Who is Jay Shetty?

What do Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, President Biden, Kendall Jenner, and Kobe Bryant all have in common? They were all featured on Jay Shetty’s podcast On Purpose. 

Here’s a quick breakdown of Jay from his site (jayshetty.me):

“Jay Shetty is a global bestselling author, award-winning podcast host of On Purpose, Chief Purpose Officer at Calm, and a former monk. With over 50 million followers, he’s made ancient wisdom not only relatable — but practical.”

Jay’s Blueprint 👷‍♂️

Target Audience

It’s not hard to deduce Jay’s target audience. He openly targets people who are interested in self-growth, emotional wellness, and mindful living. ‘Luckily’ for him that is a large portion of Gen Z. In fact, about 80% of Gen Zers believe mental health is a crisis (Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2023).

So we can break down his target audience more specifically: ages 15–45. The “young adult” phase.

• The graduate drowning in job pressure
  

• The college kid overwhelmed by grades
  

• The person who wakes up anxious and doesn’t know why

By emphasizing these themes, his audience feels seen and sticks around.

How He Hooks You (Engagement Tactics)

Once a target audience is identified, it becomes much easier to know what to do next. Just think, “What does a student who is burning out and stressed want to view?” 

This is where Jay Shetty’s podcast comes into play. There are three major reasons On Purpose took off. (From the very beginning, not after Jay was famous):

1. Captivating Title

2. Captivating Hook

3. Captivating Message

Below is a screenshot of the first second of one of his earliest podcast publications

Later in this post, we go through an exercise for how to accomplish podcast engagement for yourself so if you feel ready, feel free to skip Jay’s breakdown and come back :) 

To have a captivating title, Jay uses a nifty trick. He often breaks the “4–5 word” rule. His trick is to cap-lock the two most important words, making them instantly pop. Furthermore, he makes his captions detail exactly what you will learn from the video — leaving no room for misinterpretation. 

To have a captivating hook, Jay uses a common technique. Instead of starting his videos with a boring introduction of himself that doesn’t spark excitement, he uses a ‘coming up’ display that previews the podcast's best moments, building suspense. 

To have a captivating message, Jay stays on topic. He doesn’t talk about politics or the weather, he specifically talks about mental health and manifestation. This allows the viewer to trust your information and be engaged.  

Jay’s Strategic Decisions

• Every podcast features a high-profile guest to boost clicks
  

• He shares more quotes than any influencer I’ve studied
  

• His video quality is top-tier
  

• His Instagram branding is cohesive and memorable

Jay’s Account Metrics 🤴

 So..did this strategy work out for him???

Youtube: 3.9 Million Subscribers 

Instagram: 16.3 Million Followers

‘On Purpose’ Podcast: 20 Million monthly listeners 

I guess that's a YES. 

(Notice how you saw and read the word “YES” first).

Time To Steal 📝

 Let’s create our own blueprint for brand success based off of his model. Even if you’re not into podcasts, this is gold for building any online presence.

Let’s imagine we are walking through a castle and must pass 3 guarded doors to be successful.

 The first ogre blocking your path requires you to have an interesting caption so that people will even consider your video. What exactly is the audience supposed to take away from this? Not your podcast message or who you are, but this specific video. (How to manifest ABUNDANCE & HAPPINESS).

The second ogre requires you to start your video in such an interesting way that people will stay to watch. Don’t just start with ‘Hi, my name is Brij Garg and I want to sell you a newsletter.” Be creative. (‘Coming up’).

The third and final ogre says, “Congratulations, you have managed to get the entire mental health world to stay on your video for over 20 seconds.” Now, what are you telling them? You need to tell them EXACTLY what speaks to them. (Let’s talk about manifesting happiness which relates to all stressed students).

Now all the people attracted to the video will not only be satisfied but also look forward to the next episode. 

Final Takeaways ✅

1. Follow the 3 Cs: Captivating title, hook, and message
   

2. Use creative tactics that grab attention
   

3. Be consistent and manifest your success

What’s Next 🔜

A young, blonde political activist has made his way from his brother's house to the white house thanks to TikTok Live.

Thank you so much for reading. I know how busy all your lives are and appreciate you giving me the time of your day.