Beefree news

The story behind the name change

Every great story has a beginning, and ours started back in 2014 with a simple yet ambitious goal: to revolutionize email creation and empower individuals to effortlessly design email newsletters. This is how BEE —an acronym for "Best Email Editor" came into existence. Little did we know that this name would resonate so deeply with our users and become an integral part of our brand identity for nearly a decade.As our company grew, we realized that we had outgrown our humble code name. While BEE had served us faithfully, we knew it was time for a change. A rebranding that could truly capture our evolution, values, and aspirations. Thus, after an incredible nine years, we embarked on a meaningful journey, transitioning from BEE to Beefree. This change represents a natural progression, reflecting the essence of our brand's growth and the vast opportunities ahead.In this blog post, we invite you to join us as we dive into the story of our brand refresh. We'll share the motivations and considerations that led us to make this decision. Discover the significance of this evolution and how Beefree embodies our unwavering commitment to delivering innovative, intuitive, and exceptional content design experiences for our cherished customers. Together, let's explore the exciting new chapter of our brand and the remarkable possibilities that lie ahead.

Why the change:

1. Evolving beyond an email editor:

When we first launched BEE, our aim was to offer the finest email editor in the market. As we progressed, we realized the need to broaden our scope and improve our functionalities. Today, our tool has transformed into an all-encompassing design suite, incorporating AI capabilities and sophisticated features. These advancements facilitate brand control, expedite the design process, promote teamwork, and provide integration with various Email Service Providers (ESPs) and Marketing Automation Platforms (MAPs).Our email editor has become a powerful solution that empowers designers and marketing teams to streamline their email production processes, reducing production time by up to 3X or more. With Beefree, teams without extensive design skills can create professional-grade emails and landing pages that align perfectly with their brand, without the need for technical expertise.With our white-label email builder integrated into over 600+ SaaS companies, Beefree SDK now also provides a landing page builder, popup builder, file manager, and has many exciting components and services in the pipeline. Beefree SDK enables SaaS applications to offer customers a smooth and intuitive content creation experience.

2. Standing out from the crowd:

While BEE served us well for many years, we realized that the name presented challenges. A Google search for "BEE" yields over 2,000,000,000 results, primarily dominated by one of the world's most popular insects. Establishing a distinct online presence and effectively differentiating ourselves became increasingly difficult. We desired a name that truly captured our unique identity and offerings, allowing us to stand out in a crowded market.The transition to Beefree resolves the confusion caused by our previous name and creates a stronger brand presence that aligns with our expanded range of services and solutions. Beefree embodies the freedom to create, innovate, and break free from the limitations of traditional email design. While paying homage to our roots and exceptional email editing capabilities, it symbolizes our commitment to providing an unparalleled experience that empowers creativity and unleashes limitless possibilities.

Embracing Beefree: a serendipitous revelation

At first glance, the change may not appear significant to some of you. In fact, many of you have already referred to us as Beefree. Surprisingly, our web domain has always been Beefree.io, chosen somewhat accidentally due to its availability and affordability. This fortunate choice has proven to be a stroke of serendipity.The widespread adoption of Beefree among our users is a testament to their intuitive understanding of our brand and the freedom it represents. It aligns with our core values and our purpose of democratizing beautiful, on-brand content by providing tools that free you up to do your best work. This realization solidified our decision to embrace Beefree as our new brand name, reaffirming that accidents can lead to meaningful discoveries and pave the way for profound transformations. We are excited to tackle this new chapter as Beefree, united in our shared commitment to empowering your creative endeavors and breaking free from limitations.

Explaining the free in Beefree.

At Beefree, freedom lies at the core of our philosophy. We believe in granting our users the freedom to design with no limits, allowing their creativity to soar and their ideas to take flight. But our commitment to liberation extends far beyond the creative process itself—it encompasses our dedication to providing accessible solutions for all, regardless of budget or resources.That's why, just over a year ago, we introduced our freemium model. We wanted to ensure that anyone, regardless of their financial means, could experience the incredible potential and boundless possibilities that Beefree has to offer. We're here to empower individuals and businesses of all sizes, removing limitations and opening doors to new opportunities for innovation and success. In line with this commitment, we are actively investing in enhancing the accessibility of both our visual content builders and the assets they produce for people with disabilities.Our freemium model reflects our belief in the democratization of creativity. We're dedicated to making impactful solutions accessible to everyone because we firmly believe that greatness can be found in every corner, regardless of financial constraints.

What’s in it for you, our customers?

Our rebranding efforts go beyond just a change in appearance. They reflect our commitment to delivering even greater value to you, our beloved customers. With our fresh new look and feel, we are revitalizing our brand to align with our exponential growth, visionary outlook, and ever-evolving content needs. While our appearance evolves, our core values of excellence, reliability, and dedication to your satisfaction remain unwavering.As we venture on this exciting journey as Beefree, we are working diligently to bring you many innovative features and enhancements. At the heart of our work is the principle of staying as close as possible to the problems we are trying to solve. We believe that the best new features come from deeply understanding those frustrations. That's why we are investing more resources in customer research and will continue to turn insights from that research into cutting-edge content design tools. As heavy users of our own products, we are there with you along this journey.Our dedicated team is actively developing new solutions to enhance collaboration, streamline workflows, and unlock even more creative possibilities. You can count on a continuous stream of updates and improvements as a Beefree customer, empowering you to achieve remarkable results.As part of our rebranding initiative, we are simplifying the names of our products. BEE Pro will now be known as Beefree. This transition symbolizes our dedicated commitment to conveying simplicity and freedom, capturing the true essence of our product. Additionally, we introduce Beefree SDK, an evolution of BEE Plugin. This software development kit offers developers a comprehensive solution for seamlessly integrating the content creation workflow into any application.

Our rebranding journey

We're thrilled to begin this rebranding journey, where we've revitalized the very essence of who we are. We've delved deeply into our core foundations, carefully crafting a purpose, vision, and mission that truly embody our passion and commitment to empowering your creative and technological endeavors.Our Purpose is simple yet powerful: we want to democratize beautiful, high-performing content design. We believe in creating tools that free you up to do your best work, unleashing your creativity (or that of your users) without constraints.Our Vision is ambitious but inspiring: We strive to become the no-code design standard for all businesses. By enabling centralized content design and decentralized editing, we aim to empower teams to collaborate seamlessly and effortlessly, creating impactful content that resonates with their audience.Our Mission is at the heart of everything we do: We create intuitive design tools that empower you to produce on-brand content quickly and collaboratively. We want to help you drive real impact, making your ideas come to life in ways that captivate and inspire.Through this renewed focus on our purpose, vision, and mission, we are committed to providing innovative solutions that revolutionize the way businesses approach content design and empower individuals to excel in their creative endeavors. This commitment led us to develop a Beefree narrative, which is captured in this video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq5qKtYBBI0

An overview of the new Beefree visual identity

Our new logo: a symbol of freedom and dynamic growth

As we embarked on our brand refresh journey, we recognized the need for a logo that would embody the essence of our evolution while maintaining a sense of familiarity. While our previous logo had a static and stable representation reminiscent of a hive, we wanted to make a subtle, yet important change that would highlight our brand's growth without overshadowing its roots.With great care and consideration, we refined our logo to embrace concepts that resonate deeply with our customers. The transformation captures the spirit of freedom, dynamism, and modernity, aligning our visual identity with the ever-evolving needs of our valued community. This change reflects our commitment to continuously evolve and provide innovative solutions that empower our customers to thrive in an ever-changing digital landscape.We invite you to explore our new logo with an open mind and discover the symbolism that resonates with you personally. Whether it's the reminder of a hive's strength, the symbolism of progress, the freedom of wings, or the exhilaration of a bird in flight, our logo is a visual representation of the limitless possibilities that lie ahead as we continue to evolve and serve you with innovative content design solutions.

Colors and fonts that define Beefree's new brand identity

In our rebranding journey, we have carefully chosen colors and fonts that reflect the essence of Beefree. Our primary color is Beefree Ultraviolet, HEX #7747FF, a violet that embodies the spirit of limitless possibilities and empowers users to break free from the constraints of traditional email design. Cherry pie, HEX #26045D, adds depth and sophistication to our visual identity, symbolizing our dedication to providing exceptional design experiences. Black rock, a darker purple, HEX #140231, creates a sense of elegance and enhances readability. Complementing these shades, the vibrant green, HEX #82EDA8, brings a fresh and energetic touch, representing growth and vitality.To ensure a modern, clean, and inclusive aesthetic, we have deliberately selected the fonts Urbanist and Inter. Urbanist strikes a balance between friendliness and professionalism, giving our brand a distinct personality. Inter, on the other hand, goes beyond aesthetics and prioritizes excellent legibility and versatility across various interfaces and devices. These choices reflect our commitment to inclusivity and accessibility, ensuring that our visual elements are legible and enjoyable for everyone. By combining these thoughtfully chosen fonts with our carefully selected colors, we create a cohesive and engaging visual experience that empowers your creative journey with Beefree.

Our Brand Architecture

Our legal name, BEE Content Design, Inc., remains unchanged, and we proudly continue to operate as a business unit under Growens. As mentioned earlier, we have transitioned from the name BEE to Beefree, embracing our new brand identity and simplifying our product names: BEE Pro is now Beefree, and BEE Plugin is now Beefree SDK.

Soar to new heights with Beefree!

In closing, the transition from BEE to Beefree marks a significant milestone in our brand's evolution. Deliberately embedding “free” in our name reflects our commitment to delivering even more value to you, our cherished customers: We will develop products that truly free people up to create their best content.Join us in embracing a future of email creation with no limits, and let's shape it together!For more information, explore our new websites at beefree.io and developers.beefree.io or try our products for free – Beefree and Beefree SDK.

A broad need to create visually rich emails

Many people use a wide variety of applications to communicate and collaborate across teams and departments. However, the one thing those applications often tend to lack is friendly content creation tools to design visually rich messages, on their own.This realization led us to launch the first version of our free drag-and-drop email builder in the fall of 2014. The need was so great that over 20,000 people enthusiastically used it in the first weekend after its launch.In 2015, we saw a desire from other SaaS companies to provide a similar experience to their users. That's when we released an embeddable version of the email builder.One of our first customers was a communication platform used by high schools. Teachers and school administrators needed a friendly tool to create weekly newsletters for students and parents.This a perfect example of how broad the need was and still is.It’s not just marketers that need to create impactful emails, landing pages, and other visual assets. It’s anyone that has a need to communicate in a visually rich way.Fast forward 8 and a half years and the need is as large as ever. Now over 400,000 business professionals across industries are using our design tools every month.It’s in this context that we continue to look for new ways to democratize design. Our goal is to make content design accessible and inclusive for businesses and individuals alike. We believe that by providing intuitive design tools, we can empower anyone to create on-brand content that not only looks good but drives impact. This mission has been our guiding principle since our inception, and we've constantly been evolving to stay on the cutting edge of technology and design.In recent years, the rise of AI has sparked our curiosity. Which we then used to answer the big question.“Can artificial intelligence help us further pursue our mission of democratizing design?”The short answer is “yes”.

A no-code answer to complex needs

We understand that someone working on alumni engagement at a university should not have to worry about the technical implications of rendering an email on a smartphone set to “dark mode.”They have more important things to worry about, like the actual content and the tone of the message.With that in mind, we continued to invest in functionality that helps non-technical people design great content, quickly, and on their own.For instance, to tackle the challenge of designing an email that might be opened on a smartphone set to “dark mode,” we created features like Dark Mode Preview and Mobile Design Mode. The goal was to make it a breeze to design directly in mobile view, and millions of emails and landing pages are now designed that way, every month.Implementing AI is just another way we’re going to remove complexity, increase productivity, and unleash creativity.

The Rise of AI in Email Marketing

How AI assistants fit in

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been making waves in the tech industry. Its potential to revolutionize various aspects of our lives cannot be understated.We recognize the importance of embracing AI early on to fully understand both its opportunities and challenges. We are confident that by integrating AI into our toolset, we can harness its power to help people design impactful email campaigns.There are many concerns about AI replacing the roles of designers, marketers, and technologists. However, we see it as an opportunity to augment their skills and unleash their creativity. AI can take care of repetitive and mundane tasks, help reduce mistakes, and assist in the creation of more accessible content. It is really a tool that enables professionals to focus on higher-level strategic work.

Starting with text

There are many aspects of content creation where AI in email marketing can play a significant role. The first area that we are exploring is copywriting.For someone working on an alumni engagement campaign, a handy tool like ChatGPT could help get things started. For example…

Going back and forth between an AI application and your email design tool can quickly become a headache and a waste of time. We wanted to simplify the process.So we began by integrating OpenAI’s GPT technology directly inside our visual builder.Now, the person working on the email can simply select a paragraph block, click on “Write with AI”, and chat with the AI assistant right there and then. No more copying and pasting. No more spending time moving between applications.In fact, here is the same chat as above, but done directly in our visual email builder.

With the ability to save content blocks and re-use them later, someone could quickly create five variations of the same content, and save them for different use cases.For example, I could ask the AI assistant to rewrite the same paragraph with a different tone of voice, and at different lengths, and then save each of those variations as separate content blocks. This is great for A/B testing or for personalizing content for different audiences.

Beefree Gives SaaS a Competitive Advantage with AI

Hundreds of software companies have adopted our embeddable email, page, and popup builders. All for one simple reason. They don’t want to create their own. When identifying whether they should make versus buy decisions, they opt to save time, money, and brain power. In addition, they trust that our own focus on creating a fantastic user experience will benefit their customers too.When it comes to introducing AI, they expect us to deliver at least part of the solution. And that’s exactly what we are doing. By introducing the OpenAI add-on in our embeddable visual builder, we give SaaS companies a competitive advantage and an experience their users will love.We can’t wait to see how content creators will put these features to work.

How AI in Email Marketing is Transforming the Space for a More Accessible and Impactful Future

We’re excited about all the possible ways that introducing AI in email marketing and into our design tools can help people create better content.This will help in the creation of even more on-brand digital assets, at a faster speed than they do now.For instance, many HR teams design email communications with our tools. In the future, we hope to help them quickly create multiple drafts of an onboarding email series for new employees, using different styles and tones of voice.Using AI, we will also help people prevent content problems. For instance, they could review the content of a landing page against their company assets and point out a section that seems to contain an incorrect product description.And lastly, we are excited about leveraging AI to help content creators be more aware of accessibility guidelines (e.g. how an email might look to a color-blind person). And do so right at the time of creating the content, addressing issues before they are ever an issue.

What we see ahead

At Beefree, we see product improvements as a marathon, not a sprint.Although the speed of change is mind-boggling when it comes to AI-enabled products, we are going to approach the integration of artificial intelligence in our tools the way we handle all other product developments.We will start with the real problems people are trying to solve.By looking at how AI can help create better solutions to those problems, we'll release the first version of the new solution. As feedback starts to roll in, we'll then iterate on it, with a careful eye on data privacy and security.It’s going to take time to figure out the best and safest ways to use AI in email marketing to truly help people design content that better serves their communication needs.We’re ready and excited to explore them.

You’ve invested precious time and effort into crafting an email to send out a new survey, and you’re eager to see what insights the survey uncovers. You finally click “send,” and then…crickets, day after day. Why isn’t your survey email getting conversions? Hint: it’s not just because people are busy. We’re diving into the top strategies and templates to use to convert survey emails.

Why send survey invitation emails?

Sending a survey email to your customers or subscribers is a method of getting valuable information that can inform how you run your business. With an email survey, you can:

• Easily gather a large quantity of responses with a cost-effective method
• Get honest answers (most surveys are anonymous, so your customers feel free to truly express their thoughts)
• Reach your customers on a channel where they’re connected and engaged

Survey invitation emails are also a smart choice because they’re cost-effective and don’t require much time on your end. We can’t think of a reason why you shouldn’t send one! When you’re ready to launch your campaign, check out these tips to learn the survey invitation email best practices:

#1. Make your survey email subject lines engaging

A huge chunk of subscribers—about 35%—decide whether or not to open your email based on the subject line alone. Salesforce reports that after the sender name, the subject line has the biggest impact on whether an email is opened or not. So the first step to getting readers to open your survey invitation emails is to put some thought, planning and testing into your subject line.Here are some examples of survey invitation email subject lines in our inbox. Based on what you see, are there any survey invitation emails you would open?

When it comes to survey invitation email subject lines, a good rule of thumb is to keep your subject line short. Most mobile devices only display the first six or seven words of a subject line, so using a short subject line is critical to get your message across.

Most of the subject lines from the invitation emails we received are transparent, making it pretty clear that a survey is enclosed. Those offering an incentive, like Klean Kanteen and Anthropologie, present that information in the subject line, too—a smart move for encouraging opens. Many of these messages also include “you” or “your” in the subject line, making it evident that the message is all about engagement.One subject line that stands out is in the form of a question, from the city recommendation guide InsideHook NY. “Are you happy with your job?” reads the subject line, followed by snappy preheader text (“Prove it.”) that’s perfectly on-brand.Main takeaway: When crafting your subject line, think about keeping it concise, differentiating yourself from other invitations and intriguing your audience.

#2. Be Concise In Your Survey Emails 

When you stick to a single message in your survey email—one that’s reiterated over and over in the subject line, images, content, and call-to-action—it’s more likely to sink in.Effective survey invitation emails will answer these questions right away:

• What: What is the email really about? What is the objective? Be clear about the survey’s purpose and why you’re doing it.
• Why: Why should readers participate? Are you offering an incentive, like a coupon? How will the survey results be valuable to you? Let readers know.
• How: How should readers engage, and how long will it take?(Is it less than 5 minutes?). Make sure the next steps are clear. 
• Where: Where should readers click? Use one strong, compelling call-to-action button. It should be obvious to readers where to click to participate.
• When: When is the due date? Create urgency by providing a deadline. Consider doing a drip email campaign with two or three messages to remind subscribers to complete your survey.

In this invitation from 23andMe, a genomics and biotechnology company, the letter-style message gets straight to the point. This survey email example answers all of the important questions: What the message is about (genetics research), why the survey is important (to help improve research efforts), how readers should engage (by answering as many or as few questions as they’d like), how long it will take (a few seconds), and where to click (an obvious “Submit Your Answer” CTA button). The email also gets the ball rolling by asking the first survey question in the email itself.

In another survey invitation email from InsideHook, the company repeats the subject line in the message’s first line.Subject line: Are you happy with your job? 

Again, InsideHook tells readers what the email is about (a survey about work life), why participation is important (to contribute to a new story called “Men at Work”), how readers should engage (hit the hot-linked language or CTA), how long it will take (no more than five minutes) and where to click (“Take the Survey” button).Main takeaway: Communicate clearly, letting readers know what you’re offering, why they should participate, and how they should respond. Don’t waste your readers’ time.

#3. Deliver A Compelling Call-To-Action For Survey Emails

Once a reader has opened your survey invitation email and read the message, it’s the moment of truth: Will the reader become a survey participant? The call-to-action you include in the email can make or break what happens next.There’s a good chance your reader will skip right over your body copy and read your CTA first, so make it easy for readers to click or tap by using a bulletproof CTA button.Buttons stand out and provide visual interest. Allow ample white space around your button so it’s easy to tap on mobile, and choose a bright contrasting color for the button that’s easy to spot. Also, make the CTA language clear and compelling—three to four words should do it.The Muse, a career and job site, created an excellent CTA button in this survey invitation email example. The CTA states exactly what the action is and how long it will take, and also provides a little urgency with the word “now.””Subject line: We need your help

When creating CTAs for survey emails, avoid overused and generic language (“Click here,” “Register,” “Learn more,” and “Sign up”). Instead, use personal pronouns (“my” and “your”) to set a friendly tone and make the CTA engaging and approachable.Main takeaway: Good CTAs are unique and customized to reflect the brand’s tone. Read more about how to optimize your CTA button with our Top Tips for Best Call-to-Action Button Design post.

#4. Do a one-question micro-survey

It takes a lot to get the attention of busy, on-the-go subscribers whose inboxes are flooded and who are reading emails while distracted and multitasking. It’s a tough crowd out there! Inviting readers to take a survey is a big ask. One way to make your survey as easy, simple, and quick as possible is to ask just one question right in the body of the email. This micro-survey tactic might just be the thing that gets readers to respond at higher rates.Instapage, a tool for creating landing pages, did just that. Here’s a survey email example of how they executed it.Subject line: A world premiere: The one second survey

Readers can select one of five choices right there in the email itself, and then the survey is over. There’s no need to click a CTA button or go to a landing page, and no need to spend even five minutes of their time.The Brooklyn Public Library takes the same approach in the email below, where subscribers choose an answer within the email.Subject line: Your answer needed: What’s your favorite genre?

Main takeaway: If getting a higher quantity of respondents is important to you, consider asking readers to answer the highest-value question by including it directly in your email.

#5. Avoid Spam Filters

All too often, survey emails end up in the recipient’s spam or junk folder, which is the last place you want yours to be! You can head straight for the inbox by avoiding spam trigger words in the subject line and not using all caps. You’ll also want to make sure your email doesn’t contain too many images or too many links.Other important tips to keep your survey emails out of the spam folder: Include a link to unsubscribe (which should be in all of your emails) and test your email deliverability with a few major providers before sending the message for good.

Survey Email Templates to Get Started Today

Not sure where to start when crafting your survey invitation email? You don’t need to start from scratch. Check out these helpful templates you can use and adjust accordingly, each with a particular purpose in mind.

1. Survey Email Template with a Giveaway

One of the best ways to encourage people to take your survey is to give them a concrete reason to do it…like the chance to win something exciting in a giveaway. You can use a template like this to entice people to participate:Subject: Feeling lucky? Get a chance to win !Body:We’d love to hear your opinion! We want it so badly, in fact, that we’re giving away a !Just click the button below and complete our simple survey. It will only take a few minutes of your time, and when you have completed it, you’ll be entered for a chance to win . Plus, you’ll be giving us valuable insight to allow us to serve you better. It’s a win all around!Example:Giveaway Survey Email Template

2. Survey Email Template with a Gift Card

Some people are more enticed by the chance to win a large prize while others are more enticed by the guarantee of a smaller token of appreciation like a gift card. Every audience is different, and it’s worth trying out both approaches to see which one your audience responds to best. To try out a gift card offer, try this survey template.Subject: You could have a gift card in 5 minutes!Body:We want to know what you think, and we’re offering much more than a penny for your thoughts!Complete our simple customer feedback survey to receive a [$] gift card to for you to use on your next purchase. Simply click the link below and complete our 5-minute survey to allow us to better serve you in the future. When you’ve completed the survey, you’ll receive a gift card you can use the next time you’re in the mood for (product name here)Thank you for helping us provide a better shopping experience!

3. Customer Feedback Email Survey for a Product

While it’s great to collect feedback on general customer experiences, you might want to know what customers think of specific products, especially new products. This is a great way to not only improve your product but collect marketable quotes and testimonials. Use this template to inspire your next product survey email.Subject: We’re dying to know what you thought of (product name)!Body:We saw that you ordered (product name here), and we’d love to hear what you think! We’re on a mission to bring our customers the best products we can offer, and you can help us make (product) better.To give us your thoughts on this product, click the link below and complete our product feedback survey. It’ll only take five minutes of your time, but you’ll be doing a solid for us and our future customers (including yourself).Thank you in advance for sharing your feedback!Example: Survey Email for Product FeedbackEach of these survey email templates has a different intent and use, but they’re all designed to engage your customers and encourage them to provide their feedback. Feel free to use them as they are or to customize them to suit your brand and your message.

Building great survey invitation emails

Designing survey invitation emails is no easy feat! Optimize your return on investment by getting readers to participate. If you need a little help getting started, check out our kit of survey email templates by designer Matteo Della Chiesa. The set includes five emails to take you from start to finish:

• Short invite
• Emoji invite
• Questionnaire invite
• Thank you
• Questionnaire results

Use this template in Beefree!

Use this template in Beefree!

Use these templates to design a comprehensive survey email campaign that will get your readers to jump on board!

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Editor’s Note: This post was updated on April 2023 to ensure accuracy and comprehensiveness. SaveSave