When it came time to choose a brand-new email system, I didn’t desire “sufficient.” I needed something much better– something built for development, smarter money making, and a smoother experience in general. After almost a years aiding others with email marketing (and 2 years running my own e-newsletter), I had not been searching for just a tool– I was searching for a proper partner Beehiiv Gating Pop Ups.
Which’s just how Beehiiv got in the picture.
Currently, I understand what you’re assuming: “Isn’t Beehiiv just another Substack alternative?” I thought that also at first. But after three months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I’ve got a whole lot to state– both the wins and the strange peculiarities. If you’re trying to decide 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 Tool Behind
Let’s be straightforward– 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 listing and make some money while I went to it. My old ESP just had not been sufficing anymore.
So I began contrasting alternatives. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the normal suspects. Each had its perks, however I was taking a look at this through the lens of a person who takes e-mail seriously– and who desired full control over my audience and web content.
The Substack Problem: Looks Good Until You Look Closer
Substack was my very first quit. It’s brightened. It’s straightforward. And yeah, it’s popular.
Yet dig a little much deeper, and cracks begin revealing. The biggest one? You do not actually have your followers.
That “comply with” button you see on Substack? It’s primarily smoke and mirrors. Those fans live behind a wall surface– inside the Substack app or on their website. You can’t email them directly. Can’t export them. You’re basically leasing a target market you can never ever totally get to.
It resembles executing on a phase where the lights just activate if the location chooses to let the crowd see you. Does not really feel terrific.
And then there’s the cash side. Substack takes 10% off your paid memberships. Stripe takes one more 3%. That’s 13% of your income– gone. You ‘d assume they were running a bar, not an email system.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, However Was It Too Good to Be True?
So what made Beehiiv stick out?
Initially, it was the promise of creator-first features– like better monetization, smarter checklist development tools, and zero platform costs (other than the typical Stripe cut). However promises are very easy. Implementation? That’s where it gets real.
Still, the reviews were motivating. The Reddit strings didn’t 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 tell you– migrating to a brand-new platform usually feels like pulling teeth. Yet Beehiiv? Surprisingly pain-free.
Importing my list? Smooth. Establishing kinds? No meltdowns. Linking my customized domain name? A couple of minor hiccups, but absolutely nothing that called for swearing at the screen.
One thing I actually valued was the “domain name warming” feature. Beehiiv progressively presents your domain name to inbox carriers, piggybacking off their very own sending domain. Translation? Fewer spam folder problems.
Additionally, their assistance content– video clips, aid docs, and walkthroughs– actually felt human. Like somebody took a seat and said, “Let’s not annoy the hell out of our customers today.” Refreshing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Gating Pop Ups
Currently below’s where things got a little … interesting.
Beehiiv’s automation system is decent, however don’t expect it to take on heavyweight systems like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. For instance, each type can only be connected to a single automation. That makes it complicated to customize welcome series based on just how somebody subscribed.
I wound up going complete investigative mode– tinkering with sectors, using separate landing pages, checking out rare Reddit threads– just to construct a couple of tailored workflows.
Is it workable? Absolutely. However if you’re made use of to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional reasoning, this might seem like stepping back a bit.
Email Builder: Mainly Wonderful, However Not Perfect
I’ve got a little a love-hate relationship with Beehiiv’s e-mail builder.
Visually? It’s slick. Drag, drop, style, preview– it feels like it was developed by someone who’s in fact created a newsletter or 2.
Yet default templates took a few tweaks to get right. And here’s a curveball: Beehiiv e-mails can get big. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb big.
That indicates your wonderfully crafted message could obtain cut in half if you’re not careful. I discovered this by hand– after that decreased a rabbit opening of screening tools to enhance HTML size and prevent that dreadful clipping.
My best strategy?
- Downloading examination emails from Gmail and examining dimension
- Running the HTML through Parcel.io’s email audience
- Double-checking with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Bit of a hand-operated process, however it works. I even connected to Beehiiv regarding including far better size cautions. Fingers crossed.
The Stuff That Really Relocations the Needle
Alright, let’s enter the meat of it– what’s made a tangible distinction considering that changing to Beehiiv?
Audience Development
In simply three months, I added over 160 new customers to a quite niche newsletter. That has to do with 60% greater than what I was seeing before– and I wasn’t also running paid advertisements.
The majority of that development originated from Beehiiv’s built-in devices: the referral program, Boosts (think e-newsletter cross-promotions), and natural reach. You can in fact track what’s functioning and where subscribers are originating from. Makes tweaking your technique a great deal less complicated.
Monetization That Does Not Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s talk money because for many makers, it matters.
Beehiiv doesn’t take a cut from your paid memberships. Simply Stripe’s charge. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% much better than Substack (essentially).
But there’s more: their advertisement network is instinctive and passive. Within three months, I was currently fielding rate of interest from marketers. Beehiiv’s partner network attaches developers with brands in a manner that does not feel sickening or forced. It’s built-in earnings potential, simple and basic Beehiiv Gating Pop Ups.
And when I’m ready to launch a costs subscription? I recognize specifically what reduced I’ll obtain: all of it (minus Stripe).
Integrated Development Tools
What really establishes Beehiiv apart is that growth isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You’ve got adjustable referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Numerous landing pages for tracking lead resources. You can transform your visitors right into advocates without dangling uncomfortable swag or one-time gimmicks.
I’ll say this: Beehiiv seems like a system that wants you to be successful. Not one that just desires a piece of your pie.
Things I ‘d Still Like to See Improve
No platform is ideal, and Beehiiv’s got its peculiarities.
Support can be slow when you struck a weird insect or need deep assistance.
Some automations still really feel also standard.
Email dimension monitoring needs much better in-app alerts (please and thank you).
No built-in countdown timers (long face if you love FOMO e-mails).
Ecommerce integrations? Basically missing.
So if you’re offering physical products or want deserted cart flows, Beehiiv probably isn’t your best option.
Verdict
If you’re a creator who’s serious about newsletters– whether you’re generating income from, expanding a checklist, or simply tired of obsolete systems– Beehiiv’s a strong option.
You’ll like it if:
You want full ownership of your audience
You’re wanting to expand fast without paying platform tax
You desire something that really feels developed by creators, for creators
Will it address every trouble? No. But in three months, it’s assisted me expand much faster, earn a lot more, and stress less regarding the little points.
So, should you attempt Beehiiv?
If you prepare to stop resolving and in fact range your newsletter with real tools that appreciate your job and target market– yeah, I think it’s time.
Take place. Provide it a spin. You simply might fall in love like I did.