When it came time to select a new email platform, I really did not want “adequate.” I needed something much better– something constructed for development, smarter monetization, and a smoother experience in general. After almost a decade aiding others with e-mail marketing (and 2 years running my very own e-newsletter), I had not been looking for just a device– I was hunting for an appropriate companion UGC Creator Beehiiv.
And that’s how Beehiiv got in the picture.
Now, I understand what you’re assuming: “Isn’t Beehiiv simply an additional Substack choice?” I assumed that as well initially. But after three months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I’ve got a whole lot to claim– both the success and the odd traits. If you’re attempting to choose whether Beehiiv is the ideal system for you, work out in. You’re about to get the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Device Behind
Let’s be honest– most email service providers (ESPs) are built like they’re still stuck in 2013. I needed a tool that might in fact assist expand my checklist and make some money while I was at it. My old ESP just wasn’t cutting it anymore.
So I started contrasting choices. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the typical suspects. Each had its rewards, yet I was taking a look at this with the lens of somebody who takes e-mail seriously– and who desired full control over my audience and web content.
The Substack Trouble: Looks Excellent Until You Look Closer
Substack was my first stop. It’s brightened. It’s basic. And yeah, it’s prominent.
But dig a little deeper, and fractures start revealing. The greatest one? You don’t really possess your followers.
That “adhere to” button you see on Substack? It’s mostly smoke and mirrors. Those followers live behind a wall surface– inside the Substack application or on their site. You can’t email them straight. Can not export them. You’re generally renting an audience you can never totally get to.
It resembles carrying out on a stage where the lights just switch on if the venue decides to let the crowd see you. Doesn’t feel wonderful.
And after that there’s the cash side. Substack takes 10% off your paid registrations. Stripe takes one more 3%. That’s 13% of your revenue– gone. You would certainly think they were running a club, not an e-mail platform.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, But Was It Also Great to Be Real?
So what made Beehiiv stand out?
At first, it was the guarantee of creator-first features– like better money making, smarter list growth devices, and zero platform charges (other than the normal Stripe cut). However guarantees are very easy. Implementation? That’s where it gets real.
Still, the evaluations were motivating. The Reddit threads didn’t sound like crawlers or brand name plants. And the onboarding? Surprisingly smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the jump.
Readying Up on Beehiiv
Let me inform you– migrating to a brand-new platform normally feels like pulling teeth. However Beehiiv? Remarkably pain-free.
Importing my list? Smooth. Establishing types? No disasters. Connecting my personalized domain? A couple of small missteps, however absolutely nothing that needed swearing at the display.
One point I really valued was the “domain name warming” feature. Beehiiv slowly presents your domain name to inbox service providers, piggybacking off their very own sending domain name. Translation? Fewer spam folder headaches.
Additionally, their support material– video clips, assistance docs, and walkthroughs– actually felt human. Like somebody took a seat and said, “Let’s not discourage the hell out of our users today.” Refreshing.
Automation on Beehiiv: UGC Creator Beehiiv
Now below’s where things got a little … intriguing.
Beehiiv’s automation system is good, however do not anticipate it to take on heavyweight systems like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. For instance, each type can just be connected to a single automation. That makes it challenging to personalize welcome sequences based upon exactly how a person joined.
I ended up going complete detective mode– tinkering with segments, utilizing separate landing pages, checking out odd Reddit strings– just to develop a couple of customized workflows.
Is it manageable? Absolutely. But if you’re used to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional reasoning, this may seem like stepping back a little bit.
Email Builder: Mainly Wonderful, However Not Perfect
I’ve got a little a love-hate relationship with Beehiiv’s email builder.
Visually? It’s slick. Drag, drop, layout, preview– it seems like it was made by somebody who’s really created a newsletter or 2.
But default templates took a couple of tweaks to solve. And here’s a curveball: Beehiiv emails can get big. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb huge.
That suggests your beautifully crafted message may obtain cut in half if you’re not careful. I discovered this the hard way– after that decreased a bunny opening of testing devices to maximize HTML size and prevent that dreadful clipping.
My go-to strategy?
- Downloading examination e-mails from Gmail and checking dimension
- Running the HTML via Parcel.io’s e-mail audience
- Ascertaining with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Little bit of a manual process, but it works. I also reached out to Beehiiv regarding adding much better size cautions. Fingers went across.
The Stuff That Actually Moves the Needle
Alright, let’s enter the meat of it– what’s made a substantial difference considering that switching to Beehiiv?
Audience Development
In simply 3 months, I included over 160 brand-new customers to a quite specific niche e-newsletter. That has to do with 60% more than what I was seeing previously– and I had not been also running paid advertisements.
Most of that development came from Beehiiv’s built-in tools: the referral program, Boosts (believe newsletter cross-promotions), and natural reach. You can really track what’s working and where clients are coming from. Makes tweaking your method a great deal easier.
Money Making That Does Not Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s speak cash due to the fact that for the majority of creators, it matters.
Beehiiv does not take a cut from your paid subscriptions. Just Stripe’s fee. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% far better than Substack (literally).
Yet there’s more: their ad network is user-friendly and passive. Within three months, I was currently fielding passion from marketers. Beehiiv’s partner network connects developers with brands in a manner that doesn’t feel sickening or compelled. It’s built-in earnings potential, ordinary and easy UGC Creator Beehiiv.
And when I’m ready to introduce a premium membership? I recognize precisely what reduced I’ll get: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Development Tools
What actually establishes Beehiiv apart is that development isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You’ve obtained personalized referral programs. Boosts for e-newsletter cross-promotion. Multiple landing pages for tracking lead resources. You can turn your viewers into supporters without dangling unpleasant swag or single gimmicks.
I’ll say this: Beehiiv seems like a platform that desires you to prosper. Not one that just wants an item of your pie.
Points I ‘d Still Like to See Improve
No system is perfect, and Beehiiv’s obtained its quirks.
Assistance can be slow-moving when you struck an odd insect or need deep help.
Some automations still really feel as well fundamental.
Email size monitoring needs better in-app notifies (please and thanks).
No built-in countdown timers (sad face if you love FOMO e-mails).
Ecommerce integrations? Basically nonexistent.
So if you’re offering physical products or desire abandoned cart circulations, Beehiiv possibly isn’t your best choice.
Final Thought
If you’re a maker who’s serious about newsletters– whether you’re generating income from, growing a listing, or just tired of out-of-date systems– Beehiiv’s a strong choice.
You’ll like it if:
You desire full possession of your audience
You’re aiming to expand quickly without paying system tax obligation
You want something that really feels developed by designers, for developers
Will it fix every trouble? No. But in 3 months, it’s helped me expand quicker, earn a lot more, and tension much less regarding the little things.
So, should you attempt Beehiiv?
If you prepare to stop clearing up and actually range your e-newsletter with actual tools that appreciate your work and audience– yeah, I think it’s time.
Take place. Give it a spin. You simply may fall in love like I did.