5 REASONS I SWITCHED TO FLODESK (AND WHY EVERY CREATIVE SHOULD TOO!)
My biggest regret as a food photography teacher and creative business owner is that I didn’t start a mailing list sooner! I SO wish I had. That’s because having a mailing list is empowering, financially rewarding and the best way to communicate with your most loyal, awesomest community members and clients, establishing an authentic connection in the process.
Your newsletter is also the place where you can offer the most valuable content, kinda like a secret insiders club. Having a mailing list means you’re less affected by the ebbs and flows of social media algorithms. In short, mailing lists are simply FAB!
Luckily for you, I get to share my biggest regrets here on the blog, so that YOU can avoid them and start your food photography, creative or food blogging business on much better footing than I did! But, I know what you’re thinking, starting a mailing list feels daunting and complicated and how does one even begin? It’s also so time consuming, right? Wrong!
I’m here to tell you that with Flodesk, starting a mailing list is a TOTAL breeze!
Now, the truth is, there will be some of you reading these lines who won’t take action and that’s totally cool. But I am also confident there’s a significant number of you who KNOW in their heart of hearts that TODAY is the day to finally start that mailing list and I’m here to share with you why Flodesk is the best place for you to go.
See, after 4 years on Mailchimp, I made the switch to Flodesk in June, 2021 and I couldn’t be happier. Now I’m here to share with you the 5 reasons I made the switch to Flodesk and why every creative should too!
FLODESK IS SUPER EASY TO USE!
I know there are entire courses that teach you how to use ConvertKit, InfusionSoft or Mailchimp - that’s how complicated these e-mail platforms can be, especially if you want to get the most out of them. That alone can be intimidating and stop us from getting started, am I right? Luckily, none of this is necessary with Flodesk because Flodesk is different! It’s SO simple and intuitive to use, no complicated courses required.
Sure, if you’re brand new to e-mail marketing, it is worth hopping onto Youtube and watching some quick how to get started with Flodesk videos, but honestly I am confident that within 10 minutes you’ll get the hang of Flodesk, even if you’re not particularly tech savvy.
WHAT YOU NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF….
If you are already confident in managing some of the more established e-mail services mentioned above and are able to make the most of their incredible features, than Flodesk may be too basic for you in which case, I suggest you stay put. But, most of my blog readers (yeah I’m looking at YOU ;)) are creatives who either a) haven’t started an e-mail list yet or b) have one, but feel completely overwhelmed by traditional email services.
If that’s you, then Flodesk is your answer and this is your sign to FINALLY get your mailing list off the ground. You got this!
See how you can customise colours and add your brand logo to Flodesk too?
FLODESK IS STUNNING AND ON BRAND!
As food photographers, food bloggers and visual creatives we spend SO much time and energy on getting our Instagram grid to look perfect, on choosing the right fonts for our media kit and on using the best possible logo to attract our ideal customers, only to let ourselves down when we email prospective clients using hideous email templates!
With Flodesk we can showcase our brand colours and our eye for detail in our e-mail communication with our favourite clients and make a great first impression in the process. There are SO many beautiful and functional e-mail templates to choose from too - all completely customisable. It’s mind blowing and means you won’t have any excuse left not to send out your newsletter!
WHAT YOU NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF….
As Flodesk is still in Beta (more about that below), the font choices aren’t THAT plentiful. All are gorgeous of course, but if - like me - you’re used to picking and choosing from 999 different font options, you’ll be disappointed.
You currently have the option of adding your own brand colours (I ADORE this feature SO much!!!!!), BUT you can only upload 5 brand colours in total. If like me, you have your main brand colours and a few secondary colours, the latter will have to be added manually each time you want to use them. I’m hopeful though this feature will be updated soon!
UPDATE: Flodesk is no longer in Beta. Please see details below as to what this means.
FLODESK IS AFFORDABLE!
Most other e-mail services, including my previous e-mail provider, Mailchimp, increase their monthly fees the more subscribers you have. It’s almost like Mailchimp and the other traditional providers punish you for all the hard work you put into growing your e-mail list. If like me you’re committed to building your list, this can all get rather costly! I mean I was paying over $1000 a year simply to say hi to my audience. Moreover this fee was increasing year by year! Not fun!
Flodesk is different! It’s currently in Beta and consequently a mere $38 per month regardless of how big you grow your list. In addition, if you use my affiliate link HERE, you get 50% off the Beta rate of $38 for life, meaning you’re paying just $19 a month!?! That’s less than $250 per year. An incredible bargain and so, so worth it, especially if you’re selling a higher end service (like your food photography service!); it means you get a return on investment (and then some) just through one client booking!
WHAT YOU NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF….
Flodesk cannot and will not stay in Beta forever. Though I am confident Flodesk will remain more affordable than the other email providers, I doubt they’ll stay at this incredibly low rate indefinitely. This means that if you want to take advantage of this fantastic offer and get 50% off for life through my affiliate link below, NOW is the moment! Furthermore, Flodesk offers a 30 day free trail, so you can try it out for yourself before committing! Schermazing, right?
That said, the appeal of Mailchimp is that it’s completely free until you have 500 subscribers. So if you’re just starting out and are unsure if having a mailing list is really for you, it would be more cost effective to head to Mailchimp first. Personally, I feel the $19 are totally worth it, even if you have less than 2000 subscribers, but YOU know what’s best for your creative business, so please do what feels right and listen to your gut.
UPDATE: As of November 2021 Flodesk is no longer in Beta and their 50% off for life offer has expires. However, if you use the link below you will receive 50% off for 1 year and then switch the the too-good-to-be-true flat rate of $38 per month.
FLODESK MAKES A DIFFERENCE TO YOUR BOTTOM LINE!
What? How? Right, please let me explain! If you know how to use e-mail the right way, then it’s a really, REALLY powerful marketing tool! Perhaps THE most powerful marketing tool on the planet! That said, with Mailchimp I was completely overwhelmed by all the tabs, segments and what have yous. So much so that I couldn’t even let the power of e-mail marketing work its magic :(.
Step in Flodesk! Because their workflow is SO intuitive and easy to use - just a simple drag and drop - AND because they create email marketing funnels for you, I’ve been able to make many more sales through my emails already, even just in the 6+ weeks since I’ve moved over to them from Mailchimp. That’s because so much of their workflow is automated, meaning Flodesk can do the work for you, whilst you focus on creating shots for clients or sharing your work with your community on Instagram.
The impact Flodesk has had on my creative business in such a short period of time has completely blown my mind and reaffirmed to me how incredible e-mail marketing can be when using an email platform that meets you where you’re at!
WHAT YOU NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF….
How big a difference Flodesk can make to your monthly/yearly income will of course depend on your e-mail list size and what you charge for your services and offerings. But we all gotta start somewhere, right? Setting up Flodesk can be your first big step forward.
BTW Would it be helpful if I created a blog post all about how to get started with email marketing and what to write about in your e-mail newsletter? Just drop a comment below if this is content you’d like to see on the blog.
Flodesk’s drag and drop menu makes automation super easy.
FLODESK HAS MOBILE FRIENDLY POP-UPS!
Let me confess something to you - I am not a huge fan of pop ups! I mean, it can be SO annoying to have one jump on your screen just as you’re reading a blog post you’re completely engrossed in! BUT - the truth is - when done right, pop-ups convert like no one’s business AND when done discretely and packed full of value, can be a lovely surprise.
Flodesk allows you to create BEAUTIFUL pop-ups that look great on desktop and mobile. This feature alone is reason to celebrate and join Flodesk today if you haven’t already! Have I convinced you yet? If not, do drop me a note in the comment section. Happy to answer any Flodesk questions you might have.
WHAT YOU NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF….
Many website hosts offer pop-ups too. In fact Squarespace, the hosting service I use for my blog, offers pop-ups. BUT, firstly, they aren’t half as gorgeous as Flodesk’s pop-ups. Secondly, they can be glitchy as Squarespace doesn’t always talk that well to Mailchimp. And thirdly, as far as I’m aware the pop-ups aren’t that mobile friendly and versatile. Just sayin’.
READY TO MAKE THE SWITCH?
WANT MORE CREATIVE BUSINESS ADVICE?
I share lots of tips and tricks around for creative business owners, food bloggers and food photographers on my podcast, Eat Capture Share.
I also mentor food photographers an food bloggers through my mentorship program. registration open once a year, but you can find out more and join the waiting list HERE.
And finally, why not sign up the mailing list below :) and get my Pricing PDF designed for food bloggers and food photographers like you AND get all my creative business content straight into your inbox. I’d love to have you join!
Please note that this blog post includes an affiliate link. This means that if you purchase Flodesk though my link, I get a small commission. The affiliate link enables you to receive 50% off and does not in any way affect you negatively. I just mention my affiliate relationship with Flodesk for transparency.