How Flodesk Changed My Relationship with Email Marketing
Quick Recap Overview
Since switching to Flodesk, my entire relationship with email marketing has transformed. From a dreaded task to a creative, strategic part of my brand. In this post, I share why I made the leap, how Flodesk’s design-forward features changed everything, and the real results I’ve seen from higher engagement to consistent sending. I also offer tips for getting started on the platform, especially if you’re a creative or business owner looking for a seamless way to stay on-brand and actually enjoy email marketing again.
Why I Switched Email Platforms
One of my first design jobs as a student involved creating marketing assets for the Student Success Center at my University. Each week, I was tasked with designing “branded” emails in Mailchimp and email marketing quickly became my least favorite task. Between being forced to use standard desktop fonts that weren’t visually appealing, re-uploading my branding assets and colors every single time, and the limited use of imagery, it felt tedious and uninspiring.
Not only did it take forever to create what I needed, but the design tools and user interface were incredibly frustrating. The end result was often less than desirable.
When I started my own studio, I used another free email platform, MailerLite, which was a great stepping stone. Still, email marketing never felt like a true extension of my brand, and I felt guilty and shy about bugging people with my content in their inboxes.
So I ended up never really utilizing that platform more than a few times a year.
After a few years of neglecting email marketing, I finally took the leap and switched to Flodesk and committed to a paid email platform. I haven’t looked back since.
Before Flodesk, email marketing felt like something I had to do because everyone said it was important. But after switching, my entire relationship with it changed.
Here’s What Made the Difference:
Email marketing became a creative outlet.
With beautiful design tools, custom fonts, integrated branding, and the overall capabilities of Flodesk, I could finally create emails that felt fun and engaging. As a designer, I can’t stress how important that is for me.
Organizing and creating emails is now smooth and easy.
The sleek dashboard and intuitive interface let me focus on the content, not the tool. I’ve experienced zero frustration using Flodesk, a huge change from my previous platforms and experience.
Flodesk offers powerful features that actually look good.
From stunning forms and pop-ups to simple, effective workflows, Flodesk makes it so much easier to manage campaigns, create segments, and communicate with my audience as I grow. It’s all effective without being overly complicated.
Consistency is finally doable.
When a tool is easy to use and enjoyable, it becomes a natural part of your routine. I used to be shy about sending emails, but now I confidently send them out monthly knowing my content and design are aligned with my brand and something I’m proud of.
I’m sending emails that people love to receive.
My open rates have jumped to an average of 45%, compared to 25% before. My engagement and connection with my audience has increased, and my people actually looks forward to hearing from me in their inboxes. That kind of response makes all the effort worthwhile.
Why Design Matters in Email Marketing
As a designer, I’ve come to realize that email design is about so much more than just “looking good.” It’s about creating an experience and an extension of your brand, even in your subscribers’ inbox.
Design has the power to communicate your brand before a single word is read and Email marketing is an excellent outlet to communicate and express different aspects of your business than on social media. Your fonts, color palette, layout, and imagery all tell help tell that story. When those design elements are consistent and intentional, they build trust around your brand and what you are providing for them. When the feeling of your emails is inconsistent or generic, people can sense that too subconsciously.
A well-designed email should make the audience feel connected and apart of your brand world when done correctly. The more consistent and visually engaging your emails are, the more likely someone is to open the next one. The design builds recognition, which builds connection, which builds loyalty, and excitment around your content.
So you finally decided to invest in your email marketing presence… What now?
Here are 5 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Flodesk
If you’re new to Flodesk or just getting started, here are some tips that have made a huge difference in how I use the platform both creatively and strategically. These aren’t just setup tricks, they’re small habits that make email marketing easier, more effective, and way more enjoyable to create emails for your brand.
1. Use Brand Kits to Save Your Fonts and Colors
One of my favorite Flodesk features is the Brand Kit. Instead of manually inputting your brand colors and fonts every time, you can save them and apply them with a single click. This keeps your emails visually consistent, saves time, and helps your brand feel polished and professional every time you hit send. I love utilizing my brand colors for email backgrounds.
2. Set Up a Welcome Sequence
Even if you’re not ready to create weekly emails, you can automate a thoughtful, branded experience for every new subscriber. A simple welcome sequence of anywhere from 1 - 5 emails is a great way to introduce your brand, offer value, and build trust. Flodesk makes setting this up intuitive and visually stunning in their workflow feature.
3. Reuse Your Best Designs as Templates
If you create an email you love, save it as a template! You don’t have to start from scratch every time. Having a few go-to layouts ready to go makes it easier to stay consistent and create content quickly without sacrificing design quality.
4. A/B Test Your Subject Lines (Even Manually)
Flodesk doesn’t currently offer built-in A/B testing, but you can still test your subject lines by manually sending them to different segments of your list. Try two variations and track which one gets more opens. Over time, this helps you understand what tone, words, or emojis your audience connects with.
5. Keep Your Forms On-Brand and On-Point
Your forms and pop-ups are the gateway to your email list, so they deserve just as much design love as your emails. Keep them clean, with on-brand fonts and colors, and aligned with the vibe of your site or social media. A great form feels like a natural part of your brand and can be used to deliver value-added content to your audience.
I love how Flodesk has transformed my relationship to email marketing. Much like a gym membership, investing in a tool makes me show up and use it, which feels like the biggest win in my book.
Stay tuned for more Flodesk resources and templates to continue to elevate your brand presence.
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