The Marketing Millennials – Tiny Marketing Changes That Are Crushing Performance | Bathroom Break #97
Date: March 2, 2026
Host: Daniel Murray
Guest: Jay Schwedelson (Do This, Not That podcast and subjectline.com)
Episode Overview
In this fast-paced “Bathroom Break” episode, Daniel Murray and guest Jay Schwedelson swap stories and practical tips about overlooked, micro-optimizations that are currently driving outsized results in marketing. Blending humor with sharp insights, they dive into nuanced tactics – from listicle tweaks to AI-powered writing strategies and subject line experiments – that marketers can put to work immediately. Personal anecdotes (including recurring food poisoning!) keep the tone relatable and lively.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Power of Nuanced Listicles
- Traditional Listicles:
- Historically, “7 things to know” or “9 biggest trends” have performed well in content and email marketing.
- AI is increasingly surfacing listicles, making them a prime format for visibility.
- The Listicle Upgrade (04:00):
- Jay reveals a next-level nuance: using superlative-driven listicle titles like “The Best,” “The Top Three,” or “The Number One.”
- These outperform standard numbered listicles in both AI search results and email performance.
- Quote:
“Instead of saying the seven whatevers…the top three, the number one, or the best – that is actually what’s pulling exponentially higher on AI platforms. And that’s actually what’s working better in email.”
— Jay Schwedelson (03:52)
- Quote:
- Actionable Takeaway:
- If you’re still using plain listicles, try reframing with “the best,” “top three,” or “number one” for a measurable boost.
2. Using AI for Smarter Content Creation (04:18)
- Daniel’s Nuance with AI Writing:
- The old approach: Don’t rely on AI for writing.
- The real upgrade: Use tools like Perplexity, Claude, or ChatGPT to uncover the sources they reference for a given topic.
- Integrate those sources (with proper linking) into your own articles to make your content more authoritative and, importantly, make it a “curated source” that AI models are likely to cite.
- Quote:
“If you write a good article and add this source, this source, this source…[AI sees] that you’re helping curate the internet for them. So don’t, when you go into writing, use it as a resource too, and find links that Perplexity is pulling up.”
— Daniel Murray (05:01)
- Quote:
- Actionable Takeaway:
- Tap AI not just for drafting, but for curating links/resources, boosting your content’s authority and AI visibility.
3. Newsletter Subject Line Testing – A Counterintuitive Win (05:32)
- Jay’s Previous Best Practice: Never include the newsletter issue/edition number (i.e., “Scoop #22”) in subject lines; focus solely on the content.
- Recent Testing Flip: Including the issue number/bracketed edition (e.g., “[Scoop #12] Subject Line”) increased open rates by ~20% compared to no edition mention.
- Quote:
“The one where we put it in brackets…the open rate is about 20% higher than [with] just the straight up subject line.”
— Jay Schwedelson (06:19) - Why It Works:
- Helps readers reference past editions.
- Adds a sense of continuity and urgency for topical content.
- Daniel’s Insight:
- Works especially well for newsletters with frequent and newsy content.
- Actionable Takeaway:
- Retest adding edition numbers (in brackets) to your newsletter’s subject line.
- Quote:
4. Storytelling and Relatability: The Food Poisoning Saga (00:39–02:39; 07:31–08:38)
- The episode is peppered with Jay’s running joke about his ‘curse’ of frequent food poisoning, leading to a hilarious story of saving suspicious salmon in the fridge on the advice of his father-in-law (an environmental lawyer).
- Memorable Quote:
“She was eating it…five bites, she’s like, this tastes disgusting. It smells off…Her dad said, save it so it could get tested by the lab…so we saved this fish, disgusting fish in our fridge for a day to wait and see if Ari got sick.”
— Daniel Murray relaying the story (01:51)
- Memorable Quote:
- Relatability:
- The humor and real-life slices keep things interesting while underscoring the importance of questioning old habits – in food and marketing.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Listicle Nuances (03:52):
“Top three, number one, or the best – that is actually what’s pulling exponentially higher on AI platforms…”
-
On AI-Powered Content Curation (05:01):
“…find links that Perplexity is pulling up. ChatGPT is pulling up…and put it in your article.”
-
On Edition Numbers in Newsletters (06:19):
“The one where we put it in brackets…the open rate is about 20% higher…”
-
On Food Poisoning Stories (01:51):
“Save it so it could get tested by the lab…so we saved this fish, disgusting fish in our fridge…wait and see if Ari got sick.”
Timestamps for Key Segments
- [00:39–02:39] – Food poisoning stories and why Jay is so unlucky with takeout
- [02:45–04:18] – The evolving ‘listicle’ meta and how to do it right for AI and email
- [04:18–05:32] – Using AI tools to curate and link resources for content
- [05:32–06:45] – Newsletter subject line testing: why old ‘never dos’ can suddenly work
- [07:31–08:38] – The aftermath of keeping disgusting food in the fridge for safety testing
Actionable Takeaways
- Upgrade listicles: Use superlatives (“best,” “top three”) for both AI and reader engagement.
- Curate with AI: Find and cite the sources AI bots pull, solidifying your authority.
- Experiment with newsletter subject lines: Try adding edition numbers/brackets; rerun those A/B tests.
- Always question your habits: Sometimes, what wasn’t working (or what seemed gross), is suddenly what wins.
Final Thoughts
Short, sharp, and packed with practical gems, this Bathroom Break edition delivers real, testable optimizations every marketer should try—for newsletters, articles, and even that tired old listicle format. The banter and storytelling make for an entertaining lesson: sometimes, crushing your goals relies on the tiniest changes. And maybe—just maybe—think twice before ordering fish at a Thai place.