The Kate Show Podcast: Flodesk & Mailchimp Marketing Templates for Home Pros

Host: Kate, Socialite Agency
Date: September 9, 2024

Episode Overview

In this episode, Kate from Socialite Agency unveils the agency's suite of over 350 new Flodesk and Mailchimp email marketing templates designed for home industry professionals: interior designers, home stagers, organizers, workrooms, window treatment specialists, and design-build firms. The episode dives deep into how these templates streamline email marketing, help business owners save time and money, and deliver professional, high-impact content. Kate also discusses distinctions between Flodesk and Mailchimp, offers practical advice on effective newsletters, and provides a preview of actual template topics and use-cases.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to the New Template Offerings

• Kate announces the release of over 350 Flodesk templates, each tailored for a distinct topic relevant to various home pros.
• Templates come "ready to use" and can be further customized. About half of clients use them out-of-the-box, while others request more personalized customization for specific branding needs.
• Quote:

  "What would your marketing get done faster if someone else was doing like half of the work or more for you? Well, of course it would." – Kate [00:44]

2. Flodesk vs. Mailchimp: Bridging the Aesthetic Gap

• Kate shares excitement about in-house Mailchimp templates that emulate Flodesk’s airy, feminine look using Mailchimp’s new builder.
• Previously, aesthetic newsletters in Mailchimp required workaround hacks (like using Canva images), which caused deliverability issues.
• Kate’s pragmatic take:

  "Mailchimp has been my go-to for a very long time ... their pricing is a little better than Flodesk. Just saying." – Kate [03:45]

• The agency now offers beautiful, professional options for both platforms.

3. Template Walkthroughs & Customization

• Kate describes the structure of a sample Flodesk template, focusing on clear, concise content, professional imagery, and easily swapped branding elements.
• The templates allow for straightforward self-editing or full-service customization by Socialite Agency.
• Discussion on how to make use of a 50% off Flodesk discount for first-year subscribers [08:00].

4. Conventions for Effective Newsletters

• One topic, one call-to-action (CTA):
  Avoid multi-topic "kitchen sink" newsletters. Each message should focus on one relevant subject and drive recipients toward a clear next step.
• Avoid DIY content (unless DIY solutions are being sold). Prospective clients seek expert leadership, not just project instructions.
• Quote:

  "The whole point of a newsletter is to start a conversation. If you’re sending people back to your website to look at a blog post ... you’ve lost them." – Kate [12:35]

5. Breakdown of Template Categories & Actual Topics

Kate provides a comprehensive verbal tour of the vault’s categories and sample topics, illustrating breadth and depth in each industry niche.

• Interior Design / Design Build:

  • How to furnish your dream bedroom
  • Designer audition tips
  • Luxury pet gate shopping guides
  • Furniture stores vs. interior designers
  • How to style a beautiful foyer (not a DIY guide; clarifies the designer’s process)
  • Architectural woodwork & millwork, luxury ADU must-haves, performance fabrics, custom cabinetry
  • Quote:

    "We are not teaching the client how to style her own foyer. We are explaining how the interior designer comes in ... it is not explaining how the homeowner can put it together herself." – Kate [16:20]

• Windows & Upholstery:

  • Window treatment upgrades, hard-to-dress windows, kitchen window ideas
  • Cord safety and recent legal changes
  • Custom workroom workflow explanations

• Home Organizing:

  • Decluttering guides, beauty supply organization, digital photo organizing
  • Organizer for a day, pro kitchen and home office organizing, organizing maintenance packages
  • Dealing with emotional clutter, 'organize your brain' as a thought leadership piece

• Home Staging:

  • Why neutral colors are best, staging for MLS photos, front door staging
  • Maximalist staging, staging for millennial buyers, why Realtors need staging consults
  • Focus is on real estate agent relationships, not just sellers/homeowners

• Special Situations:

  • Vendor spotlight, welcome emails, press/media features
  • Vacation highlights, referral thank yous, website launch announcements
  • Lead magnet setup and welcome emails

6. Template Delivery, Customization, & Support

• All templates are housed in a "vault" and accessible by plan members. Socialite Agency will also create new topics by client request.
• The agency offers related assets: blog templates, lead magnets via Canva, social media templates, mastermind replays, and more [24:50].
• Testimonial highlight:
  • Client landed a $1.2M project directly from a newsletter reply.
  • Quote:

    "We got the biggest one ever. It was directly from an email newsletter ... that project ended up being $1.2 million." – Kate [25:33]

  • Mailchimp account manager was “blown away” by the impact.

7. Philosophy on Newsletter Marketing

• Consistency, clarity, relevance, and targeted expertise matter more than elaborate design or extensive content.
• Purpose-built templates save time, prevent overwhelm, and get results.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "I am so thrilled to be bringing this stuff to you guys ... the first public look at some of our new offerings and it definitely changes the game as far as marketing." – Kate [00:27]
• "You’re not going to find this really pretty, airy, feminine Mailchimp template anywhere else." – Kate [02:50]
• "If you are sending people back to your website ... you’ve lost them. You had their attention in their inbox. Do not send them somewhere else." – Kate [13:03]
• "You got to send email content that is deeper, that is more about thought leadership, that is more specific to you." – Kate [14:43]
• "If for some reason you log into the vault and don’t see a newsletter that works for you, just send us your idea—99% of the time, we turn that idea into a full-fledged newsletter." – Kate [21:08]
• "When our clients win, we win. So does Mailchimp. So does Flodesk. Like, everybody wins." – Kate [25:53]
• "Thank you for being here. I will talk to you next time. And until then, keep your marketing simple, your message clear..." – Kate [26:56]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:17 – Main theme: Announcing new, time-saving marketing templates
• 01:00 – Overview of Flodesk template launch and their uses
• 03:17 – Making Mailchimp look & feel like Flodesk; pros/cons of both platforms
• 08:00 – Flodesk template walkthrough and discount details
• 09:20 – Mailchimp template walkthrough; best practices for newsletter content
• 12:35 – Dangers of multi-topic emails & importance of singular CTA
• 14:15 – Pitfalls of DIY content; focus on expertise and thought leadership
• 16:00 – Preview of Interior Design/Build template topics
• 18:48 – Window and upholstery template examples, including compliance topics
• 21:24 – Home organizing and digital organizing topics
• 23:02 – Home staging content for Realtors
• 24:50 – Overview of additional offerings in the vault (blogs, lead magnets)
• 25:33 – Client testimonial: landing a $1.2M project
• 26:56 – Episode wrap-up and marketing philosophy

Conclusion

This episode is a comprehensive roadmap for home pros wanting to streamline and elevate their email marketing. With a rich and practical set of templates—now available in both Flodesk and Mailchimp aesthetics—Socialite Agency empowers interior designers, stagers, organizers, and other home professionals to communicate expertly and efficiently with clients and leads. The advice is actionable, client-tested, and built on the belief that clear, focused, and professional marketing can win major business while saving time and energy. Visit www.katethesocialite.com for details or to access the templates.