When it came time to choose a new email platform, I didn’t want “adequate.” I required something much better– something constructed for growth, smarter money making, and a smoother experience overall. After almost a years aiding others with email marketing (and 2 years running my very own newsletter), I had not been trying to find simply a tool– I was searching for a proper companion Matt Mcgarry Write Grow Sell.
Which’s just how Beehiiv went into the picture.
Now, I recognize what you’re believing: “Isn’t Beehiiv just another Substack option?” I thought that as well initially. However after 3 months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I’ve got a great deal to claim– both the victories and the unusual peculiarities. If you’re attempting to choose whether Beehiiv is the best system for you, settle in. You’re about to obtain the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Device Behind
Let’s be sincere– most email company (ESPs) are constructed like they’re still stuck in 2013. I needed a tool that might in fact aid grow my checklist and make some money while I was at it. My old ESP just wasn’t cutting it any longer.
So I started contrasting alternatives. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the normal suspects. Each had its perks, yet I was looking at this with the lens of someone who takes e-mail seriously– and who desired complete control over my audience and material.
The Substack Issue: Looks Great Until You Look Closer
Substack was my first stop. It’s brightened. It’s simple. And yeah, it’s preferred.
However dig a little much deeper, and cracks start revealing. The most significant one? You don’t actually own your fans.
That “comply with” button you see on Substack? It’s primarily smoke and mirrors. Those fans live behind a wall surface– inside the Substack application or on their site. You can’t email them straight. Can’t export them. You’re essentially renting an audience you can never ever fully get to.
It resembles doing on a phase where the lights only switch on if the location determines to allow the crowd see you. Does not feel wonderful.
And afterwards there’s the money side. Substack takes 10% off your paid registrations. Stripe takes another 3%. That’s 13% of your income– gone. You would certainly assume they were running a bar, not an e-mail platform.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, But Was It Too Excellent to Be Real?
So what made Beehiiv stick out?
At first, it was the assurance of creator-first features– like better money making, smarter listing development devices, and zero system fees (besides the typical Stripe cut). Yet promises are very easy. Execution? That’s where it gets real.
Still, the evaluations were encouraging. The Reddit strings didn’t sound like robots or brand plants. And the onboarding? Surprisingly smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the leap.
Readying Up on Beehiiv
Let me inform you– migrating to a new platform generally seems like pulling teeth. However Beehiiv? Remarkably painless.
Importing my list? Smooth. Establishing forms? No disasters. Linking my custom-made domain name? A few minor hiccups, however absolutely nothing that needed swearing at the display.
One point I truly valued was the “domain warming” feature. Beehiiv slowly introduces your domain to inbox carriers, piggybacking off their own sending domain. Translation? Less spam folder headaches.
Additionally, their assistance material– video clips, help docs, and walkthroughs– in fact really felt human. Like somebody sat down and said, “Let’s not frustrate the hell out of our customers today.” Rejuvenating.
Automation on Beehiiv: Matt Mcgarry Write Grow Sell
Now right here’s where points obtained a little … interesting.
Beehiiv’s automation system is suitable, but do not anticipate it to compete with heavyweight systems like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. As an example, each form can just be attached to a single automation. That makes it tricky to customize welcome series based on just how somebody signed up.
I wound up going complete investigator setting– dabbling with sections, utilizing different landing pages, reading obscure Reddit strings– simply to develop a few tailored workflows.
Is it doable? Absolutely. Yet if you’re made use of to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional logic, this may seem like stepping back a bit.
Email Builder: Primarily Fantastic, However Not Perfect
I’ve got a bit of a love-hate relationship with Beehiiv’s e-mail builder.
Visually? It’s slick. Drag, drop, format, sneak peek– it seems like it was developed by someone who’s in fact written a newsletter or 2.
But default templates took a couple of tweaks to solve. And right here’s a curveball: Beehiiv e-mails can obtain huge. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb huge.
That implies your magnificently crafted message might obtain chopped in half if you’re not mindful. I learned this by hand– then dropped a rabbit hole of testing devices to enhance HTML dimension and avoid that dreaded clipping.
My best approach?
- Downloading and install examination emails from Gmail and inspecting dimension
- Running the HTML through Parcel.io’s e-mail customer
- Confirming with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Little a hand-operated procedure, yet it works. I even connected to Beehiiv concerning including better size cautions. Fingers went across.
The Stuff That In Fact Relocations the Needle
Alright, let’s get into the meat of it– what’s made a concrete distinction given that switching over to Beehiiv?
Target market Growth
In simply 3 months, I added over 160 brand-new subscribers to a quite niche e-newsletter. That’s about 60% greater than what I was seeing in the past– and I had not been even running paid advertisements.
A lot of that development came from Beehiiv’s built-in tools: the referral program, Boosts (assume e-newsletter cross-promotions), and natural reach. You can actually track what’s functioning and where clients are coming from. Makes tweaking your strategy a lot much easier.
Monetization That Does Not Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s speak cash because for the majority of designers, it matters.
Beehiiv does not take a cut from your paid subscriptions. Simply Stripe’s cost. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% better than Substack (literally).
Yet there’s even more: their ad network is intuitive and passive. Within three months, I was currently fielding interest from marketers. Beehiiv’s companion network attaches developers with brand names in a way that does not really feel nasty or compelled. It’s built-in income possibility, plain and basic Matt Mcgarry Write Grow Sell.
And when I’m ready to release a premium subscription? I recognize exactly what reduced I’ll get: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Growth Devices
What really establishes Beehiiv apart is that development isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You have actually obtained personalized referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Multiple landing pages for tracking lead resources. You can turn your visitors into supporters without dangling uncomfortable boodle or single gimmicks.
I’ll claim this: Beehiiv feels like a platform that wants you to prosper. Not one that simply desires a piece of your pie.
Points I ‘d Still Like to See Improve
No platform is best, and Beehiiv’s got its quirks.
Assistance can be slow when you hit a weird bug or need deep assistance.
Some automations still really feel as well standard.
Email size tracking needs much better in-app signals (please and thanks).
No integrated countdown timers (long face if you enjoy FOMO emails).
Ecommerce integrations? Basically missing.
So if you’re marketing physical products or want abandoned cart flows, Beehiiv possibly isn’t your best option.
Conclusion
If you’re a developer who’s serious about newsletters– whether you’re monetizing, expanding a listing, or just tired of obsolete systems– Beehiiv’s a strong option.
You’ll like it if:
You desire complete possession of your target market
You’re looking to expand quickly without paying system tax obligation
You want something that feels built by makers, for creators
Will it resolve every problem? No. However in three months, it’s aided me grow quicker, earn more, and tension much less regarding the little things.
So, should you attempt Beehiiv?
If you’re ready to stop working out and really scale your newsletter with genuine devices that value your job and audience– yeah, I assume it’s time.
Take place. Offer it a spin. You just may fall in love like I did.