If there's one thing I wish I had started sooner when I launched my food blog, it's building an email list.
Social media algorithms change overnight. Google updates come and go. But your email list? That's something you actually own. It's the one place where you can reach your readers whenever you have a new recipe, product, or exciting announcement.
The biggest question I get from new bloggers is, "Which email platform should I use?"
After trying several over the years, I still think Flodesk is one of the best places to start.
Disclosure: The following section contains affiliate links from Flodesk and others. If you buy through my links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you!
Quick Verdict
- ⭐ Rating: 4.8/5
- Best for: New bloggers, food bloggers, creators, and anyone starting an email list.
- Not ideal for: Businesses that rely on advanced sales funnels or highly customized automations.
- Free Trial: 14 days
- Discount: 25% off your first year through my link.
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Why Every Blogger Needs an Email List
When I first started blogging, I focused almost entirely on Google and Pinterest. Looking back, I wish I'd put just as much energy into growing my email list.
An email list lets you:
- announce new blog posts
- promote affiliate products
- launch ebooks
- sell meal plans
- build repeat visitors
- stay connected even if social media changes
It's one of the few marketing channels you actually own.
Why I Chose Flodesk
When I first signed up, I wasn't looking for dozens of advanced marketing features. I simply wanted a platform that made sending beautiful emails easy.
And that's exactly what Flodesk does.
Within a few hours, I had my first newsletter designed, forms added to my website, and automations running. Everything felt intuitive, and I wasn't constantly searching Google for tutorials.
The templates look modern, the drag-and-drop editor is simple, and creating newsletters is actually enjoyable instead of feeling like another task on my to-do list.
If you're not particularly tech-savvy, I think you'll appreciate how little of a learning curve there is.
What I Love and Don't Love About Flodesk
Pros
- Beautiful email templates
- Very beginner-friendly
- Unlimited subscribers
- Simple automations
- Easy landing pages & forms
- Flat pricing
- Great for bloggers
Cons
- Limited advanced automations
- No visual funnel builder
- Less powerful segmentation than Kit
- Better suited to newsletters than product launches
For bloggers, creators, food bloggers, and small businesses, it covers almost everything you'll need in the beginning.
Ready to start growing your email list?
Flodesk offers a 14-day free trial, so you can build your first newsletter and see if it's the right fit. If you decide to continue, you'll also get 25% off your first year when you sign up through my link.
Flodesk Features at a Glance
- Unlimited email subscribers
- Beautiful email templates
- Landing pages
- Signup forms
- Popups
- Email automations
- Link actions
- Segmentation
- Analytics
- Checkout (optional add-on)
- Brand customization
Good To Know: Unlike many email platforms that increase their pricing as your subscriber list grows, Flodesk keeps pricing simple with one flat-rate plan. That makes it much easier to budget, especially when you're just starting your blog.
How I Use Flodesk
Today, Flodesk powers almost all of my email marketing. I use it to welcome new subscribers, send my weekly newsletter, deliver free downloads, announce new recipes, promote products, and share exclusive content with my readers. It's become an important part of running my blogging business, and I've never felt limited by it.
Where Flodesk Falls Short
If you're building a business with complex sales funnels, advanced customer journeys, multiple products, webinars, evergreen launches, or sophisticated automations, platforms like Kit, ActiveCampaign, or Drip offer more flexibility.
Flodesk focuses on simplicity instead. For most new bloggers, that's actually a benefit. It gives you everything you need to grow your email list without the overwhelm of advanced marketing tools.
Who I Think Flodesk Is Best For
I recommend Flodesk if you are:
- Starting your first blog.
- Growing a newsletter from scratch.
- A food, travel, lifestyle, or parenting blogger.
- A creator who wants beautiful emails without hiring a designer.
- Someone who feels intimidated by more technical email platforms.
- Looking for an affordable premium email marketing solution.
If your business eventually grows into selling multiple digital products, courses, memberships, or running complex launch funnels, you can always move to a more advanced platform later.
FAQ
Yes. In my opinion, Flodesk is one of the easiest email marketing platforms to learn. The interface is clean, the templates are beautiful, and setting up your first newsletter or welcome email takes very little time.
If you're a blogger or creator who wants an easy-to-use email platform with beautiful templates, I think it absolutely is. While it doesn't offer every advanced marketing feature, it's an excellent choice for growing your first email list.
Yes. You can easily embed Flodesk forms on your WordPress website or connect it using plugins and integrations. I had no trouble adding signup forms to my blog.
Yes. Flodesk includes customizable signup forms, landing pages, and popups, making it easy to start collecting email subscribers without purchasing additional tools.
Yes. If you're already using another email service like Mailchimp, MailerLite, or Kit, you can import your existing subscribers into Flodesk and continue growing your email list there.
Absolutely. Your email subscribers belong to you, not the platform. If your business grows and you eventually need more advanced features, you can export your subscriber list and move to another email marketing platform.
Flodesk Review - Summary
Building an email list doesn't have to be complicated. In fact, I think that's the biggest mistake new bloggers make-they spend weeks comparing platforms instead of actually collecting subscribers.
Flodesk isn't the most advanced email marketing platform on the market, and it doesn't try to be. What it does exceptionally well is help bloggers start growing an email list quickly, send beautiful newsletters, and build relationships with readers.
That's why it's still the platform I recommend to beginners.
Bonus: If you sign up through my affiliate link, you'll get 25% off your first year, making it an even easier choice for new bloggers and creators.
More Blogger Resources
- Bluehost Review: Why I Recommend It for Beginner Bloggers
- Why I Moved My Food Blog to BigScoots (And Haven't Looked Back)
- My Favorite Blogging Resources (What I Actually Use to Grow My Food Blog)
Starting a blog or growing one?
Over the years I've tested dozens of blogging tools, plugins, and services. These are the ones I actually use to run my recipe websites every single day. They've helped me grow my traffic, speed up my sites, organize my content, build my email list, and create a business I can run from anywhere.
WP Tasty Recipe Plugin: If you publish recipes, this is hands down one of the best investments. Beautiful recipe cards, automatic nutrition, recipe scaling, jump buttons, and everything you need to make recipes easy for readers to follow.
WP Recipe Maker: Another excellent recipe plugin packed with customization options and SEO features. A great choice if you're looking for flexibility.
Link Whisper: One of my favorite SEO tools. It makes internal linking incredibly easy and has saved me countless hours while helping readers discover more of my content.
WP Rocket: Probably the easiest way to speed up your WordPress website. Faster pages mean happier visitors and can also help improve SEO.
BigScoots: After trying several hosting companies over the years, this is the one I trust. Their support is exceptional, my websites load quickly, and migrations were completely stress-free.
NerdPress: Whenever I run into technical WordPress issues, NerdPress is my first stop. They handle the complicated fixes so I can focus on creating content.
Restored 316 Themes: Beautiful, feminine WordPress themes that are easy to customize and built with bloggers in mind.
Kadence Theme & Blocks: The theme and page builder I currently use. It's lightweight, fast, and gives me complete control over designing my pages without needing custom code.
Semrush: The main SEO tool I use for keyword research, competitor analysis, and finding new content opportunities.
CoSchedule: To schedule social media posts.
Flodesk: The email platform I use for all of my newsletters, freebies, and automated email sequences. It's incredibly easy to use and the email designs are beautiful.
AppSumo: One of my favorite places to discover lifetime software deals. I've found some incredible blogging tools there over the years.
Etsy: Whenever I need Pinterest templates, ebook templates, social media graphics, or branding elements, Etsy is usually the first place I check. There are thousands of affordable templates that save hours of design work.
Creative Market: Another favorite for beautiful fonts, logos, mockups, and branding assets created by talented designers.
My Photography Gear
Sony Camera: Every recipe photo and most of my videos are shot with this camera + my-go to lens + zoom lens.
Vlogging camera for reels + the lens I use.
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