When it came time to choose a new e-mail system, I didn’t desire “good enough.” I needed something better– something developed for growth, smarter monetization, and a smoother experience overall. After nearly a decade assisting others with email marketing (and two years running my own newsletter), I had not been trying to find simply a device– I was searching for an appropriate companion Beehiiv Glassdoor.
And that’s exactly how Beehiiv entered the picture.
Currently, I understand what you’re thinking: “Isn’t Beehiiv simply one more Substack choice?” I assumed that as well in the beginning. However after three months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I’ve got a great deal to say– both the success and the weird peculiarities. If you’re attempting to make a decision whether Beehiiv is the appropriate 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 provider (ESPs) are constructed like they’re still embeded 2013. I needed a device that could in fact aid grow my list and make some money while I was at it. My old ESP just had not been sufficing any longer.
So I started comparing options. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the usual suspects. Each had its rewards, but I was taking a look at this with the lens of someone who takes email seriously– and who wanted full control over my audience and web content.
The Substack Problem: Looks Great Till You Look Closer
Substack was my initial quit. It’s polished. It’s easy. And yeah, it’s preferred.
However dig a little deeper, and fractures begin revealing. The biggest one? You do not actually own your fans.
That “comply with” switch you see on Substack? It’s mostly smoke and mirrors. Those fans live behind a wall surface– inside the Substack application or on their website. You can’t email them straight. Can not export them. You’re primarily renting a target market you can never ever fully reach.
It resembles performing on a stage where the lights just switch on if the location chooses to allow the crowd see you. Doesn’t really feel great.
And afterwards there’s the cash side. Substack takes 10% off your paid subscriptions. Stripe takes one more 3%. That’s 13% of your income– gone. You would certainly assume they were running a club, not an e-mail platform.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, However Was It Also Good to Be Real?
So what made Beehiiv stick out?
At first, it was the assurance of creator-first features– like better monetization, smarter checklist growth devices, and zero system fees (apart from the usual Stripe cut). Yet pledges are very easy. Implementation? That’s where it obtains real.
Still, the reviews 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.
Readying Up on Beehiiv
Let me inform you– migrating to a brand-new system typically seems like pulling teeth. But Beehiiv? Remarkably painless.
Importing my list? Smooth. Establishing types? No disasters. Attaching my customized domain? A couple of small missteps, but nothing that needed swearing at the display.
Something I truly valued was the “domain warming” feature. Beehiiv gradually presents your domain name to inbox providers, piggybacking off their own sending domain. Translation? Fewer spam folder problems.
Likewise, their support material– video clips, assistance docs, and walkthroughs– really felt human. Like a person took a seat and claimed, “Let’s not irritate the hell out of our users today.” Rejuvenating.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Glassdoor
Currently right here’s where things obtained a little … interesting.
Beehiiv’s automation system is good, yet do not anticipate it to take on heavyweight platforms like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. As an example, each form can just be linked to a solitary automation. That makes it challenging to individualize welcome sequences based upon just how someone joined.
I wound up going full investigator mode– playing with segments, using separate landing pages, reading obscure Reddit threads– simply to develop a few customized workflows.
Is it manageable? Definitely. But if you’re made use of to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional reasoning, this could feel like stepping back a bit.
Email Builder: Mostly Terrific, However Not Perfect
I’ve got a little bit of a love-hate partnership with Beehiiv’s e-mail builder.
Visually? It’s glossy. Drag, go down, style, sneak peek– it seems like it was created by someone who’s in fact composed a newsletter or 2.
But default templates took a couple of tweaks to get right. And here’s a curveball: Beehiiv e-mails can get big. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb big.
That indicates your beautifully crafted message could get chopped in half if you’re not mindful. I discovered this by hand– after that went down a bunny opening of screening tools to maximize HTML size and avoid that dreadful clipping.
My go-to approach?
- Downloading and install test e-mails from Gmail and checking size
- Running the HTML with Parcel.io’s email visitor
- Verifying with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Little a manual procedure, yet it functions. I also connected to Beehiiv about adding better size warnings. Fingers went across.
Right Stuff That Actually Relocations the Needle
Alright, let’s enter into the meat of it– what’s made a concrete difference because changing to Beehiiv?
Target market Development
In just 3 months, I added over 160 brand-new clients to a rather particular niche newsletter. That has to do with 60% greater than what I was seeing previously– and I wasn’t even running paid ads.
Most of that growth originated from Beehiiv’s built-in tools: the referral program, Boosts (think e-newsletter cross-promotions), and organic reach. You can in fact track what’s functioning and where customers are originating from. Makes tweaking your technique a lot less complicated.
Monetization That Does Not Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s speak cash because for a lot of creators, it matters.
Beehiiv doesn’t take a cut from your paid subscriptions. Simply Stripe’s charge. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% better than Substack (literally).
Yet there’s more: their ad network is intuitive and passive. Within three months, I was currently fielding interest from advertisers. Beehiiv’s companion network connects developers with brands in a manner that does not really feel disgusting or compelled. It’s integrated revenue potential, ordinary and basic Beehiiv Glassdoor.
And when I prepare to release a premium subscription? I know exactly what cut I’ll obtain: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Growth Tools
What really sets Beehiiv apart is that growth isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You’ve got personalized referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Several landing pages for tracking lead sources. You can turn your visitors right into supporters without dangling unpleasant boodle or single tricks.
I’ll claim this: Beehiiv feels like a system that desires you to do well. Not one that just desires an item of your pie.
Things I ‘d Still Like to See Improve
No system is excellent, and Beehiiv’s got its peculiarities.
Support can be slow-moving when you hit a weird bug or require deep aid.
Some automations still really feel too basic.
Email dimension monitoring requires much better in-app alerts (please and thank you).
No integrated countdown timers (sad face if you like FOMO e-mails).
Ecommerce integrations? Essentially nonexistent.
So if you’re marketing physical items or desire deserted cart circulations, Beehiiv most likely isn’t your best bet.
Conclusion
If you’re a developer who’s serious about newsletters– whether you’re monetizing, expanding a listing, or just tired of outdated systems– Beehiiv’s a solid option.
You’ll like it if:
You want complete ownership of your target market
You’re looking to grow quickly without paying platform tax
You want something that feels developed by creators, for designers
Will it resolve every problem? No. Yet in three months, it’s aided me grow much faster, earn more, and anxiety much less regarding the little points.
So, should you attempt Beehiiv?
If you prepare to stop settling and in fact scale your e-newsletter with real tools that appreciate your work and audience– yeah, I think it’s time.
Go on. Give it a spin. You simply may fall in love like I did.