When it came time to select a brand-new e-mail system, I really did not want “sufficient.” I required something much better– something constructed for development, smarter money making, and a smoother experience on the whole. After virtually a years assisting others with email marketing (and two years running my own e-newsletter), I had not been looking for simply a tool– I was hunting for a correct partner Beehiiv CRM.
Which’s just how Beehiiv got in the picture.
Currently, I understand what you’re believing: “Isn’t Beehiiv simply another Substack option?” I thought that too initially. However after 3 months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I have actually obtained a lot to claim– both the success and the unusual traits. If you’re trying to choose whether Beehiiv is the best platform for you, work out 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 built like they’re still embeded 2013. I needed a tool that can in fact help grow my checklist and make some money while I went to it. My old ESP just wasn’t sufficing anymore.
So I began contrasting choices. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the usual suspects. Each had its perks, yet I was checking out this through the lens of a person who takes e-mail seriously– and who wanted complete control over my audience and web content.
The Substack Problem: Looks Excellent Up Until You Look Closer
Substack was my very first stop. It’s brightened. It’s easy. And yeah, it’s popular.
However dig a little much deeper, and splits begin showing. The most significant one? You do not in fact own your fans.
That “comply with” switch you see on Substack? It’s mainly smoke and mirrors. Those fans live behind a wall– inside the Substack app or on their site. You can not email them straight. Can not export them. You’re primarily leasing an audience you can never ever fully reach.
It’s like doing on a phase where the lights only turn on if the venue makes a decision to allow the group see you. Does not really feel great.
And after that there’s the money side. Substack takes 10% off your paid subscriptions. Stripe takes one more 3%. That’s 13% of your earnings– gone. You ‘d believe they were running a nightclub, not an email system.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, Yet Was It Too Excellent to Be True?
So what made Beehiiv attract attention?
At first, it was the guarantee of creator-first features– like better monetization, smarter checklist development devices, and absolutely no platform costs (apart from the typical Stripe cut). However guarantees are simple. Implementation? That’s where it obtains real.
Still, the evaluations were motivating. The Reddit threads didn’t sound like crawlers or brand plants. And the onboarding? Remarkably smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the jump.
Readying Up on Beehiiv
Let me inform you– moving to a new system generally seems like drawing teeth. Yet Beehiiv? Remarkably painless.
Importing my list? Smooth. Setting up forms? No meltdowns. Connecting my custom domain? A couple of minor missteps, yet absolutely nothing that called for swearing at the screen.
Something I really appreciated was the “domain warming” feature. Beehiiv gradually introduces your domain name to inbox service providers, piggybacking off their very own sending out domain. Translation? Less spam folder headaches.
Also, their support material– video clips, aid docs, and walkthroughs– in fact felt human. Like somebody sat down and said, “Let’s not discourage the hell out of our individuals today.” Rejuvenating.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv CRM
Now below’s where things obtained 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 kind can just be connected to a solitary automation. That makes it tricky to individualize welcome sequences based upon just how somebody joined.
I wound up going full detective setting– playing with sectors, using separate landing pages, reading rare Reddit threads– simply to develop a few customized workflows.
Is it doable? Definitely. Yet if you’re used to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional reasoning, this may seem like going back a little bit.
Email Builder: Mainly Terrific, But Not Perfect
I have actually obtained a little a love-hate partnership with Beehiiv’s email builder.
Aesthetically? It’s slick. Drag, drop, style, sneak peek– it seems like it was created by somebody who’s really written a newsletter or more.
But default templates took a few tweaks to solve. And here’s a curveball: Beehiiv e-mails can obtain large. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb huge.
That suggests your perfectly crafted message could obtain cut in half if you’re not cautious. I discovered this by hand– then dropped a rabbit opening of testing devices to maximize HTML size and prevent that dreaded clipping.
My go-to approach?
- Downloading examination e-mails from Gmail and checking size
- Running the HTML via Parcel.io’s email customer
- Confirming with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Bit of a hand-operated procedure, however it functions. I also reached out to Beehiiv regarding adding far better dimension cautions. Fingers went across.
Right Stuff That Actually Actions the Needle
Alright, let’s enter into the meat of it– what’s made a tangible distinction given that switching to Beehiiv?
Target market Growth
In simply three months, I included over 160 new subscribers to a pretty specific niche newsletter. That’s about 60% more than what I was seeing in the past– and I had not been even running paid ads.
The majority of that growth came from Beehiiv’s integrated devices: the referral program, Boosts (think e-newsletter cross-promotions), and natural reach. You can really track what’s working and where clients are originating from. Makes tweaking your method a whole lot simpler.
Money Making That Does Not Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s chat cash due to the fact that for a lot of developers, it matters.
Beehiiv does not take a cut from your paid memberships. Simply Stripe’s charge. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% much better than Substack (actually).
However there’s even more: their advertisement network is user-friendly and passive. Within 3 months, I was currently fielding rate of interest from marketers. Beehiiv’s companion network links developers with brands in a manner that does not really feel nasty or compelled. It’s integrated income possibility, plain and basic Beehiiv CRM.
And when I’m ready to launch a premium subscription? I understand specifically what reduced I’ll get: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Development Tools
What actually sets Beehiiv apart is that growth isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You have actually obtained customizable referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Multiple landing pages for tracking lead sources. You can turn your viewers into advocates without hanging awkward swag or single tricks.
I’ll say this: Beehiiv feels like a platform that desires you to do well. Not one that simply wants a piece of your pie.
Things I would certainly Still Like to See Improve
No platform is excellent, and Beehiiv’s got its quirks.
Support can be sluggish when you struck an unusual bug or require deep aid.
Some automations still really feel also fundamental.
Email size monitoring needs much better in-app signals (please and thanks).
No built-in countdown timers (long face if you like FOMO e-mails).
Ecommerce integrations? Essentially missing.
So if you’re selling physical items or desire abandoned cart flows, Beehiiv probably isn’t your best bet.
Final Thought
If you’re a developer who’s serious about newsletters– whether you’re monetizing, expanding a list, or simply tired of outdated systems– Beehiiv’s a strong option.
You’ll like it if:
You want full possession of your audience
You’re seeking to grow quickly without paying system tax
You want something that feels constructed by makers, for developers
Will it resolve every problem? No. Yet in 3 months, it’s helped me expand quicker, earn much more, and stress much less about the little points.
So, should you try Beehiiv?
If you’re ready to quit resolving and actually scale your e-newsletter with actual devices that appreciate your job and audience– yeah, I think it’s time.
Go on. Give it a spin. You simply could fall in love like I did.