The Marketing Millennials: Bathroom Break #81

Episode Title: The End of Year Content Strategy You’re Not Using
Hosts: Daniel Murray & Jay Schwetelson
Date: November 10, 2025

Episode Overview

In this punchy “Bathroom Break” episode, Daniel Murray and guest co-host Jay Schwetelson dive into high-impact, low-effort end-of-year content strategies. With their trademark wit and banter, they lay out why late Q4 is prime time for brands to leverage roundups—think "most downloaded podcasts," "favorite gifts," and more—drawing parallels to viral hits like Spotify Wrapped. The discussion is packed with actionable advice for content marketers, from using AI to surface your "best of," to smart ways to make year-end content irresistible to your audience’s FOMO instincts.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Run Culture & Icebreaker Banter

• [01:03–02:22] The episode kicks off with Daniel's discovery that Jay jogs every weekend, which leads to a humorous exchange about the struggle of running and “walkers” who judge Jay’s pace. Daniel confesses to a brief, competitive Strava phase and his preference for sports over running for motivation.
  • Memorable moment: Jay vents, “People will stop me and be like, how’s your walk going?... I’m running, you clown!” (01:19)

2. Why End-of-Year Roundups Work

• [02:42–04:40] The hosts emphasize that late in the year is a unique window, when marketing teams have a full stock of content—and can leverage metrics to see what resonated the most.
  • Daniel suggests: “This is the best time to put out gift guides, most downloaded content, our favorite episodes… This is the time to do roundups.” (02:42)
  • Jay adds: “The most powerful word this time of year is the word ‘most’… If you package it in the 'most', it exponentially increases the number of people downloading, consuming, watching, interacting with it.” (03:37)
  • The concept: Package your metrics (“most downloaded,” “most bought,” etc.) into consumption-friendly formats because FOMO and social validation drive clicks and engagement at year’s end.

3. Making “The Most” Content with a Tech Edge

• [04:40–05:36] Daniel highlights the time-saving power of AI:
  • “Now you could plug in all your data and... do something better and say, here’s a tip from each of these most listened to [episodes]... You can even create more content from that ‘most’ just by using AI to pull out those metrics.” (04:40)
  • The hosts agree: year-end “most of” content is easier to produce than ever before—there’s no excuse not to do it.

4. Year-End Content Fits the Audience Mindset

• [05:36–06:31] Jay draws a parallel to Mariah Carey’s holiday dominance and Spotify Wrapped virality:
  • “We love this time of year when we can rely on certain things... That’s the reason Mariah Carey’s song… always hits number one... the reason Spotify Wrapped is so popular.” (05:36)
  • Key insight: In December, people crave familiar rituals and quick catchups; helping them “catch up” on what mattered in your industry is a win-win that costs almost zero to produce.

5. Tactical Applications for Ecommerce & SaaS

• [06:31–07:23] Daniel offers examples across verticals:
  • “You could do emails that say, here are the most gifted products we have of 2025… most bought products…You can do this in any line of business… for SaaS: features, for anything.” (06:31)
  • Key takeaway: “Use it this time because you could say ‘of 2025’, because you aggregated all the data and it’s believable.” (07:11)

Notable Quotes

• Jay Schwetelson on social proof:
  “All we care about is what other people think. That’s why you get in an Uber that’s a 4.9, you cancel one that’s a 3.8 because you’re scared.” (03:43)
• Daniel Murray on AI for content:
  “Now you could plug in all your data... and you can even now do something better and say, ‘Here’s a tip from each of these most listened to.’” (04:48)
• Jay Schwetelson, re: end-of-year content:
  “It’s a no-brainer. This is so easy. It costs you nothing and it takes no time.” (06:14)

Entertaining Detour: Fitness Classes & Reluctant Socializing

• [07:23–09:55] The conversation careens back to working out, with Daniel and Jay swapping stories about trying—and mostly failing at—fitness classes. Jay’s horror story about being forced to partner with a stranger in class is especially relatable.
  • Jay groans: “I don’t want to partner up with these randos. Everyone’s disgusting... I never showed up again.” (08:45)
  • Daniel admits he cycles through workout “phases,” ultimately returning to sports.

Actionable Takeaways

• Capitalize on Year-End FOMO: Summarize your best content, products, or features—audiences crave the “greatest hits” at year’s end.
• Leverage AI for Content Aggregation: Use available tools to identify your most successful assets and spin them into new, shareable content.
• Make It Relevant Across Channels: Apply the “most” approach in emails, blog posts, product roundups, SaaS feature highlights—anywhere your audience interacts.
• Lean Into Behavioral Norms: Recognize the mindset of review, nostalgia, and catch-up that happens every December.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:03 – Jay’s “walk that’s actually a run” story and Daniel’s short-lived Strava phase
• 02:42 – Why end-of-year roundups win: “most” as the magic word
• 04:40 – How AI helps automate roundup content & pull insights
• 05:36 – Why people crave these roundups: Mariah, Netflix, and Spotify Wrapped
• 06:31 – Applying roundups to emails, SaaS, DTC, and more
• 07:23 – Fitness class horrors and refusing to socialize
• 08:45 – Jay’s class partner breakdown: “Everyone’s disgusting… I never showed up again”

Tone & Style

The episode is informal, rapid-fire, and playful—loaded with self-deprecation, gentle roasting between Daniel and Jay, and unfiltered, practical marketing advice. The “Bathroom Break” series vibe is about cramming high-value tips into a short window, so listeners walk away with ideas they can implement instantly.

For listeners who missed it:

If you want to finish Q4 strong with minimal effort, use roundups of your “most” top-performing content, leverage AI to make the process painless, and remember: audiences want to catch up, feel included, and see the best of what they missed.