Why I’ve chosen the Flodesk email marketing platform for my online business
This blog post is for all you creative entrepreneurs who have been reading up on countless blog posts all about the importance of building an email list. Maybe you’ve read about Flodesk in a few of those posts too. Building your email list is the number one thing that a lot of hugely successful entrepreneurs regret not focussing on sooner (think Jenna Kutcher, Amy Portferfiled, the list goes on). You know it’s the right thing to do but there’s just one teensy weensy matter you need to figure out first...which email marketing platform do you choose?! There are so many different options out there, how are you supposed to know which is the right one to go for?!
Well, I feel ya there sister! Let me tell you, I went through alllllll the same predicements as you, and did a whole lot of research (far too much for that matter!) going back and forth on what one to go with and ended up landing on Mailchimp...mainly because it was free for up to 2,000 subscribers and the email templates looked quite pretty. Now, this post isn’t going to be a comparison between all the different options available, or a bashing match slating other platforms. I truly believe that all of us are different and can find positives in many of the platforms out there, what works for one person may not work for another. But, what I will explain is my personal experience and how I made the decision to stick with Flodesk.
So, as I mentioned before, my email marketing journey all started with Mailchimp. Don’t get me wrong, it was a great choice for me as I was just starting out with an email list at the grand total of ZERO. Mailchimp is totally free for the first 2,000 subscribers and offers some pretty templates to use (well, prettier than Convertkit anyway!). But, I’ve got to say it took me quite a while to figure out how to use it and the process for setting up fairly basic systems such as a freebie delivery emails, were very fiddly to set up. Although I’ve not used Mailchimp for over a year now, I heard on the grapevine that they’ve now changed their pricing structure meaning you no longer get access to automated email sequences on the free plan (think welcome email sequences, and abandoned checkout sequences).
Then, I made the switch over to Convertkit which had SO much more flexibility when it came to delivering freebies and content upgrades from blog posts. But, I soon ran into the reality that their template selection was pretty basic (this is intentional though, Convert Kit firmly believe that the focus should be on the content rather than design aesthetics. They also believe that a mostly text based email will improve deliverability) and their monthly pricing plans were much more pricey than Mailchimp from the get-go.
It wasn’t long until I stumbled on a blog post about a new email marketing platform in town - Flodesk. I signed up to the free trial and within minutes of trying it out - I WAS HOOKED!
*Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. When you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, I receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you). I’m only an affiliate for tools and services I LOVE and use in my business., which I think you’ll love too :)
Here ARE the main reasons why I LOVE Flodesk so much & am now their no.1 biggest fan!
1 | Flodesk has a beautiful, easy and simple to use interface
From the moment I laid eyes on the Flodesk site, it really was like a glorious breath of fresh air! Just feast your eyes on this: 👀👀
Dreamy right?
If you’re a creative business owner like me, then you’ll fully appreciate the simplistic, clean and BEAUTIFUL layout throughout the site. They really have got the user-experience down to a fine art. #nailedit.
If your brand is more visual (photographers I’m looking at you!) then you really do need images in your emails to truly sell your services - even if Convertkit basically makes them out to be the devil. And as a side note, can I just say my open rates have been through the roof since switching to Flodesk - far better than any basic text-based email sent through Convertkit. Soooooo….enough said really!
Once you’ve set up your account, you can customise your brand settings. This feature is a HUGE time saver. You can input all of your details just once, then you’re all set up and good to go forever more - set it and forget it!
Your brand settings allow you to do the following:
Upload your logo
Input your company name, address and email address
Link up your social media accounts
Connect your Instagram to pull in your live feed in the footer of your emails
Add in your brand colours
My past experience of creating emails has been far from straightforward or enjoyable. Mailchimp’s user-interface is pretty confusing and clunky and I’ve got to say although Convert Kit offers a huge range of functionality, I found the whole experience quite overwhelming.
Enter Flodesk *clouds part, sunbeams shine through, angels sing* - the most easy breezy, functional and straightforward email design process I have ever experienced. I just don’t think my words can do it justice.
Here’s a little look at the email design interface:
Heavenly, am I right?!
Not only is it all super clean and simple to use, but everything actually does what you want and expect it to do 😲😲😲DUN DUN DUNNN. If you want to add in or move sections around, it really is as easy as click and drag. Yep, you heard me right, CLICK AND DRAG! There are a tonne of different layout options you can play with, and an impressive range of font choices too which are always increasing. One of my fave features of all is the undo and redo buttons! If in doubt - undo! It’s the simple things….
2 | Flodesk has stunning, easy to use email templates
I’ve got to say the range of templates available are absolutely beautiful and so creative and flexible to use.
What’s more, you can even search by category or ‘goal’ to make life even easier. So for instance, if you wanted to create a new welcome sequence, you can select a pre-made template for this very goal, genius! This extra feature is so great for time-saving and for beginners who may find the whole idea of setting up your email marketing pretty overwhelming.
They have a similar feature under ‘workflows’ too, where you can select a pre-made workflow especially for a sale, promotion or a welcome workflow.
Here’s a quick tour of the email & workflow libraries:
Long story short, if you use Flodesk’s pre-made templates, your brand will look totes legit and seriously professional, and dare I say you’d actually enjoy the whole process?!
Click on the button below and use code KURLYCREATIVE for a months free trial followed by 50% off your first month or year of Flodesk!
3 | Flodesk as automated fields for ease of use
If you’ve used other email marketing platforms before, you’re probably familiar with the custom fields features - such as adding in subscriber’s first name. Now, Flodesk takes this one step further and have a simple button you can click that adds in the code for you so there’s no room for error, whoop! What’s more, they even give you the option to add in a fallback value - which is basically a replacement word to use if that information isn’t available (ex: if you don’t have subscribers first name, you can ask Flodesk to add in the word ‘friend’ instead).
They also have a load of pre-set unsubscribe message options that you can add in at the click of a button too. Simples!
4 | Fixed pricing plan that will remain that price for your lifetime!
Now, for those who are looking for a free option, this may not seem like much of a positive as you’re having to pay a monthly fee even if your list is at zero. But, can I just say the fixed pricing plan will be an absolute god-send a year or so down the line once you’ve grown your list. If you lock in at the special intro rate that Flodesk are offering right now - then you can get 50% OFF FOR LIFE!!!! 😲😲😲
Just imagine yourself a year down the line with a list of 2,000+ ...then 3 years down the line with 5,000+...then 10,000+....you get the idea!
Click on the button below and use code KURLYCREATIVE for a months free trial followed by 50% off your first month or year of Flodesk!
5 | Amazing, supportive community that listens to their customers needs & requests
As Flodesk are a new business, some of their features are still a work in progress. They are constantly busy working behind the scenes to add in new features and improve functionality. Although some may see this as a negative, I see this as a big positive. With a new business, comes a smaller customer base which means more opportunity for you to get your voice heard and actually be listened to! Flodesk have an AMAZING Facebook Group called Flodesk Insiders which I highly recommend you join as soon as you sign up. New questions and requests are asked daily and Martha and the team seem to be taking note of everyone’s feedback. If you have any issues or questions you need answering, then this is the place to go. There’s also a real sense of community in the group amongst other entrepreneurs which is really nice to be a part of.
6 | Ever growing and expanding functionality
This really ties in with my comments in point 5 above. ☝️As Flodesk are new on the email marketing scene, they are constantly updating and improving features, in fact they seem to be adding more stuff in every few weeks at the moment. I’m excited to see how features develop down the line. 😊
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
To sum up, here are the main reasons I’ve made the switch to Flodesk:
Beautiful, easy & simple to use interface
Stunning, easy to use email templates
Automated fields for ease of use
Fixed intro pricing plan that will remain that price for your lifetime!
Amazing, supportive community that listens to their customers needs & requests
Ever-growing & expanding functionality
Although Flodesk are new on the scene, so a lot of their features are still a work in progress, my experience so far has been nothing short of dreamy. They’re adding new features all the time and actually listen to their users feedback and create features that we actually want! I really think now is the time to make the switch whilst their pricing plans are the lowest they will EVER be. PLUS you can get locked in at 50% OFF their current pricing plan for LIFE! Yep, you heard right!
Click on the button below and use code KURLYCREATIVE for a months free trial followed by 50% off your first month or year of Flodesk!
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