Email marketing isn’t dead! There, we said it. But don’t worry—whether you need to up your email marketing game or start from scratch, we have a badass solution for you—Flodesk!
But Pepper, isn’t social media where it’s at these days? Do I really want to bog down my clients’ inboxes with more stuff they’re probably just going to delete anyway? Isn’t there just too much clutter in email marketing?
If that’s what you’re thinking right now, you’re not entirely wrong. Email marketing has become super competitive and it may seem like a dying art. Which is why, as with all forms of content marketing, adding value and authentic personality to your newsletters is SO freakin’ important. If you do it right (here are some tips for that), it’s not a waste of time, and can be a rad tool for not only building relationships but generating leads (and that sweet, sweet moolah!).
In 2019, there were 3.9 billion DAILY email users. 3.9 BILLION EVERY DAY! Still a lot less than Elon Musk’s annual salary, but it’s safe to assume that some, if not all, of your target audience uses email.
But just because they use it, doesn’t mean they’ll open YOUR newsletters. And even if they do, it doesn’t mean they’ll convert.
Yet still, in this 2020 B2B content marketing study by the Content Marketing Institute, 31% of marketers said that email marketing is their preferred way to nurture leads. And in this 2018 study by Emma, 59% of B2C marketers said that email marketing is their greatest source of ROI (Return on Investment).
Basically, the point we’re getting at here is that email marketing can be the bomb, but you need to have a solid strategy AND use the right tools to get the job done well.
Email marketing strategy is a whole conversation in itself, but first, you need somewhere to implement that strategy and start testing ideas. So today we’re starting that convo by talking about our favourite email marketing platform for creative businesses: Flodesk.
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What is Flodesk?
Flodesk is an email marketing tool that allows you to create, send, and track newsletters. We switched to it recently and we are looooving it!
If you’re already one of our newsletter subscribers, you know we like to keep things fun. We want it to be easy to read and on brand. And we definitely want to include value for our subscribers (and gifs, obvs).
We also want ease of use, to be able to set up automated workflows to save time, have customizability, and to be able to track insights and adjust accordingly. Oh yeah, and we want it to be affordable. Is that so much to ask?
We’re not high maintenance, we just like things to be good, and we like to be efficient. Because, like you, we’re busy running a biz here…three, actually (Shameless Pepper Plug: Have you checked Pepper’s babies, Conference + Chill and our new, not-for-profit photography scholarship program, The Peppership?)!
Thankfully, Flodesk delivers on ALL these fronts. What a freakin’ beast! A pretty beast, though. You’ll see what we mean.
5 reasons why we love Flodesk as an email marketing tool for creative businesses
1. Flodesk is intuitive and user-friendly
The last thing you have time for when you’re busy running a creative business is to learn another program—we get it!
But never fear, because Flodesk is easier to learn than a sourdough bread recipe. From setting it up, to creating newsletters that look hot AF, to analyzing the data—it’s super intuitive and we swear anyone with a bit of technical sense can do it. There are also TONS of tutorials online that you can check out if you get stuck.
Use the simple drag-and-drop system to create your layout with pre-made templates, click and edit, easily create audience segments, and build sign-up forms with just a few clicks. With a bit of practice, you’ll be an email-making pro in no time. It can actually be pretty fun for us creative folk.
2. Stay on-brand with customizable templates
Templates tend to scare off creative entrepreneurs sometimes. We want to bring a bit of our art into everything we do. That’s what makes us so freaking awesome.
If you shudder at the idea of looking just like everyone else, we got you. Flodesk’s templates make their newsletter builder super easy to use, but they’re totally customizable, so you’re free to add your unique flair.
You can alter shapes, colours, fonts and images as you please. There are also a ton of templates to choose from, so mixing things up from one newsletter to the next is easy as pie.
3. Build relationships and save time with workflows and automations
Build relationships AND save time? Holy shizz. Have we died and gone to creative small business heaven?
Flodesk allows users to set up automated workflows so that your subscribers will receive newsletters based on certain actions or timing.
Users can set up workflow triggers. For example, so that every new subscriber receives a “welcome newsletter” when they join your list.
You can also implement time delays or have newsletters sent on a specific date. For example, you can set up a workflow that sends a new email 5 days after a person subscribes (to give ‘em a little nudge). Or, if you collect your subscribers’ birthdays, you could send them a message on their special day (with a b-day discount code, perhaps).
Setting up conditions is another option. For example, a condition that if a subscriber opens a certain email in a workflow, another email will be sent to them the next day.
These are just a few examples of the power of automated email marketing workflows in Flodesk. In the end, once you get everything set up, workflows will save you TONS of time and increase the number of times you contact your subscribers. Win-freakin’-win!
4. Improve your success rates and gain helpful data with insights
Flodesk’s insights offer helpful information about your recipients, open rate, clicks, bounce rate, and more.
You can see who opened what, which links were clicked (and by whom), and even the percentage opened on desktops versus mobile. We especially love checking out which links were clicked most as it gives us a better idea of what interests our subscribers and brings traffic to our website.
You can produce content all day long, but in the end, if you’re not checking the metrics and making adjustments, you risk wasting your resources and missing opportunities.
5. Flodesk is a transparent and affordable email marketing platform
Flodesk costs only $38/month—no matter how many features you use or subscribers you have.
Some other email marketing platforms charge more as your subscriber list grows and have even been known to change their pricing, leaving users no choice but to pay up or jump ship. Yikes!
Not only is Flodesk pretty dang affordable as is, but you can try it for free and even get a 50% discount on your Flodesk subscription if you sign up here!
So what the heck are you waiting for? Give your customers some great bathroom reading material and grow your business while you’re at it! Woo!
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase we will earn a commission. Keep in mind that we only share about companies that we believe are truly rad! Check out our other partners (and more sick discounts!) here.