When it came time to choose a brand-new email system, I didn’t want “good enough.” I needed something better– something built 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 wasn’t trying to find just a device– I was searching for an appropriate partner Beehiiv Five Words In.
Which’s how Beehiiv went into the picture.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Isn’t Beehiiv simply an additional Substack alternative?” I thought that too initially. But after three months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I’ve obtained a lot to say– both the success and the unusual traits. If you’re trying to decide whether Beehiiv is the best system for you, work out in. You’re about to obtain the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Device Behind
Let’s be straightforward– most email service providers (ESPs) are developed like they’re still embeded 2013. I needed a tool that could in fact aid expand my list and make some cash while I went to it. My old ESP just had not been sufficing anymore.
So I began comparing choices. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the normal suspects. Each had its benefits, however I was looking at this with the lens of somebody who takes e-mail seriously– and who wanted complete control over my audience and material.
The Substack Problem: Looks Great Until You Look Closer
Substack was my first quit. It’s brightened. It’s basic. And yeah, it’s prominent.
Yet dig a little deeper, and fractures begin revealing. The most significant one? You do not in fact possess your followers.
That “follow” button you see on Substack? It’s mainly smoke and mirrors. Those followers live behind a wall surface– inside the Substack app or on their website. You can not email them straight. Can’t export them. You’re generally renting an audience you can never fully get to.
It resembles carrying out on a phase where the lights only activate if the place decides to allow the group see you. Doesn’t really feel wonderful.
And afterwards there’s the money side. Substack takes 10% off your paid memberships. Stripe takes an additional 3%. That’s 13% of your revenue– gone. You would certainly think they were running a nightclub, not an email system.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, Yet Was It Also Great to Be True?
So what made Beehiiv stand out?
Initially, it was the assurance of creator-first features– like better money making, smarter list development tools, and absolutely no system charges (other than the typical Stripe cut). Yet promises are simple. Implementation? That’s where it obtains real.
Still, the testimonials were encouraging. The Reddit threads really did not 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 tell you– migrating to a brand-new platform normally seems like pulling teeth. However Beehiiv? Remarkably pain-free.
Importing my list? Smooth. Setting up forms? No meltdowns. Attaching my custom domain name? A few small hiccups, yet nothing that called for swearing at the screen.
One thing I truly valued was the “domain name warming” feature. Beehiiv gradually presents your domain name to inbox suppliers, piggybacking off their very own sending domain name. Translation? Fewer spam folder headaches.
Also, their assistance web content– video clips, aid docs, and walkthroughs– in fact really felt human. Like someone sat down and said, “Let’s not discourage the heck out of our individuals today.” Rejuvenating.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Five Words In
Currently below’s where things got a little … interesting.
Beehiiv’s automation system is good, yet do not expect it to compete with heavyweight systems like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. For instance, each form can only be connected to a solitary automation. That makes it complicated to personalize welcome sequences based on just how somebody subscribed.
I ended up going full investigative mode– dabbling with segments, utilizing different landing pages, reading odd Reddit strings– just to build a few customized workflows.
Is it workable? Absolutely. Yet if you’re utilized to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional reasoning, this may seem like stepping back a bit.
Email Builder: Mostly Terrific, However Not Perfect
I have actually got a bit of a love-hate partnership with Beehiiv’s email builder.
Visually? It’s glossy. Drag, go down, format, sneak peek– it feels like it was developed by a person who’s actually created an e-newsletter or 2.
But default templates took a couple of tweaks to solve. And here’s a curveball: Beehiiv emails can obtain huge. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb huge.
That implies your wonderfully crafted message may get sliced in half if you’re not mindful. I discovered this the hard way– then decreased a bunny hole of screening devices to maximize HTML dimension and stay clear of that feared clipping.
My go-to strategy?
- Downloading and install test e-mails from Gmail and checking dimension
- Running the HTML through Parcel.io’s email visitor
- Confirming with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Bit of a manual procedure, but it works. I even connected to Beehiiv about including better dimension cautions. Fingers went across.
The Stuff That Really Actions the Needle
Alright, let’s enter into the meat of it– what’s made a concrete difference given that switching to Beehiiv?
Audience Growth
In just three months, I included over 160 brand-new customers to a quite specific niche newsletter. That has to do with 60% greater than what I was seeing before– and I had not been even running paid ads.
A lot of that growth originated from Beehiiv’s integrated tools: the referral program, Boosts (believe e-newsletter cross-promotions), and organic reach. You can really track what’s working and where customers are coming from. Makes tweaking your technique a great deal simpler.
Monetization That Does Not Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s speak cash due to the fact that for many makers, it matters.
Beehiiv does not take a cut from your paid registrations. Simply Stripe’s cost. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% better than Substack (essentially).
But there’s more: their advertisement network is instinctive and passive. Within 3 months, I was already fielding rate of interest from advertisers. Beehiiv’s companion network links developers with brand names in a manner that doesn’t feel icky or required. It’s integrated earnings capacity, ordinary and straightforward Beehiiv Five Words In.
And when I’m ready to release a costs subscription? I recognize specifically what reduced I’ll obtain: 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’ve got customizable referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Numerous landing pages for tracking lead resources. You can transform your viewers into supporters without dangling unpleasant swag or one-time gimmicks.
I’ll say this: Beehiiv feels like a system that wants you to be successful. Not one that simply desires an item of your pie.
Points I would certainly Still Like to See Improve
No platform is perfect, and Beehiiv’s got its peculiarities.
Support can be sluggish when you hit an odd bug or need deep aid.
Some automations still feel also fundamental.
Email size tracking needs far better in-app informs (please and thanks).
No built-in countdown timers (sad face if you enjoy FOMO e-mails).
Ecommerce integrations? Generally missing.
So if you’re marketing physical products or desire deserted cart circulations, Beehiiv possibly isn’t your best option.
Final Thought
If you’re a developer who’s serious about newsletters– whether you’re generating income from, expanding a checklist, or simply tired of obsolete systems– Beehiiv’s a solid selection.
You’ll like it if:
You want complete ownership of your audience
You’re wanting to expand fast without paying platform tax obligation
You desire something that feels constructed by developers, for creators
Will it solve every trouble? No. However in 3 months, it’s helped me expand much faster, earn a lot more, and anxiety much less concerning the little points.
So, should you try Beehiiv?
If you’re ready to quit resolving and in fact scale your newsletter with genuine tools that respect your work and audience– yeah, I think it’s time.
Take place. Provide it a spin. You just could fall in love like I did.