ConvertKit vs Flodesk: Why I won’t be switching anytime soon
Email marketing is an essential part of the blogger’s money-making toolkit. There are plenty of services to choose from these days, some better than others. Today, I’m taking a hard look at ConvertKit vs Flodesk and comparing the two. And I’ll give you my easy answer and tell you why I’m sticking with my #1 choice.
ConvertKit vs Flodesk: Why do I even need email?
No algorithm
As a social media marketer, I know a lot about the algorithms on each platform. But email doesn’t have one. That’s the beauty of it. When you hit send, the email actually gets sent. With a timestamp.
You are in control. That means you own the conversation, you can lead and nurture and direct the conversation however you wish.
It’s easy to create a personal connection
Creating a personal connection with people on social media is a little bit different than in email. On social media, you have to warm people up before they will engage. These people, the warm, “I’m into what she has to say.” people are perfect for your list.
But the thing about an email list is that they don’t have to be warm. They could be people that don’t know you very well but wanted a freebie. They’re still cold subscribers. And email is the perfect way to warm them up. You already have permission to show up in their inbox, so do it!
I like to do this from the point of view of becoming friends with someone. So, I ask myself, “How can I get this person from stranger to bestie? How would I do that in real life?”
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Personal connection + easy contact = Marketing gold
As people sign up for your freebies and get into your welcome or nurture sequences they will either start to fall in love with you OR unsubscribe.
That’s exactly what you want.
The more you promote, the more you nurture, the more red hot your subscribers will be.
And the best part? You can automate a TON of this.
Everything from the welcome sequence to a long nurture sequence that pitches your product can go out, warm them up and walk them straight to the purchase. Automatically.
And that, my friend, is a beautiful thing.
It’s easier than you think
Speak to your email subscribers like you would a friend. It doesn’t have to be a formal, fancy communication.
Think about your goal for each email or sequence, then write to your avatar like you would a friend.
This has been the biggest change for me in my marketing mindset. I studied advertising in college and there never seemed to be a focus on personality or connection. It was all about driving sales.
But when I added the humanity back into my mindset, all my marketing communications started coming from a place of service and personality.
Great for traffic, great for sales
This is one of the more obvious reasons to have an email list. The one that a lot of people will talk about.
Got a new blog post? Send your list the Pinterest link to save it for later.
Need to make a quick sale? Your list is your first place to go.
Found an article that was helpful for you? Send it to your list.
Got the idea?
Targeted audience
One of the best features of email marketing is tagging. Essentially, you can narrow down your list into smaller groups based on literally anything.
I tag subscribers based on the freebie they downloaded, links they click on in emails and on statements they click on in emails.
This kind of tagging grants you access to a more targeted and specific group of people. That way you send emails to people that are actually interested in.
For example, if you blog about parenting and easy weeknight meals, you might want to share your ebook about parenting with only your subscribers tagged “parenting.” Or you might need to alter your emails for each tag to maximize sales.
When you narrow it down, you get even more control in the strategic messaging in your emails.
ConvertKit vs Flodesk: What to look for in an email service provider
In the showdown of ConvertKit vs Flodesk, there are quite a few things that I looked for when I chose an email service provider (ESP). I have a background in marketing, tech, and graphic design and those things definitely factored into my decision. I looked for:
- Easy to understand analytics
- Ability to tag and segment subscribers (data is everything!)
- Ability to automate certain sequences, like a welcome and nurture sequence. Automations = Less work for me.
- Easy to create forms and landing pages. Keep it simple.
- Easy to use email editor for fast setup, doesn’t have to be fancy.
- Ability to easily integrate my sales systems. Teachable, Shopify, etc.
- Reliable deliverability. You can’t warm up your subscribers if you keep getting sent to the spam folder!
- Tech support that’s easy to get in touch with if I need help.
ConvertKit vs. Flodesk The showdown
Let’s start by taking a look at Flodesk, cool? Then we’ll go through ConvertKit. And finally, we’ll look at ConvertKit vs Flodesk and I’ll give you my winner.
Flodesk
Flodesk Pros
New Kid on the Block
Flodesk is still really new and some of the biggest influencers in the marketing space have made the switch to the new platform.
Visually Appealing, Branded Emails
The big selling point for Flodesk is the ability to really brand your emails using your colors, fonts and instagram feed. The sales page focuses on this feature.
Workflow Templates
Some ESPs call these automations. Flodesk has templates to help you get some of your workflows setup and running in a jiffy.
User Friendly Interface
This is huge if you’re new to email marketing or have a tough relationship with technology. The easier, the better.
One Flat Monthly Fee
I love that Flodesk has one flat monthly fee no matter the number of subscribers. If you have a large list, this can be a huge difference in cost.
Conditions for Opened/Unopened Emails in Workflows
One of the features I love is that you can resend emails in the workflows if they didn’t get opened.
Flodesk Cons
Emails Look Like the Big Brands
Email services like Gmail look for amounts of images and code and then determine where to place emails. Branded emails are much more likely to send your emails directly to the spam or promotions folders.
Still have a lot of questions
When I went seraching for information about the platform all I found was their sales page and a few FAQs for members. I couldn’t really get the info I needed to make an informed decision.
And I don’t want to work that hard to find answers if another provider makes does answer my questions.
New Kid on the Block
Yup. This is a con, too. As a pretty new platform, there are still quite a few features that I’d like to see from Flodesk.
Focus on Visually Appealing Emails
When I get permission to get into someones inbox, I want to know that my messages are actually getting there. One of my biggest questions, which I can’t find on their website, is about deliverability.
Integrations?
I need all of my sales platforms to be able to connect to my ESP. I could not find how to do this in the FAQ/tech support pages. Remember, data and automation are everything!
Thoughts on Flodesk
I absolutely love that this platform allows you to send beautiful emails to your people without a huge hassle. And the flat fee no matter how many subscribers you have is a huge perk if you have over a few thousand subscribers on your list.
My biggest concerns with the platform are with deliverability. The folks that were part of the beta test seemed to be large influencers with well-established lists. And services like Gmail, Yahoo and the like have been trained by their users that those emails should go through to the main box. But, if you are just starting out and your emails are image or HTML heavy, like Target or Bed, Bath & Beyond, your emails will get sent through to spam or the promotions folder. Boo!
And I know that I won’t personally move someone’s email from the Promotions folder to the primary folder in Gmail. Guess I’m lazy!
Plus, even if I wanted some of these questions answered, the Flodesk website does not answer them no matter how much I dig through their resources. And, honestly, if I have to work hard for the information that I need to make a purchase decision, I won’t consider your product. I don’t want the free trial or to have to email you to learn more.
My last thought, if you want visually appealing emails and already have a well-established list, switching to Flodesk might be right for you. The price is certainly right and reaching your list with pretty, branded emails might be the right move for you!
ConvertKit
ConvertKit Pros
Well Established Company
ConvertKit isn’t new to the email marketing game. They’ve been supporting creators for years and have reputation for being one of the best.
Branded Forms
The forms editor, which has gotten an awesome update this year, makes it easy to customize your forms to match your site.
You can try it out here for free without an account!
Visual Automations
ConverKit offers a few automation templates as well as the ability to create your own from scratch. There are new automation templates added regularly.
Tags and Segments
Tags organize people and segement organize tags. And this data lover LOVES that kind of customization.
Integrates with 70+ partners
I want everything to run through one program to make it really simple to create email automations. And that means I need things like Teachable, LeadPages and WordPress to integrate easily.
Focus is on Deliverability
You just got permission to be in someones inbox, you don’t want to get sent driectly to the spam folder, do you? I like that ConvertKit has this as a focus.
Super Clear Sales Pages
When I look at the ConvertKit sales pages, I get all my questions answered. And trust me, I have a lot of questions!
New Broadcast Email Designer
The new broadcast email designer looks a lot like the block editor in WordPress. That’s one less editor you have to learn.
Customer Service Rocks
I love the customer service on ConvertKit. I can ask questions via a chat box really fast. And I get an ansewr within a few hours. Sometimes faster. I hate having to go through email for everything and the chat box is easy and casual.
Free Plan Option
Earlier this year ConvertKit started offering a free plan! You won’t be able to use the automations in the free plan, but you can send unlimited email broadcasts, create unlimited forms, AND use the new digital product sales function. The free plan is up to 1,000 subscribers, too!
Digital Product Sales Tool
ConvertKit JUST launched the public beta for their digital product tool. Even on the free plan, you get access to this tool! This is an all-in-one tool for selling digital products. So, if you want to sell planners, printables, email courses, or anything else you can think of, you can use this tool to do that.
ConvertKit Cons
Rules and Automations
I’m no wizard, but I would love for the Rules panel and the Automations panel to be integrated into one. If that’s possible.
Cost increases with Numer of Subscribers
This is pretty straight forward. As your subscribers increase, so does your cost.
Has a Small Learning Curve
I think this applies to email marketing in general. But, I know my mind is still blown sometimes when I’m trying to build something. I like to figure things out, but I ask customer service a lot of questions!
Thoughts on ConvertKit
ConvertKit has been in the email marketing game for a while and will continue to be a major player in the industry.
The big winner here for me is the 70+ integrations with just about any sales systems. I like that it makes it easy to make it all play nice together and host all of the data like tags and segments, inside ConvertKit.
ConvertKit has been focusing on the user experience inside the program lately and the new email designer, landing pages, forms, and visual automation templates that have been added in the last few months show me where their focus is right now.
And, if I was making a purchase decision today, all of my questions are answered and given deep answers that ease my mind. In short, I don’t have to work hard to get my questions answered.
One of the pitfalls of the platform is, however, the price. As your subscribers increase, so will your price. But, if you’re playing your cards right and you are building a business, not just a following, this won’t be a problem.
My last thoughts: ConvertKit is a well-established company that places deliverability at it’s highest priority. Because, as small businesses, if our emails aren’t delivered, we don’t make money. Would I love for the price to be a flat fee? Sure. But if I can rest easy knowing my emails are actually getting to inboxes, I’m in.
ConvertKit vs Flodesk: Who wins?
ConvertKit is hands-down my winner. It’s what I use and love right now.
Why?
One word: Deliverability. (<– You can learn more about that here!)
My list is still quite small and I want to know that the few people that I’m speaking to have the chance to listen.
In a past life, I was a graphic designer. So, when Flodesk hit the market I took a hard look at it. Who wouldn’t love the idea of everything being branded to your blog logo, colors and look?
Here’s the deal: Email, ultimately, isn’t about messages that look gorgeous. It’s about connecting with real people and becoming a trusted friend inside their inbox. And spending time making my emails look “on brand” isn’t as important for me as writing really helpful and thoughtful emails.
So, in comparing ConvertKit vs Flodesk, I opted for a text-based email provider that keeps my focus on my writing and makes sure that my emails actually get to inboxes.
Plus, ConvertKit has a FREE account to help you get started in email marketing without the cost for up to 1000 subscribers. I think it is the best choice for bloggers!
Here’s a walkthrough of the new free plan, just for you!
Thanks for writing a detailed comparison between the 2 platforms, Andrea.
I, for one, would go the route of simple emails without fancy design as “wow”-ing my audience with great content makes much more sense rather than sending heavy, beautiful emails. For one, it’s a lot faster to create simple emails. Secondly, as you said, with simpler emails it helps with deliverability.
I love your perspective! I know Flodesk is definitely going to be a major player in email marketing. I could see it being perfect for photographers and artists. But I know my focus needs to be less on the pretty and more on the people and I’m sticking to that.
Thank you for this thorough review and comparison! It feels like a lot of bloggers are switching from Convertkit to Flodesk lately, and I was looking for a detailed and thoughtful analysis (more than just “Flodesk is easy and pretty”).
I especially appreciate your focus on the importance of email deliverability, integrations, and customer service. These characteristics are key to the success of customers/bloggers and reflect the core values of the company!
Thank you so much for saying that! I know Flodesk is going to be a total game-changer for a TON of people. The visual emphasis is absolutely perfect for photographers and artists! But as a blogger I think it’s so so important to keep the focus on simplicity and people. Plus, I would waste so much time on the visuals in my emails even though I know it’s not the most important thing.
Great info, as a newbie this is MUCH appreciated!
You are so welcome, Julie! I’m typically the kind of person that goes with the highly customizable, pretty platforms (who wouldn’t?) but when I dug a little deeper I knew ConvertKit was the right choice for bloggers and content creators.
Let me know if you have any other questions I can answer for ya!
Thank you very much for this! I am so overwhelmed that all the bloggers are just writing how beautiful it is. As an small business owner I started with Flodesk , even if this is easy and very visual the emails goes straight forward to the Promotion folder. So that’s not a good strategy for my business. As you mentioned so many questions and no place or chat to find solutions. After all my research I found a Fb group that they don’t even market in the website.
Even Convertkit is a learning curve and more expensive I prefer to have integration with tools that connects with DIVI and Clickfunnels and customer service when I am lost.
I lost so many weekends at Flodesk trying to figure out everything just to send a promotion email .
Yes! ConvertKit totally has a learning curve, but I’ve gotten my questions answered through the chat function and had a great experience with it. I studied graphic design in college, so I’m always inclined to go with the visual options. I had to take a long hard look at both when Flodesk came out!
Wouldn’t it be so, so good for artists and photographers, though? With such visual businesses, I can Flodesk being perfect.
Thanks for this post, I am a new blogger who opted for Flodesk, because well…hello the designs are beautiful and the price is right. It was a breath of fresh air to know it would always stay the same price. However, I quickly learned that it integrates with nothing and that causes so much more headache and work on the back end! I sure don’t have time for more headache and work. I am heavily leaning toward making the switch to Convert Kit or Drip and very much appreciated your post!!
You’re welcome, Jillian! I did soooo much research when I was choosing my ESP only to land on ConvertKit or Drip as well. And once I had my sea legs in email marketing systems I knew other people probably felt as confused as I did. I’m so glad this was helpful for you! Let me know if you have any other questions along the way!