Busy keeping up with Instagram’s demands just to get your work out there? Email marketing offers your business a more sustainable and fulfilling approach.

It’s where your design sensibility matters more than the latest trend. You can slow down, go a few layers deeper into your brand, and be proactive about the conversations you want to have with your ideal clients and customers.

If all of that sounds like your style, this blog post is for you.

Key Takeaways:

How to get subscribers
What to write emails about
What’s to love about Flodesk

Common Questions About Email Marketing

SOCIAL MEDIA IS ENOUGH FOR ME TO HANDLE. WHY SHOULD I PRIORITIZE EMAIL MARKETING?

You and me both. There are many layers to marketing your business.

But after using Flodesk consecutively for 1.5 years now (and counting), the work is worth the reward.

Unlike social media, your email list is something you own. You get a direct line to people who’ve raised their hand and said, “Yes, I want to hear more from you.”

They’re the ones who are most engaged in your work. So it makes sense why sending a regular email newsletter = the opportunity to nurture potential clients over time and stay top of mind.

That matters when interior design services are an investment with longer decision cycles.

If you’re a numbers person:

On average, every $1 spent on email marketing returns $40 (Flodesk)
Brands with well-designed emails can see up to 200% more conversions (Flodesk)

HOW DO I GET PEOPLE TO SUBSCRIBE?

Email is a give-and-take relationship. Give your subscribers something of value in return for their email address.

You can create something like an interior design style pillars guide, a vendor resource list, or a studio catalog that shares what you offer in more detail. It can be that simple. Don’t overcomplicate it.

For my design business, I chose to create a pricing catalog (hosted on a hidden page of my website). And you know what? It’s generated the most email opt-ins compared to any other strategy I’ve tried so far.

From there, make subscribing easy by placing a signup form on your website, mentioning your newsletter during client calls, and including a call-to-action link in your Instagram bio and stories. Just be sure to stay compliant with legal requirements by including proper language linked in your website footer.

WHAT SHOULD I WRITE ABOUT IN MY EMAILS?

Imagine your subscribers as guests in your digital “home.” They get to hear and see the personal details you have to share FIRST.

Your content should make them feel like they’re getting the special treatment they want and need, versus contributing to the overwhelm of their inbox.

Some ideas:

Project deep dives (with the client’s permission captured during onboarding)
Designer Q&A that proves your expertise while solving challenges for readers
Behind-the-scenes content (inspiration / recent Pinterest pins, client presentations)
Seasonal design transitions to refresh spaces throughout the year
Announcements (business anniversary, project openings, new services, press mentions)
Vendor spotlight
Product recommendations (highlight what you’ve purchased this month with a ShopMy or LTK account)

Give yourself permission to ease up on your polish and professionalism. Be yourself. Connect on a personal level. Let your passion for your work come through in your message. It’ll have a greater influence.

WHAT ABOUT SUBSTACK? SHOULD I BE USING IT, TOO?

Many people are loving this platform. It works well for content creators building audiences around their writing. But it’s not ideal for service-based businesses.

While the functionality feels wonderfully simple, Substack is missing key features you need to turn subscribers into paying clients. You can’t customize content for different people, set up automatic email sequences, or connect it with your other business software.

On the other hand, Flodesk (the email marketing platform I use) offers you the effortless appeal of Substack, combined with the on-brand cohesion, marketing strategy, and automation capabilities you need to move the needle.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I SEND EMAILS? I DON’T WANT TO OVERWHELM PEOPLE.

A quick ChatGPT query says: once a week.

But this isn’t realistic for many busy interior designers and homeware shop founders.

Give yourself permission to experiment and do what works for you, focusing on quality > quantity. My clients have found that monthly newsletters make the most sense. And there’s always the opportunity to increase the cadence (only if you want to).

HOW DO I MEASURE IF MY EMAIL MARKETING IS ACTUALLY WORKING?

The real measure is whether your emails are strengthening relationships and keeping you top-of-mind when people are ready to hire an interior designer or purchase from your shop.

Revisit email stats, track website traffic from each send, note inquiry form submissions that mention your newsletter, and screenshot subscriber feedback.

Open rates tell you if your subject line was interesting enough to cut through inbox clutter and stop your subscribers’ scroll. It’s your “first impression” metric.

Unsubscribes & click rates tell you whether your content and email frequency are resonating with your list. Low unsubscribes and healthy click-through rates are proof that you’re doing it right for your brand.

Why Flodesk for Interior Design Businesses?

There’s plenty of decision fatigue when it comes to choosing the business tools to invest in. So if you’re ready to start (or improve) your email marketing efforts, there’s no better choice than Flodesk.

Here’s why I love it for interior design brands:

Design-Forward Templates: The platform makes it easy to create beautiful, on-brand communications that feel like natural extensions of your design work.

While they have their own ready-made (free) templates, my Design Maintenance service is a preferred add-on to branding and website styling projects. During our session, we can carry the work we’ve done into a custom Flodesk email template, allowing for everything to feel cohesive.

User-Friendly Interface: The intuitive nature of Flodesk means less time trying to figure out technology (and coding) and more time focusing on what you have to say. Plus, it integrates with CANVA, which you may already be using for your visuals.

Smart Automation: My favourite features include workflows and segments that handle the heavy lifting. When anyone signs up for my pricing catalog, they immediately start receiving a series of three emails (a workflow) that helps them better understand my services and invites them to connect. You can also send specific emails to specific subscribers (segment).

Pricing Transparency: Flodesk does it right, delivering on their mission to support small businesses long-term. With upcoming changes moving to a tiered pricing model that scales with audience size, they’re retiring their Unlimited plan. Now is the perfect time to lock in their most generous offering.

When you can communicate directly with people who are interested in your work or shop, without algorithm interference or platform politics, everything changes.

A Flodesk Discount For You

If you’re curious about Flodesk, now might be a lovely time to explore how the platform can support your interior design business.

As a Flodesk partner, I can share that using code DUELLEMADE before November 28th, 2025, gives you access to their Unlimited plan, retiring soon. Become a paying member today.