How to Use Zapier to Automate Email Marketing

Zapier is a powerful automation platform that helps you connect tools like Flodesk and Mailchimp so your email marketing runs smoothly with less manual work. This step-by-step guide shows you how to design automated workflows that send data between apps, keep your lists clean, and make the most of each platform’s strengths.

This article is based on the comparison of Flodesk and Mailchimp from Zapier’s email marketing guide, and turns those insights into a practical automation walkthrough.

Why Connect Flodesk and Mailchimp with Zapier

Flodesk and Mailchimp both handle email marketing, but they shine in different areas. By linking them with Zapier, you can reduce manual exports, avoid data entry mistakes, and use the best features of each tool together.

Typical reasons to connect them include:

• Designing visually rich emails in Flodesk while keeping analytics in Mailchimp
• Using Mailchimp forms and syncing new contacts to Flodesk automatically
• Centralizing list management in one tool while cross-sending campaigns
• Triggering emails when actions happen in other apps (e.g., eCommerce tools)

Planning Your Zapier Email Workflow

Before you build an automation, clarify how your email stack should work. Zapier automations, called Zaps, follow a trigger-and-action model.

Define Your Trigger and Destination Apps in Zapier

Decide which app will send data and which will receive it. For example:

• Trigger in Mailchimp: new subscriber joins a list
• Action in Flodesk: create or update a subscriber in a segment

Or the reverse direction:

• Trigger in Flodesk: new subscriber added via a form
• Action in Mailchimp: add a contact to an audience with tags

Map Fields and Segments Before Building in Zapier

Clean field mapping makes Zapier workflows far more reliable.

1. List the key fields you use in each tool, such as first name, email address, and custom properties.
2. Decide which app is the source of truth for each field.
3. Create consistent naming for segments, tags, or groups to avoid confusion.

This preparation ensures that when you connect apps in Zapier, each field has a clear destination.

Step-by-Step: Create a Basic Zapier Automation

Follow these steps to sync subscribers between your email platforms using Zapier.

Step 1: Set Up Your Accounts

Make sure you have active accounts for both tools and Zapier.

1. Log in to Mailchimp and confirm you have at least one audience and API access.
2. Log in to Flodesk and ensure you have a segment or workflow ready.
3. Create or sign in to your Zapier account.

Step 2: Create a New Zap in Zapier

1. In the Zapier dashboard, click Create Zap.
2. Give your Zap a clear name, such as “Mailchimp to Flodesk subscriber sync.”
3. Select the app that will act as the trigger, for example Mailchimp.

Step 3: Configure the Trigger in Zapier

1. Choose a trigger event like New Subscriber or Updated Subscriber.
2. Connect your Mailchimp account when Zapier prompts you.
3. Select the specific audience or list you want to watch.
4. Test the trigger so Zapier can pull a sample record.

If the test fails, confirm that your list contains at least one recent subscriber and that your account permissions are correct.

Step 4: Add the Action in Zapier

1. For the action app, pick Flodesk.
2. Choose an event like Create/Update Subscriber.
3. Connect your Flodesk account to Zapier.
4. Map the fields from the trigger to the action:

• Email from Mailchimp → Email in Flodesk
• First name from Mailchimp → First name in Flodesk
• Tag or group from Mailchimp → Segment in Flodesk (if applicable)

Use conditional logic or filters in Zapier if you only want certain contacts to sync, such as those from specific Mailchimp groups.

Step 5: Test and Turn On Your Zap

1. Use Zapier’s built-in test step to send sample data from Mailchimp to Flodesk.
2. Check the receiving app to confirm that the subscriber appears correctly.
3. Enable your Zap so it runs automatically in the background.

Once the Zap is live, new subscribers will flow according to your configured rules without manual exports.

Advanced Zapier Use Cases for Email Marketing

Beyond basic syncing, you can build more advanced workflows in Zapier to match what the Flodesk vs. Mailchimp comparison highlights about each tool’s strengths.

Use Zapier to Trigger Emails from Other Apps

You can connect your email platforms to dozens of other services.

• When a purchase is made in your eCommerce platform, use Zapier to tag the customer in Mailchimp.
• When a lead fills out a form tool, send the data to Flodesk and start a welcome sequence.
• When a booking is created in a scheduling app, add the client to a follow-up campaign.

Clean and Enrich Data with Multi-Step Zaps

Zapier supports multi-step workflows, so you can transform data before it reaches your email tool.

• Use filters to only continue if email addresses meet certain criteria.
• Format names or phone numbers with Formatter by Zapier.
• Send data through a CRM and then to Flodesk or Mailchimp with consistent tags.

Sync Unsubscribes and Status Changes with Zapier

To avoid sending unwanted messages, it is crucial that unsubscribe status stays aligned.

1. Create a Zap whose trigger is an unsubscribe event in your primary email tool.
2. Use an action in the secondary tool to update the contact’s status or remove them from all segments.
3. Test carefully so Zapier never re-subscribes someone who opted out.

Best Practices for Reliable Zapier Email Automations

For stable, long-term automations, keep these guidelines in mind:

• Avoid loops: Use tags or fields to mark which app is the source and prevent circular syncing.
• Document Zaps: Add descriptions so your team knows what each Zapier automation does.
• Monitor task usage: Check within Zapier to ensure your tasks stay within plan limits.
• Test changes: Whenever you adjust a list or field in Flodesk or Mailchimp, test related Zaps.

Where to Learn More About Zapier and Email Tools

To deepen your understanding of how these platforms compare, read the full Flodesk vs. Mailchimp breakdown on the Zapier blog. It explains pricing, design capabilities, and which types of businesses benefit most from each tool.

If you need strategic help designing a broader automation framework that includes Zapier, CRMs, and analytics, you can explore consulting resources such as Consultevo for marketing automation guidance.

Next Steps: Build Your First Zapier Email Workflow

With a clear plan, you can use Zapier to connect Flodesk, Mailchimp, and the rest of your tech stack so your marketing runs with fewer manual steps. Start with a simple subscriber sync, verify that data moves correctly, and then layer in advanced triggers and multi-step Zaps as your strategy grows.

By combining thoughtful workflow design with the flexibility of Zapier, you can create a scalable email system that supports both beautiful design and precise targeting, without getting bogged down in repetitive tasks.

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