Here’s a stat that honestly still shocks me: over 90% of my six-figure template shop revenue comes through Flodesk.

Not because I ran ads. (Been there, done that. It’s not for me.)
And definitely not because I went viral. (Ew, algorithm!)
And absolutely not because I built some complex sales system. (Hard pass.)

My not-so-secret tips for selling hundreds of templates through Flodesk include:

1. Connecting with the people who actually want to hear from me,
2. Grabbing my subscribers’ attention with beautiful, zero-code-required emails that captivate and convert,
3. Using their built-in tools to make sure the right people see the right products at exactly the right time.

So consider this your go-to guide for how to use Flodesk. I’m going to walk you through my favorite and must-use Flodesk features that will boost your small business’s success.

BIG PSA: I love this email marketing program so much, I became a Flodesk partner. You can get 25% off your first year of Flodesk using my special link.

A Beginner’s Guide To Flodesk For Designers

Step 1: Use Forms With Superior Features 

Flodesk’s forms are set apart from other email service providers. (No, really…Flodesk forms convert visitors to subscribers 2x more than the industry average!)

So what makes them so special? They include design best practices to maximize your or opt-ins or subscribers. Think: eye-catching, done-for-you popups, countdown timers, link-in-bio forms, etc. that all include audience segmentation, detailed analytics, and more!

First, I ALWAYS (!!!) make sure I have a must-have freebie (dare I say a too-good-to-be-true goodie!) that makes completing the form a no-brainer. BUT Flodesk makes this freebie extra enticing with gorgeous graphics and on-brand design. (Yep! Of course you can add your brand’s colors and fonts into Flodesk.) 

I use this freebie as the cornerstone of my sales system, and Flodesk is the engine that makes it all work.

Here’s how to use Flodesk’s forms:

1. My go-to form is an inline form so I can easily embed it into my Showit website pages and WordPress blog posts. (See example below! 😉)

2. I also love using their countdown forms when I’m running a sale because it creates a sense of urgency and can boost conversion rates up to 50%. (Source) 

3. For my 10% off and $100 off template coupons (which are my best performing forms, by the way), I use their spin-the-wheel forms, which boosts conversions by 80% or more. (Source) 

Learn everything you need to know about Forms here.

Step 2: Segment Your Audiences

After setting up your forms, use my favorite Flodesk feature: segmentation. 

Segmenting your audience means putting subscribers into groups/categories or “segments” based on their opt-in, industry, purchase behavior, etc. 

This is extremely beneficial (honestly, borderline VITAL) when you’re trying to sell to people. I really believe that micro segmentation is the key to my template shop’s success because I am able to retarget my warm audience again and again with specific emails that speak to their unique behaviors or interests.

Here’s a real-life example of segmentation:

Jane Doe signs up for my free download: The Mini Session Booking Page Template. This template is specifically for photographers so after completing the form, she’s immediately placed into Segment #1 – Audience: Portrait Photographer and Segment #2 – Freebie: Mini Session Template. 

Now she will be placed into a specific workflow for this freebie (More on workflows in step 4!) and because of her specific segment tags, she will receive a series of marketing emails about my Client Lounge® Templates for photographers. If at any time she clicks on a “shop now” button, she’s placed into Segment #3 – Interest: Client Lounge® Templates for Photographers. If she doesn’t buy this template, I can use this Segment #3 tag to send her even more follow-up marketing emails.

And if any time she does make this purchase, she’s automatically placed into Segment #4 – Purchased: Client Lounge® Templates for Photographers and automatically removed from Segment #3 – Interest: Client Lounge® Templates for Photographers. Removing this buyer from Segment #3 is important so you don’t send any more sales emails about this template. 

It sound complex but setting up segmentation only takes a few seconds and has completely skyrocketed my sales. 

Learn more about audiences, segments, and tags here.

Step 3: Build Connection And Trust

Email marketing provides both short-term gains and long-term wins. But the key to having both is consistent communication that builds connection and trust. Flodesk makes it so easy to do this with their incredibly unique and easy-to-design/edit email templates. 

In fact, I originally started using Flodesk years ago because I wanted to send emails without my brain exploding. Because if I was going to spend the time to create a weekly email, I wanted it to be quick, FUN, and actually worth my effort. And with a successful template shop? I’d say it delivers!

Each week I create emails with their intuitive builder that helps me educate and build trust and connection with my readers. So when the time comes to sell to them, it’s like they’re buying from a friend or trusted advisor.

Selling to your target audience gets easier when your people are already warm to your messaging and feel seen, understood, and supported. And when connection and trust are built, they’re primed for the solution you’re about to offer.

So my advice is quite simple for email marketing: invest in your audience before they invest in you.

Learn more about emails and templates here.

Step 4: Maximize Your Workflows

Workflows is the Flodesk feature that allows you to automate emails, especially the ones that bring you money. My freebie delivery and the sales emails that follow it? Done with workflows. When someone leaves their cart full and forgets to check out? Workflows to the rescue. My post-purchase template education? You guessed it. Done with workflows.

If you want to send a multi-email series, you can schedule the entire series inside the drag-and-drop workflow builder. And with built-in triggers and individual subscriber flow setup, workflows makes sure each person gets the exact emails they need.

Workflows take your marketing to a new level. They make me and every other solopreneur look like we’ve got a high-end sales team working behind the scenes. And the detailed analytics give you the receipts to back it up.

Learn everything you need to know about workflows here.

Step 5: Optimize With Integrations

If you’d like to elevate your email marketing even more, take advantage of Flodesk’s integrations. Integrations help you connect third-party tools to create a seamless customer experience. In this case, these tools help you transfer user information from one tool into Flodesk.

I use many integrations that grow my Flodesk subscriber list:

BDOW!

While Flodesk ultimately helps me market to my audience via emails, BDOW! provides various tools to help me collect more subscribers. I like their minimized, tab-style pop-ups (Show-A-Tab), and I definitely take advantage of A/B form testing. Any data I collect through BDOW! directly integrates with Flodesk and into my chosen Segments.

Get directions on how to integrate Flodesk and BDOW here.

Manychat

Manychat is a tool I use to automate my Instagram marketing. When an Instagram follower responds to a post or story with a certain keyword, they’re triggered a DM via Manychat. When Manychat collects a name and email, it’s important into Flodesk and assigned to a segment. From that segment, they are added to a workflow and my marketing and/or sales funnel begins automatically.

Get directions on how to integrate Flodesk and Manychat here.

ThriveCart

ThriveCart Pro+ has a direct integraion to Flodesk. I ran my template shop with ThriveCart for over six years, and I still use it for certain products. This connection makes it easy to import buyers from ThriveCart and turn them into a subscribers inside of Flodesk. This makes it easy to send post-purchase educational emails and avoid accidentally marketing a template to a subscriber that’s already purchased it.

Get directions on how to integrate Flodesk and ThriveCart here.

WooCommerce

My Showit template shop is currently built with WooCommerce, and with the help of Zapier, I can important buyers into segments based on their purchases. Just like ThriveCart, this integration is vital to the success of my customer’s buyer experience.

Get directions on how to integrate Flodesk and WooCommerce here.

Canva

While Canva doesn’t directly grow my email account, it does make customizing my emails easier. No need to download and upload image files, I can import Canva graphics directly into Flodesk. Plus, I can even edit imported designs right inside Flodesk too! 

Get directions on how to integrate Flodesk and Canva here.