Mastering Email Marketing & Automation with Flodesk: A Step-by-Step Guide to Streamline Your Campaigns

If you're looking to streamline your email marketing efforts with a powerful yet user-friendly tool, Flodesk is an excellent choice. It allows users to create visually stunning emails, automate workflows, segment audiences, and much more—all while keeping things simple and intuitive.

This guide provides a detailed, step-by-step approach to setting up Flodesk and utilizing its core features to maximize your email marketing efforts. By the end, you’ll know how to create and manage segments, forms, emails, and more.

Step 1: Sign Up for Flodesk

The first step is signing up for Flodesk. To ensure professional credibility, use a professional email (e.g., [email protected]) when creating your account.

Step 2: Accessing Your Dashboard

Once signed in, you’ll see the Flodesk dashboard. Navigate to the top left corner and click the Flodesk icon to get started. This will give you access to the primary navigation tools like Audience, Email, and Workflow.

Step 3: Setting Up Your Account Details

To personalize your account, click on the profile icon in the top-right corner of the screen. From the drop-down menu, choose Overview. Here’s how to customize your account:

1. Full Name: Enter your name as it will appear on your emails.
2. Timezone: Scroll down to set your correct timezone.
3. Brand Handle: Replace the default Flodesk handle with your own brand name. This branding will be used across the platform, ensuring consistency in your email communications.

Step 4: Configuring Your Email Setup

Next, go to the Email Setup section. This is crucial as every email you send from Flodesk will use the name and details configured here.

1. Assigned Name: Enter the name that will appear in the "From" section of the emails sent to your audience.
2. Branding: Head over to the Branding section to upload your logo. Adding your logo helps your emails maintain brand consistency and professionalism.

Pro Tip: Ensure your logo matches your brand's colors and tone for a cohesive look.

Step 5: Completing Company Information

To comply with email regulations, Flodesk requires you to enter your company details:

• Company Name
• Website URL
• Physical Address

Without entering this information, you won’t be able to send emails through the platform.

Step 6: Adding Social Media Links

In the same branding section, you can also add your social media links. These will appear at the bottom of every email, helping you to build connections across platforms and driving more traffic to your social profiles.

Step 7: Creating a Segment & Form on Flodesk

Once your account details are configured, the next step is creating segments and forms. Segments allow you to categorize your audience, which helps in sending targeted, personalized emails.

Step 8: Creating a Segment

Segments are essential for targeting the right people with the right message. Here’s how to create one:

1. Go to Audience > Segments on your Flodesk dashboard.
2. Click on New Segment.
3. Name your segment and assign a color. This color coding will help you quickly identify different segments.

Example: If you're running multiple Facebook ads targeting different audiences, you can create separate segments for students, working professionals, and entrepreneurs. Each segment will contain emails for these specific groups, allowing you to tailor your communication and increase engagement.

Step 9: Creating a Form

Next, you'll create a form to capture leads and direct them into your newly created segments.

1. Go to Forms > New Forms.
2. Select the Inline form type (ideal for embedding in blog posts or landing pages).
3. Customize the form by choosing a segment to which the leads will be assigned.

Step 10: Customizing Your Form

Here’s how you can tweak the form’s appearance and content:

1. Edit the heading and description: Make sure the headline grabs attention, and the description clearly explains the value of subscribing.
2. Change the colors and fonts: Ensure they match your brand identity.
3. Tip: Use the Color Picker browser extension to easily match the form’s colors to your brand’s palette.

Step 11: Setting Up the Thank You Page

Once the form is filled, you want to redirect users to a Thank You Page or your homepage.

1. URL Redirection: After someone subscribes, you can redirect them to a thank you page that reinforces the value they’ve just signed up for.
2. Highly Recommended: Use WordPress and a plugin like Elementor to create a personalized thank-you page for new subscribers. It helps boost engagement right from the start.

Step 12: Embedding Your Form

Now that your form is set up, it’s time to embed it on your website.

1. Click Embed in the form editor.
2. Select Advanced Options and choose Raw HTML Code.
3. Copy the generated HTML code.
4. Paste this code into your website. If you’re using WordPress, simply insert it into an HTML code block on the page where you want the form to appear.

Note: Make sure to place the form in a prominent position on your website to maximize conversions.

Step 13: Tracking Subscribers and Interactions

Once the form is live and people start subscribing, you can track interactions in the Segments section:

1. Go to Segments to see your email subscribers.
2. You can also track individual interactions with your emails and monitor engagement metrics (opens, clicks, etc.).

Pro Tip: Use this data to refine your email campaigns, split-test subject lines, or segment your audience further based on interaction history.

MARKETING AUTOMATION

Flodesk is an intuitive email marketing tool designed to simplify the process of creating, sending, and automating emails. Here's a detailed guide to help you master email marketing with Flodesk, from crafting emails to setting up drip marketing workflows.

Step 1: Create a New Email Campaign

• Click on "New Email":

To begin, click on the "New Email" button on the Flodesk dashboard.

• Select a Template:

Flodesk offers a wide variety of customizable templates. Choose one that best fits your campaign needs.

Customize Your Email Template:

• Remove the logo at the top (if not needed) to keep your email clean and focused on your message.
• Change the font to Arial Regular, which is one of the most commonly used fonts in emails for readability.
• Adjust other elements like images, colors, and text as per your brand’s style.

Click on "Next":

• Once satisfied with your design, click "Next" to proceed to the next steps.

Rename Your Template:

• Return to the homepage and rename the template for easy identification later.

Step 2: Setting Up a Drip Marketing Workflow

A workflow allows you to send a series of automated emails over time to nurture leads and move them further down the funnel.

Create a New Workflow:

• Navigate to the "Workflows" section and click on "New Workflow".
• Select "Start from Scratch" and create a new workflow.

Set Workflow Trigger:

• The workflow is triggered when someone submits a form on your landing page. The lead is then categorized into a segment (e.g., students), and your email automation begins.

• Click the Students button and hover over the + icon, which will appear after hovering

• You can use existing emails you’ve already created or make copies of email templates.

• Select the template and make a copy.

Prepare an Email Sequence:

For nurturing your leads, create a sequence of 5 emails with compelling subjects and calls-to-action (CTAs). Here’s an example sequence for a fitness service:

Email 1 (Immediate): Congratulations! Your seat has been reserved.

Email 2: How to acquire clients for your GYM?

Email 3: Why content is important for your GYM?

Email 4: How paid ads can grow your GYM’s revenue?

Email 5: Why you are not able to increase your revenue?

Each email should follow the 80% value, 20% CTA format. Focus on addressing the pain points of your target audience.

Set Time Delays Between Emails:

• You can set time delays between each email, such as 1 day, 2 days, or a specific day of the week. This feature allows you to send emails consistently without overwhelming your subscribers.

Step 3: Automating Lead Nurturing

Create Different Workflows for Different Outcomes:

If a lead converts to a customer after the second or third email, you need to create a separate workflow for nurturing customers. Don’t continue sending them the same lead nurturing emails.

For instance, once someone books a consultation call, move them to a new customer segment and start sending value-driven emails that deepen the relationship.

Segment Management:

Remove converted leads from the original segment (e.g., students) and add them to the customer segment to ensure they receive relevant emails moving forward.

Step 4: Finalizing and Sending Your Emails

Activate Automation:

Ensure your automation is activated. Remember, it won’t work until someone fills out the form that triggers the workflow.

Send Emails to Segments:

Once your emails are designed and scheduled, attach them to the relevant segments (e.g., students, customers) to ensure that the right people receive them.

Schedule Your Emails:

You can either send your emails immediately or schedule them for later. The best times to send emails are usually in the morning or evening when your audience is most likely to check their inbox.

Tracking Subscriber Interactions:

You can track individual subscriber interactions with your emails, such as opens, clicks, and engagement metrics. This helps you optimize future email sequences.

Important Tips:

• Email Frequency: Avoid overwhelming your subscribers by sending too many emails in a short period. Consistent, value-driven emails with enough space between them will perform best.
• Personalization: Make use of personalized elements in your email campaigns to make recipients feel more connected with your brand.
• Test and Optimize: Experiment with different subject lines, email formats, and timings to discover what works best for your audience.

Wrapping It Up:

By utilizing Flodesk’s templates and automation workflows, you can streamline your email marketing process and nurture leads effectively. Whether you’re segmenting audiences or creating drip sequences, Flodesk provides all the tools necessary to build a powerful email marketing system that drives conversions.

Take advantage of the platform’s robust customization options, automation, and easy integration with your brand's workflow to stay ahead in your marketing efforts.