When it came time to choose a new e-mail platform, I didn’t desire “sufficient.” I needed something better– something developed for development, smarter money making, and a smoother experience on the whole. After nearly a years helping others with e-mail marketing (and 2 years running my very own e-newsletter), I had not been trying to find simply a tool– I was hunting for an appropriate partner Finance Focus Beehiiv.
Which’s how Beehiiv got in the picture.
Now, I recognize what you’re assuming: “Isn’t Beehiiv simply another Substack alternative?” I thought that too in the beginning. However after 3 months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I’ve got a whole lot to say– both the victories and the weird traits. If you’re trying to choose whether Beehiiv is the right system for you, clear up in. You’re about to obtain the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Device Behind
Let’s be sincere– most email service providers (ESPs) are built like they’re still embeded 2013. I required a device that might really help expand my checklist and make some cash while I went to it. My old ESP simply had not been sufficing any longer.
So I began contrasting choices. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the typical suspects. Each had its perks, however I was taking a look at this via the lens of someone who takes e-mail seriously– and who desired complete control over my target market and content.
The Substack Trouble: Looks Excellent Till You Look Closer
Substack was my initial stop. It’s brightened. It’s basic. And yeah, it’s prominent.
But dig a little deeper, and splits start revealing. The most significant one? You don’t actually own your followers.
That “comply with” switch you see on Substack? It’s mainly smoke and mirrors. Those fans live behind a wall surface– inside the Substack app or on their site. You can’t email them straight. Can’t export them. You’re generally renting an audience you can never ever totally get to.
It resembles carrying out on a stage where the lights only switch on if the place decides to allow the crowd see you. Doesn’t feel excellent.
And afterwards there’s the cash side. Substack takes 10% off your paid subscriptions. Stripe takes one more 3%. That’s 13% of your revenue– gone. You would certainly assume they were running a club, not an e-mail system.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, Yet Was It Too Good to Be True?
So what made Beehiiv stand out?
Initially, it was the pledge of creator-first features– like better monetization, smarter list development devices, and absolutely no system charges (other than the usual Stripe cut). However guarantees are easy. Execution? That’s where it obtains real.
Still, the evaluations were encouraging. The Reddit strings really did not sound like robots or brand name plants. And the onboarding? Remarkably smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the jump.
Getting Set Up on Beehiiv
Let me inform you– migrating to a new system generally feels like drawing teeth. Yet Beehiiv? Surprisingly painless.
Importing my list? Smooth. Setting up types? No disasters. Attaching my custom-made domain? A couple of small missteps, but nothing that called for swearing at the display.
One thing I really valued was the “domain name warming” feature. Beehiiv progressively introduces your domain name to inbox providers, piggybacking off their own sending out domain name. Translation? Fewer spam folder problems.
Likewise, their assistance web content– video clips, aid docs, and walkthroughs– really really felt human. Like someone sat down and said, “Let’s not frustrate the hell out of our individuals today.” Refreshing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Finance Focus Beehiiv
Currently here’s where points obtained a little … intriguing.
Beehiiv’s automation system is respectable, however do not anticipate it to compete with heavyweight platforms like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. As an example, each kind can only be linked to a solitary automation. That makes it tricky to personalize welcome series based upon just how someone registered.
I wound up going complete investigative mode– playing with sectors, making use of different landing pages, reading rare Reddit threads– simply to construct a couple of tailored workflows.
Is it manageable? Absolutely. However if you’re made use of to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional logic, this might seem like stepping back a little bit.
Email Builder: Primarily Great, Yet Not Perfect
I have actually obtained a bit of a love-hate connection with Beehiiv’s email builder.
Visually? It’s slick. Drag, drop, layout, preview– it feels like it was made by someone who’s actually composed a newsletter or more.
But default templates took a couple of tweaks to solve. And below’s a curveball: Beehiiv emails can obtain huge. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb big.
That indicates your perfectly crafted message may get cut in half if you’re not mindful. I learned this the hard way– after that decreased a rabbit opening of testing devices to maximize HTML size and avoid that dreadful clipping.
My go-to approach?
- Downloading test emails from Gmail and inspecting dimension
- Running the HTML via Parcel.io’s email customer
- Confirming with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Bit of a hands-on process, yet it functions. I also reached out to Beehiiv regarding including better size warnings. Fingers crossed.
Right Stuff That Actually Relocations the Needle
Alright, let’s enter into the meat of it– what’s made a concrete difference considering that switching to Beehiiv?
Target market Growth
In simply 3 months, I added over 160 brand-new customers to a rather niche newsletter. That has to do with 60% greater than what I was seeing previously– and I wasn’t even running paid ads.
A lot of that growth came from Beehiiv’s integrated tools: the referral program, Boosts (think newsletter cross-promotions), and organic reach. You can in fact track what’s functioning and where customers are originating from. Makes tweaking your strategy a great deal simpler.
Money Making That Doesn’t Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s talk money because for many developers, it matters.
Beehiiv does not take a cut from your paid registrations. Just Stripe’s cost. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% much better than Substack (essentially).
Yet there’s more: their advertisement network is instinctive and passive. Within 3 months, I was currently fielding interest from marketers. Beehiiv’s partner network connects designers with brands in such a way that doesn’t feel icky or forced. It’s integrated revenue capacity, plain and basic Finance Focus Beehiiv.
And when I’m ready to launch a costs membership? I know exactly what cut I’ll get: all of it (minus Stripe).
Integrated Development Devices
What actually establishes Beehiiv apart is that growth isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You’ve got customizable referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Several landing pages for tracking lead sources. You can turn your readers right into advocates without hanging uncomfortable swag or single gimmicks.
I’ll state this: Beehiiv feels like a platform that wants you to be successful. Not one that just wants a piece of your pie.
Points I ‘d Still Like to See Improve
No system is ideal, and Beehiiv’s obtained its quirks.
Assistance can be slow-moving when you hit an unusual insect or require deep assistance.
Some automations still feel as well standard.
Email dimension tracking needs much better in-app alerts (please and thanks).
No integrated countdown timers (long face if you enjoy FOMO e-mails).
Ecommerce integrations? Primarily missing.
So if you’re marketing physical products or desire abandoned cart flows, Beehiiv possibly isn’t your best choice.
Conclusion
If you’re a creator who’s serious about e-newsletters– whether you’re generating income from, expanding a list, or simply tired of out-of-date systems– Beehiiv’s a solid selection.
You’ll like it if:
You desire complete ownership of your target market
You’re aiming to grow quick without paying system tax obligation
You want something that feels built by creators, for makers
Will it resolve every issue? No. But in three months, it’s assisted me grow faster, earn a lot more, and stress much less about the little things.
So, should you attempt Beehiiv?
If you prepare to quit working out and actually scale your newsletter with genuine tools that value your work and audience– yeah, I think it’s time.
Take place. Provide it a spin. You simply may fall in love like I did.