Flodesk Review: Why I Recommend It to Small Businesses (As an Email Marketer)
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As an email marketer by trade, I’ve managed client emails in Mailchimp, Flodesk, Omnisend, Klaviyo, Kit…
So it’s safe to say I can recite what these platforms can and cannot do in my sleep. 😅
And while this post is not an exhaustive list of features of these email platforms (we’d be here all day!), I want to share with you why I ultimately chose Flodesk for my email marketing. If you’re choosing an email service provider for your business, I hope my Flodesk review helps you!
And since I still work with the other platforms for my job, I’m uniquely positioned to compare them from firsthand experience. (No email marketing platform is perfect!)
In this post, I’ll give you the scoop on what Flodesk is, its pros and cons, and how it compares to other email marketing platforms.
What Is Flodesk?
Flodesk is a “design-first” email marketing platform (aka the platform through which you send your emails).
It brands itself as “design-first” because its emails are easy to create even if you don’t know the first thing about email design (Me! I’m more of an email copywriter and strategist than an email designer.)
Flodesk Review: Quick Snapshot
I chose Flodesk for my business because it’s easy to use and the emails themselves always look great.
I like Flodesk because it’s easy to customize your brand assets, plug and play, and schedule the emails out.
To be honest, I do so much (more complicated) email work for my clients that I wanted my email system to be as easy as possible! That’s why I often recommend Flodesk to clients; the learning curve is MINIMAL, and it serves its purpose without overwhelming you.
And you all know I’m about simplifying email marketing here! 🙂↕️
Who Should Use Flodesk?
Flodesk is a great fit for:
Service providers
Coaches and consultants
Creators
Solopreneurs
Small businesses that value simplicity and good design
Flodesk may not be the best fit for:
E-commerce stores
Businesses that need highly advanced segmentation
How Much Does Flodesk Cost?
Flodesk’s pricing is based on your number of subscribers. I recommend using their scale to see how much it’d cost for your business!
But if you use my link, you can take 25% off your first year! 🥳
Flodesk Pros: What I Love
Directly address your secondary keyword or another important search intent.
Ease of Use
As I mentioned, Flodesk is super easy to use. There are no coding or design skills required!
Once you sign up, it’s got a simple, main dashboard that you can click through.
Within a day, you’ll know your way around! For context, it took me weeks to learn the ins and outs of a platform like Klaviyo.
Responsive Team
Flodesk is a newer platform, and their team is very responsive online and over email. If you have issues, a real human is there to help! They also listen to their customers and are constantly adding and updating features, so be sure to check their site for the latest! They’ll update it faster than I can here. 😀
Flodesk Checkout
If you sell or plan to sell a digital product, Flodesk has a checkout feature.
You can copy the link to your digital product from Flodesk and put it on your website or socials, and easily integrate it into your email marketing. You can order bump to upsell as well!
I use the checkout feature to sell 1-1 calls, and it took me maybe 15 minutes to set up. I think this is one of Flodesk’s strongest features, especially for solopreneurs who don’t need a whole e-commerce setup.
Backend Features
As with most email platforms, you can create automated flows, tags, and segments in Flodesk. While the tags and automations are not as robust as others, it does the job for what most business owners need it for.
The analytics are easy to see and understand too!
Flodesk Cons: Where It May Fall Short
Advanced Segmenting
Flodesk’s segmentation features are not as advanced as other platforms. If you need to get SUPER granular, platforms like Omnisend, Mailchimp, or Klaviyo have better “backend” features.
May Not Fit Your Business Type
Flodesk is not the best option for every business type. If you are an e-commerce store selling physical products, Klaviyo or Omnisend would work better.
Also, if your business is very technical and aesthetics don’t matter as much, Flodesk’s “design-first” features may not be a big factor in your decision!
Flodesk vs. Other Platforms I’ve Used
As I said, I’m on these other platforms every day despite being a Flodesk user!
Flodesk vs. Kit
I started my newsletter on Kit (formerly ConvertKit), and I have no complaints! It has more advanced segmentation features and a bit more of a learning curve, but I enjoyed using it! The emails looked nice and the analytics were easy to read.
IMO, Kit is a bit more creator-newsletter-forward, so it’s a great option for coaches or any business that is heavier on content creation.
Also, they have a free tier for up to 10,000 subscribers, so it’s a GREAT way to get started with no money down!
Ultimately, I chose to move to Flodesk because I loved how the emails looked. Their pricing plan at the time also attracted me!
(The tea 🍵: Flodesk used to have a flat price model where you pay $38/month no matter how many subscribers you grew to. They’ve since changed that model, but their pricing is still very competitive! I was very price sensitive when I started my business, so in all transparency, that played a big factor in my decision.)
I’d recommend Kit to anyone starting an email list from scratch.
Flodesk vs. Mailchimp
Mailchimp is the OG email service provider. Countless small businesses use it and have for years!
People kind of hate on this platform, but I don’t think it’s bad. But in my opinion, Mailchimp has gotten increasingly clunky, and designing an email has become more of a hassle over time.
When I manage client emails in Mailchimp and my own emails in Flodesk, it’s night and day. I’m rarely futzing with something in Flodesk like I am in Mailchimp.
However, Mailchimp has GREAT segmenting features. You can really get granular and target people in all sorts of ways. If that’s really important for your business, I wouldn’t steer you away from Mailchimp!
Flodesk vs. Klaviyo
If you’re an e-commerce business, Klaviyo is the way to go. It has all the advanced features and integrations you’d need to run a successful e-commerce business.
The learning curve is SIGNIFICANTLY higher, but the juice is worth the squeeze once you get there!
CONCLUSION: Is Flodesk Right For YOU?
Ultimately, no email marketing platform is “the best.” It depends on YOUR business, time capacity, and the features you need.
At the end of the day, my opinion is that the best email marketing platform for you is the one you’ll use consistently!
For me, Flodesk made consistency easy, and that’s why I recommend it. It takes a lot of time to run a business, and it shouldn’t take a ton of time to figure out your email marketing (A WORD!).
Convinced & ready to use Flodesk? You can take 25% off your first year using my link!
Got some questions before you choose a platform? Reach me directly at hello@domsavaglio.com and I’ll help ya. 😁
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Your Flodesk questions, answered!
Does Flodesk Have a Free Plan?
Yes, you can start a free plan, but you can’t send emails with it (I know, funny). But this is a good option if you already have an email service provider and you’re thinking of switching. You can play around and see how it feels before deciding!
Does Flodesk Offer a Promo Code?
I’m glad you asked - you can take 25% off your first year of Flodesk here! I do earn a small commission for referring you (at no extra cost to you!). I appreciate you being here and supporting my business!
Is Flodesk Good for Beginners?
Absolutely. Because of how easy it is to use, it’s one of the easier platforms to build a well-designed email quickly. Kit is good for beginners too!
In case we haven’t met…
👋 I’m Dom—an email marketing strategist who believes email can be simple & profitable for your business!
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