of the game of what's happening in 2027, if you under the name of what events are happening, if you game of like top products to think about in 2027, you AI is going to pull in your stuff because you're, there's not that much content out there there and also it shows that you're, you're new and AI loves relevancy with its type of content and you probably have tons of this content already in your database. You just need to update a little bit. And a lot of things, especially with marketing and a lot of things don't change that much. So you just need to update it a little bit to be more relevant to what 2027. But you don't have to change that much if you just update those things and people forget about it all the time.

[A]

Yeah. I mean for everybody out there that's listening if there was an A B test. Ok, okay. And you saw one webinar promo. Now it's the end of September. One webinar promo, it says, you know, the top trends in healthcare or whatever. And the other one, the B version, says the top trends in healthcare for 2027. And here it is. You're in that first week of October. Which one are you gonna register for? The one that says for 2027. And the problem is, here we are, you're, you know, maybe six, seven weeks away from that start of October. If you don't start planning for this now, you're not gonna be able to do that. So that's why you wanna think about this now so you can take advantage of that last quarter of the year and actually get pipeline. So now's the time to be planning for that 2027 content. So, Daniel, let me go back to the original thing. I have a question for you. Obviously, I screwed up at the beginning of this podcast. I didn't know what the hell we were talking about. I'm, like, launching it. Whatever. So you record podcasts all the time. When you make a mistake, do you go and edit it out, or are you like, oh, no, that's the humanity of it all. I want to leave it in.

[B]

Most of the time, it's not me asking to edit it out. Like, it's more like my guests want something edit it out. But it happens. So not frequently, like you would think it does. So, like. But I have had, like, flops of podcasts that didn't even, like, happen. Like, I've had where someone's camera goes out for, like. Or like, my first podcast ever. I didn't click record, like, And I'd never. I've never, ever had that person back on the podcast.

[A]

Wait, I want to know something, though, because I've done this. I want to know something. Have you ever recorded with somebody that was so epically horrible that you just didn't release the episode?

[B]

I think one or two. But you do it, so I do it a lot.

[A]

Yeah, I do a lot. It's the rudest thing.

[B]

You know, I was. You know how it was Jay's first episode that never happened.

[A]

That's so true. I can't believe I just. I just asked you that and I did it to you. That's so true. When I launched my podcast, Daniel was my first guest. It was not good. And I'm like, I never released the episode. And Daniel's like, what happened? The episode? I'm like, yeah, I don't know.

[B]

Whatever. Yeah. You're like. I go in A different direction. I'm like, okay, good for you. And he did. He did it to my wife, too. As me and Ari had. We both had episodes.

[A]

Yeah, I didn't release either. I do it all the time. It's so awkward, though, because I'd be like, when's the episode coming? I'm like, yeah, I don't know. I'm not sure.

[B]

I'm not in tune with the calendar.

[A]

I'll tell you the worst thing I've ever done, which I really should go to, like, marketing jail for this. So somebody came on horrible episode, didn't release it. But I told the person, I go, you know, it really wasn't that great. Why don't you come back on? Let's try it again. We recorded again, and it was terrible. And again, I didn't release it. It was so bad of me.

[B]

Yeah, you just wasted that person's time

[A]

twice just being like, I'm so sorry.

[B]

But I do. I do think, like, I don't know how to go about it. Like, I'm not as, like, savage as you, but there is like, a. With anything with content. Talk about content is like, you want to put, like, the best foot forward for your audience. So, like, do you. This has the audience, like, would you rather us not air an episode or some. Someone that's bad? Or do you want that episode even if it doesn't have an ounce of value? Because I bet I. I haven't. I've released. Most of the people have came in my podcast. So even though. So that's. So there probably are some that.

[A]

You know.

[B]

The thing I've learned though, than mine

[A]

is, like, I released episodes I thought were horrible that I didn't want to release that. I'm like, I was embarrassed when I saw it show up on my feed. And then those would be the episodes of people. Like, that was the best episode. And I'm like, I don't know what I'm doing. I am clueless. People like that episode because I thought it was a turd.

[B]

Well, that proves you should just really that you should release to that person's episode twice that came up, the unreleased files.

[A]

We probably shouldn't release this episode because it was so random, but. No, we will. And everybody here is awesome. Go and leave comments for do this, not that, for the marketing millennials. And yeah, keep crushing it. Daniel, come on, man. I gotta get back to work. Get out of there. All right, While he's still in there. This is Jay. Check out my podcast, do this, not that for marketers. Each week we share really quick tips on stuff that can improve your marketing and hope you give it a try. Oh, here's Daniel.

[B]

Finally out back from my bathroom break. This is Daniel. Go follow the Market Millennials podcast, but also tune into this series. It's once a week, the Bathroom Break. We talk about marketing tips that we just spew out. And it could be anything from email, subject line to any marketing tips in the world. We'll talk about it. Just give us a shout on LinkedIn and tell us what you want to hear. Peace out.

[A]

Later.