Listen, I’m gonna be real with you right from the start. I’m a Kit girl through and through. Have I thought about switching? Absolutely. But here’s the thing – mastering a new platform takes focus away from what actually matters: growing your business and serving your people.
And if you’re a teacher entrepreneur who’s serious about building something that lasts beyond the whims of social media algorithms, you need to get serious about email marketing. Like, yesterday.
Why Email Marketing Should Be Your #1 Priority (Not Your Last Resort)
Let me tell you something that might sting a little – most teacher entrepreneurs have email marketing completely backwards. They’re out here chasing Instagram followers and Pinterest views while their email list sits there collecting digital dust.
I get it. Social media is sexier. It scratches that ego itch when you see your follower count climbing. Everyone can see your 10K followers and that little verified checkmark. It’s like bringing your new boyfriend around to meet your friends – you want that approval, that external validation.
But here’s what I learned after years of helping teacher entrepreneurs scale their businesses: just because someone has 20,000 followers doesn’t mean they’re making more money than the person with 2,000 followers. It’s really that simple.
I once had a client with a huge Instagram following – her stories were getting 5,000 views daily. But you know what? Her free content wasn’t converting into actual profit. All those eyeballs, all that engagement, and her bank account wasn’t reflecting it.
Email is different. Email is intimate. It’s a direct line between you and your people. No algorithm decides whether your audience sees your message. No platform can suddenly change the rules and tank your reach overnight.
The Power of a Small, Targeted Email List
Here’s my craziest email story, and I want you to really let this sink in: I once made thousands of dollars from a list of just 67 people.
Sixty-seven. That’s smaller than most elementary school grade levels.
How? Because I got strategic. I segmented my list based on specific interests and served those 67 people exactly what they needed. They were the right people, at the right time, with the right solution.
You don’t need 10,000 email subscribers to make email marketing work for you. You need the right subscribers who actually want what you’re selling.
The Real Problem: Most Teacher Entrepreneurs Are Building on Borrowed Land
When you’re putting all your eggs in the social media basket, you’re essentially building your business on someone else’s property. Instagram could shut down tomorrow. TikTok could change their algorithm and kill your reach. Pinterest could decide your pins don’t meet their new guidelines.
But your email list? That’s yours. You own it. You control it. It’s like buying your own house instead of renting – you get to make the rules.
Email Automation 101: Your New Best Friend (That Never Sleeps)
Before we dive into platforms, let me break down what email automation actually is because if you’re new to this, it might sound all fancy and complicated. It’s not.
Think of an automation like a really smart assistant who never sleeps.
Here’s how it works:
Someone downloads your free math center activities → Your automation “assistant” immediately sends them the email with math center activities link→ Three days later, it automatically sends them tips on how to use the activities → A week later, it sends them a story about how these activities transformed your classroom → Two weeks later, it shows them your complete math centers bundle. No live sending required!
You set this up once, and it runs forever. Every single person who downloads that freebie gets the exact same nurturing sequence without you lifting a finger.
Before automations, you’d have to manually remember who downloaded what, when to follow up, and what to send them. Now? Your “assistant” handles all of that while you’re sleeping, teaching, or binge-watching Netflix.
This is why choosing the right email platform matters so much. Some platforms make automation easy and powerful. Others make it clunky and limited. And some don’t offer real automation at all (looking at you, free Mailchimp plan).
Kit vs. Mailchimp vs. Flodesk: The Real Talk Breakdown
Alright, let’s dig into the nitty-gritty. I’m going to walk you through the three major players in the email marketing space, and by the end of this, you’ll know exactly why Kit is the platform I recommend for serious teacher entrepreneurs.
Mailchimp: The “Budget” Option That Costs You More in the Long Run
The Good:
- Free plan available (but here’s the catch…)
- Affordable monthly pricing
- Been around forever, so they’re stable
The Real Talk: Mailchimp’s free plan is pretty useless for anyone serious about using email to drive traffic to their business. No marketing automations and it’s only free up to 500 subscribers. I’ve had clients get 500 subscribers in less than a month, and definitely within the first few months of having a list, so do not plan on being on the free plan very long.
I have one client who uses the Essentials Plan which is $13/month for 500 contacts and then goes up in price as you grow. What I really don’t like about this plan is it gives you a 4 step email automation that includes the delivery email. So once you deliver your freebie (e.g. free math center activities) you can only have 3 more that go out to them. To give you context, creating an automated email sequence where you HAVE to fit everything you want to say in 3 emails is hard. Imagine also having math small group activities, math partner games, etc. that you want to casually pitch 6 emails later. Can’t do it. So for the lack of flexibility? I’m out.
Bottom Line: Mailchimp is like that old reliable car that gets you from point A to point B, but you’re going to outgrow it fast if you’re serious about scaling. I speak from experience because I started with MailChimp in 2015 and was quickly frustrated.
Flodesk: The Pretty One That Lacks Substance (But Is Getting There)
The Good:
- Gorgeous templates (seriously, they’re beautiful)
- Flat-rate pricing regardless of subscriber count
- Appeals to the aesthetic-minded email marketer
The Real Talk: Half of my clients use FloDesk. It has come a long way. They’re main way of standing out from their competitors is that they design “pretty” emails. I do not see this as a pro for a TPT seller, because you’re not Sephora or Lowe’s you’re a personal brand writing human to human. So plain text emails will typically convert better than gorgeous templates. So don’t choose it for the pretty factor.
Choose it for their flat-rate pricing.
That’s literally the only reason I would choose FloDesk. If you do not plan on taking email super seriously, you will do just fine with FloDesk. I have had several clients who chose FloDesk for the flat-rate pricing but switched to Kit because it just didn’t perform the way we needed it to. Extremely low click rates and emails not delivering have been a pattern. You’ve got to understand, I’m inside of my clients’ email marketing platforms everyday. Most have 10k-100k email subscribers on their list. There is nothing more frustrating than having a big list that is not making you money. Granted, not all of my clients who use FloDesk have low click rates, but I have just noticed more wonky things that happen with FloDesk.
Bottom Line: Flodesk is like buying designer shoes that look amazing but fall apart after a month of actual use.
Kit (Formerly ConvertKit): The Platform That Grows With Your Business
Now we’re talking. If Mailchimp and FloDesk are who you date while you’re still figuring out if you want to commit to email, Kit is who you marry ◡̈ …let’s talk about why:
- You Get What You Pay For, In the Best Way:
Everyone you ask who didn’t choose Kit will say it’s because of the price. Kit’s pricing is on a sliding scale (as you grow subscribers, the price grows as well). So yes, with FloDesk, you will pay $38/month for 10k and $150/month for 10k on Kit, but the real financial argument? Kit pays for itself.
When you’re using Kit’s automation and segmentation features properly, you’re making more money from your existing list. I’ve seen clients double their email revenue just by switching from a basic platform to Kit and implementing proper automation sequences.
Would you rather pay $10/month for a platform that makes you $100, or $50/month for a platform that makes you $1,000? The math is pretty simple.
2. Automations That Actually Work
Here’s where Kit really shines. You can build sophisticated email sequences that nurture your subscribers, segment your audience based on their interests, and automatically deliver the right message to the right person at the right time.
Remember my story about making thousands from 67 subscribers? That happened because Kit’s automation and tagging system let me identify exactly who was interested in what, and serve them accordingly.
3. Tagging and Segmentation That Makes You Money
Kit’s tagging system is like having a personal assistant who remembers everything about every subscriber. Someone downloads your 1st grade math freebie? They can get tagged as “math interested.” They click on your reading comprehension email? “Reading interested” tag.
This means when you launch your new math bundle, if you don’t want to blast it to your entire list (including the kindergarten teachers who teach sight words). You’re sending it to the people who actually care about math resources.
4. Integrations That Connect Everything
Kit plays nice with virtually every tool you’re already using. Shopify, WordPress, Teachable, Gumroad – if you can think of it, Kit probably integrates with it. And if it doesn’t integrate natively, Zapier can bridge that gap.
5. They are *always* thinking of ways to help us grow. For example, they recently added a LinkTree feature that let’s you instantly add people straight from LinkTree.
They also have something called the Creator Network that I think is slept on.
Picture this: you connect with other middle school science TPT sellers and discover you all use Kit as your email service provider. Well, guess what?! You can use the “recommendations” feature and when one person joins your friend’s list, the next thing they’ll see is an opportunity to join your list as well! A lot of TPT sellers collaborate and do actually giveaways or list shoutout swaps to recommend each other, but Kit has this built in—no extra promotions needed. It’s SO nice. Using this feature alone, popular creator Jay Clouse was able to add 22,500 new email subscribers to his list. Isn’t that wild?
5. Customer Support That Actually Helps
I email Kit support probably once or twice a week with random questions. And you know what? They actually respond with helpful answers. Not automated responses, not “check our FAQ” – actual human beings who solve actual problems. They have set up full automations for me. My clients who realize all that glitters aint gold over on FloDesk and end up switching always sing Kit’s praises because of their concierge service that switches all of the email automations, landing pages, etc. all over FOR FREE.
6. You Can Sell Digital Products Directly Through Kit
If you want to do a special Black Friday bundle that isn’t sold in your store, you can sell it using Kit. Or if you wanted to charge for a 5 day challenge to get your classroom organized, you can sell it using Kit. I have not personally used it and none of my clients have leveraged this feature so I can’t speak too much about it, but I love that it’s an option for edupreneurs who want to add more income streams.
The Email Marketing Stages Every Teacher Entrepreneur Goes Through
Let me walk you through the stages I see every teacher entrepreneur go through with email marketing, because I want you to recognize where you are and fast-track to where you need to be.
Stage 1: “I Know I Need This”
You’ve heard all the gurus say you need an email list. You set one up, maybe add a signup form to your website, and… crickets. You’re collecting emails but you have no idea what to do with them. Kit’s free resources and tutorials actually teach you what to do next, not just how to use their platform. They have an entire free course that shows you how to do everything.
Stage 2: “What Do I Even Say to These People?”
You’ve got some subscribers, but you’re staring at a blank email draft thinking, “What am I supposed to write about?” You send sporadic newsletters that feel forced and get lackluster results. Kit’s email templates and automation blueprints give you proven frameworks for engaging your audience and making sales.
Stage 3: “Getting Strategic”
This is where the magic happens. You start segmenting your list, creating targeted automations, and treating email like the powerful business tool it is. Your open rates climb, your sales increase, and you finally “get” why everyone was so obsessed with email marketing.
Why I love Kit for this: Kit’s advanced features like visual automation builder, liquid code (my personal fav!!), behavioral triggers, and detailed analytics help you optimize every aspect of your email strategy.
Real Talk: The Mistakes That Are Costing You Money
Before we dive deeper into why Kit is your best choice, let me call out some mistakes I see teacher entrepreneurs making that are literally costing them sales:
Mistake #1: Building the Wrong List
You’re so focused on list growth that you’re attracting any and all. You collaborate on giveaways with teachers from every grade level, create super general freebies, and end up with thousands of subscribers who will never buy from you.
I’d rather you have 300 subscribers who are all your ideal customers than 3,000 who aren’t. Quality over quantity, always.
Mistake #2: Not Having a Freebie-Specific Welcome Sequence
Someone signs up for your freebie and… nothing. No upsell email, no introduction to who you are, no explanation of what they can expect. That’s like having someone walk into your store and completely ignoring them.
Mistake #3: Only Emailing When You Want to Sell
You disappear for weeks, then suddenly show up in their inbox trying to sell them something. That’s not relationship building, that’s spam behavior and we don’t do it intentionally. It is usually because there’s not a plan in place as to what to send when you don’t have anything to sell.
Mistake #4: Using the Wrong Platform for Your Business Goals
You chose your email platform based on price or pretty templates, not on whether it can actually help you build a profitable business.
Setting Up Kit: Your First 30 Days
If I’ve convinced you that Kit is the way to go (and honestly, if you’re still on the fence, you need to listen to my episode on why email is sexy), here’s exactly what you need to do in your first month:
Week 1: Foundation Setup
- Import your existing list if you have one(Kit makes this painless)
- Pick one freebie that you will use to get people to join your list – this can be a popular freebie from your TPT store
- Create a landing page and delivery email
- Set up your basic automations (your first email freebie delivery sequence)
Week 2: Branding and Promotion
- Upload your brand’s color palette hex codes into the settings for Kit so that you don’t have to dig for them and you’re able to maintain visual branding consistency
- Make sure the email you use is yourname@yourdomain.com and NOT a yourstorename@gmail.com (I use Google Workspace for this)
- Create your newsletter template – I like to put something at the top that makes you instantly recognizable like your store logo, a photo of you, and you can even give your newsletter a name. Here’s what one of mine look like:
If you already have a freebie, it will take you less than a day to get your landing page and deliver email set up, once you have those two things you can start promoting (you don’t even have to have your entire email sequence written before people start joining!).
Places to promote:
- Inside your paid resources
- As a pop up on your website
- In your LinkTree, Link in Bio, etc on social
- Every social platform you’re on
- Inside a blog post
- Long form freebie features (podcast, YouTube)
Week 3: Send Your First Email!
Hopefully you have your very first subscriber! Which means you’re ready to start sending them emails. It might sound silly, but email marketing is a muscle that needs flexed, so go ahead and email, even if it is just you, your mom, and that 1 random person on your list.
Week 4: Content Creation
- Plan out 4 weekly email topics (teaching tips, product spotlights, freebies, classroom ideas)
- Put them on your content calendar for next month
- Design landing pages for more of your lead magnets to start testing which ones are converting best
- Review last week’s email analytics to get in the habit of tracking how your email performed
Email Marketing is Not Optional
Listen, I could sit here all day and tell you about features and pricing and integrations. But here’s what really matters: if you’re serious about building a sustainable teacher entrepreneur business, email marketing isn’t optional. It’s essential.
And if email marketing is essential, then you need a platform that’s going to help you succeed, not hold you back.
Kit is that platform.
It’s the difference between having a hobby and having a business. It’s the difference between hoping for sales and systematically generating them. It’s the difference between building on borrowed land and owning your own territory.
I’ve been using Kit for years, I’ve helped dozens of clients set up their email marketing on Kit, and I’ve seen the results firsthand. More subscribers, higher engagement, increased sales, and business growth that actually lasts.
Ready to Get Started?
If you’re ready to stop playing small with your email marketing and start building the kind of list that actually makes you money, sign up for Kit here.
Remember this: your TPT store, your Instagram following, your Pinterest boards – none of that matters if you don’t have a way to stay connected with your people. Email marketing isn’t just about sending newsletters. It’s about building relationships, creating trust, and turning casual followers into lifelong customers.
Choose Kit and thank me later!
This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase Kit through my link, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools I personally use and believe in – and Kit is definitely one of them.
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