Email marketing is far from dead—and according to Jay Schwedelson, it’s still one of the highest-converting channels in digital marketing. In this episode of Right About Now with Ryan Alford, Ryan sits down with the founder of Guru Media Hub and creator of SubjectLine.com to break down what actually works in email today.

With insights from testing over 15 million email subject lines, Jay explains how small tweaks can dramatically increase open rates, why being known for one clear niche is critical, and how marketers can stand out in inboxes increasingly filtered by AI. He also shares why overly polished, AI-generated content is hurting engagement—and how human language and authenticity win every time.

Whether you’re a marketer, founder, creator, or business owner, this episode delivers practical, immediately actionable email strategies you can use today.

🔥 What You’ll Learn

Why email marketing still outperforms most digital channels
How defining a clear niche accelerates business growth
Lessons from testing 15+ million subject lines
Proven subject line tactics that boost open rates
Why sounding human beats AI-generated content
How AI is changing inbox filtering and SEO implications
Apple Mail’s new AI email bucketing—and how to adapt
Formatting, tone, and language tricks that drive engagement
The danger of overusing AI in marketing content
How to future-proof your email strategy

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00:00 – Email marketing as a high-conversion legacy channel
00:00:47 – The importance of brand identity and owning a niche
00:01:22 – Podcast intro & Ryan Alford welcomes Jay Schwedelson
00:02:53 – Jay’s agency journey and the power of specialization
00:04:44 – Why being known for one thing drives authority
00:05:51 – SubjectLine.com insights and 15M subject line tests
00:06:44 – Quick wins to improve subject lines and open rates
00:08:42 – Humanity vs. AI: how to stand out in the inbox
00:10:03 – The good, bad, and ugly of AI-generated content
00:11:56 – Apple’s AI email bucketing and inbox strategy shifts
00:13:20 – Where to find Jay Schwedelson & episode wrap-up

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