A Solopreneur’s Guide to Setting Up Email Marketing with Flodesk
You’ve probably heard that you need to build an email list, but adding a newsletter to your pile of tasks feels overwhelming. I’m here to help you cut through noise and get set up quickly with my favorite platform, Flodesk.
Why Would You Want an Email List?
Many people these days get started by advertising their work on a platform like Instagram. There’s nothing wrong with that, especially as you get quick feedback on what resonates with your ideal audience and what doesn’t.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that social media platforms are privately-owned companies. You don’t really “own” your audience list and there’s no effective way to export that list directly. If anything were to happen to your list, you would lose it all (and they can legally do this since it’s their private platform).
So it’s important to make sure that if you’re using these platforms to build up an audience, you’re also focusing on directing them toward your email list signup page so that you can build the audience that you do own.
The benefit here is that you can take that list to any platform. Email lists are far more personal too. People subscribe because they like what you have to say and want to hear more, including your offerings.
Why Use Flodesk for Newsletters?
I’ve tried so many different newsletter platforms and hated most of them. They’re often built for large businesses that need lots of features and have a whole marketing team devoted to knowing how to run these programs (and then do that and only that all day). So it’s very easy to get lost in these programs, wondering how to do something that should be simple.
Some of the programs built for solopreneurs are pretty costly, which isn’t great when you’re just starting a newsletter list and you’re on a budget (or really anytime - who wants to spend a ton of money on tech in general??).
ENTER FLODESK.
I knew the moment I started my Flodesk trial that this was the platform I’d been wishing for. It’s minimal, clean, and everything is labeled very clearly. You can build your sequences with just a few easy clicks, and your newsletters have the simplicity of drag-and-drop builders. It’s just so damn intuitive and not remotely overwhelming. Plus, it’s mobile-responsive right out of the box, without any extra work on your part.
My Flodesk dashboard. So simple. So easy to navigate and use.
If you’re a highly sensitive person like me, you’ll appreciate the calm you feel while using the platform. Everything is there that you need and nothing that a solopreneurs doesn’t need.
One of the other very appealing features is that Flodesk offers a flat fee per month that’s not based on how big your subscriber list is. Most other platforms get more and more expensive as your list grows. This isn’t a huge problem if your list stays small. But the whole point of list building is to hopefully grow over time. This can be a deterrent to growth and is a serious benefit of Flodesk’s features.
Currently, the Flodesk rate is $38 per month, or you can get 50% off of your subscription by using my affiliate link here.
Generally speaking, I’m a big fan of using tech that feels fun. Why? Because if you enjoy using something (or it’s at least not frustrating to you), you’re more likely to use it. And data shows that email marketing is a significant factor in how people make money with their businesses, so you can’t put off your email marketing plan forever without also hurting the growth of your business.
Luckily, Flodesk is super easy to use and set up. So let’s get started!
How to Get Your Flodesk Account Set Up
After you start your trial, you’ll be invited to set up an account and configure your settings. Here’s the step-by-step process to getting this all set up for your account.
1. Get your email connected + verified.
Verify your email address to start the Flodesk setup process.
2. Next, connect your domain to your Flodesk account.
Start with the Domain Setup tab to get going on the process.
You’ll need to connect your domain to your Flodesk account to verify that you actually own your domain.
Then choose your domain provider from the list of options.
Choose your domain provider from the list to get started.
You’ll then see the CNAME records that you need to add to your Squarespace DNS settings in your primary domain. You’ll copy and paste these into the domain tab in your Squarespace account.
Flodesk CNAME files ready to add to Squarespace domain.
When it’s done correctly, it should look something like this in your Squarespace domain panel.
Flodesk CNAME files set up correctly in Squarespace.
You’ll then confirm the connection in Flodesk and the domain verification will be complete!
3. Then work on setting up your branding by adding your logo, adding your brand colors, your company details + address (legally necessary - use a legal representative’s address if you want to remain private), and connecting your social.
Flodesk branding all set up and ready to use.
4. Next, set up your opt-in pages and make any changes to the copy to make it sound like you and your brand’s voice.
5. You can then connect any third-party apps if you’d like in the Integrations tab (not necessary).
6. Once you’re ready to go live, you can set up your plan in the Plan & Billing tab. (Don’t forget to enter code SARAHBRAUN at checkout so you can get 50% off your subscription!)
7. You don’t have to apply to become an affiliate, as they’ve built it into their platform and you can immediately go tell all your friends about how amazing your new newsletter platform is. :)
Set Up Subscription Forms + Workflow in Flodesk and Squarespace
After you’ve worked on the initial set-up, you’ll want to create your first form and subscriber segment. This is SUPER easy to do in Flodesk, plus you can create very attractive forms with all kinds of features. You can also create a popup for your website.
If you’d like to use the native form on Squarespace for consistent branding and look, you can do that too. You’ll just need to use Zapier to connect the two (super easy to do — here’s a tutorial).
You’ll want to write and design a welcome email that automatically sends after someone subscribes. If you’ve created a lead magnet, you can easily add that directly to this email.
You can create a Workflow, add the welcome email containing the link to the lead magnet, and connect it to a specific segment of your audience. You only need one audience segment to get started. You can name it something like “General Audience” or something more specific to your brand name (you audience won’t see this, it’s purely for your organization).
After that, test out your forms to make sure it’s all put together correctly and you should be good to go!
Start Your Email List and…GROW!
Now you’re ready to start creating a regular newsletter to send out to your growing audience. Don’t have an audience yet or feel overwhelmed by the idea of sending emails? No worries at all. By setting up a lead magnet and a form you’re at least collecting emails for the future when you are ready to go. Just because you set up a way to collect emails doesn’t mean you need to also immediately start sending emails. ;)
I’m a big fan of setting yourself up for success and growing your business slowly + sustainably. Go at your own pace and know when it’s time to level up your growth with a newsletter.
Want 50% off of your subscription to Flodesk? You can sign up for your trial here to immediately lock in the savings (that's an affiliate link). I love sharing tools I use regularly and love to pass on savings even more!
