When it came time to choose a brand-new email system, I really did not want “sufficient.” I required something better– something constructed for development, smarter money making, and a smoother experience overall. After almost a decade assisting others with email marketing (and 2 years running my own newsletter), I had not been looking for just a device– I was searching for a proper partner Beehiiv Growth.
And that’s how Beehiiv went into the picture.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Isn’t Beehiiv just an additional Substack choice?” I believed that also in the beginning. But after 3 months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I’ve obtained a lot to claim– both the victories and the unusual quirks. If you’re trying to determine whether Beehiiv is the best platform for you, resolve in. You will get the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Tool Behind
Let’s be truthful– most email service providers (ESPs) are constructed like they’re still stuck in 2013. I needed a device that could in fact aid expand my listing and make some cash while I was at it. My old ESP just wasn’t sufficing any longer.
So I began comparing alternatives. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the typical suspects. Each had its benefits, however I was looking at this via the lens of somebody who takes email seriously– and who desired complete control over my target market and web content.
The Substack Issue: Looks Good Up Until You Look Closer
Substack was my very first quit. It’s brightened. It’s basic. And yeah, it’s prominent.
However dig a little much deeper, and fractures begin showing. The largest one? You do not really own your fans.
That “comply with” button you see on Substack? It’s mostly smoke and mirrors. Those followers live behind a wall– inside the Substack app or on their website. You can’t email them directly. Can’t export them. You’re generally renting out an audience you can never fully get to.
It’s like executing on a phase where the lights only switch on if the place decides to let the crowd see you. Does not feel excellent.
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 ‘d think they were running a club, not an e-mail platform.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, Yet Was It As well Great to Be True?
So what made Beehiiv stick out?
At first, it was the pledge of creator-first features– like better monetization, smarter listing growth tools, and no platform costs (aside from the typical Stripe cut). But guarantees are easy. Implementation? That’s where it gets real.
Still, the reviews were encouraging. The Reddit strings really did not sound like bots or brand plants. And the onboarding? Remarkably smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the leap.
Readying Up on Beehiiv
Let me tell you– migrating to a new system typically seems like drawing teeth. Yet Beehiiv? Surprisingly pain-free.
Importing my listing? Smooth. Setting up types? No meltdowns. Linking my personalized domain name? A couple of small missteps, however absolutely nothing that called for swearing at the display.
One point I truly valued was the “domain warming” feature. Beehiiv gradually presents your domain to inbox carriers, piggybacking off their very own sending out domain. Translation? Fewer spam folder nightmares.
Likewise, their assistance web content– video clips, aid docs, and walkthroughs– in fact really felt human. Like a person sat down and claimed, “Let’s not irritate the hell out of our individuals today.” Revitalizing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Growth
Now right here’s where things obtained a little … fascinating.
Beehiiv’s automation system is decent, but don’t anticipate it to take on heavyweight platforms like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. For example, each form can only be connected to a single automation. That makes it difficult to personalize welcome series based upon how someone joined.
I ended up going full detective setting– tinkering with segments, utilizing separate landing pages, checking out rare Reddit threads– just to build a couple of customized workflows.
Is it workable? Absolutely. Yet if you’re made use of to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional reasoning, this could seem like going back a bit.
Email Builder: Mainly Great, Yet Not Perfect
I have actually obtained a bit of a love-hate partnership with Beehiiv’s email builder.
Aesthetically? It’s slick. Drag, drop, style, sneak peek– it seems like it was developed by a person who’s in fact composed an e-newsletter or two.
However default templates took a couple of tweaks to get right. And below’s a curveball: Beehiiv e-mails can obtain large. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb large.
That implies your beautifully crafted message could obtain cut in half if you’re not careful. I discovered this by hand– then dropped a bunny opening of testing devices to maximize HTML size and avoid that feared clipping.
My go-to approach?
- Downloading and install examination e-mails from Gmail and inspecting dimension
- Running the HTML via Parcel.io’s e-mail visitor
- Confirming with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and framework
Bit of a hand-operated process, yet it functions. I even connected to Beehiiv concerning including better dimension warnings. Fingers crossed.
The Stuff That Really Relocations the Needle
Alright, let’s get into the meat of it– what’s made a concrete difference since switching over to Beehiiv?
Target market Development
In simply 3 months, I added over 160 new clients to a pretty niche newsletter. That’s about 60% greater than what I was seeing in the past– and I wasn’t even running paid advertisements.
The majority of that growth originated from Beehiiv’s integrated devices: the referral program, Boosts (think newsletter cross-promotions), and organic reach. You can actually track what’s functioning and where clients are originating from. Makes tweaking your strategy a whole lot simpler.
Monetization That Does Not Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s speak cash since for the majority of creators, it matters.
Beehiiv doesn’t take a cut from your paid registrations. Just Stripe’s charge. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% far better than Substack (literally).
However there’s more: their ad network is intuitive and passive. Within three months, I was already fielding passion from advertisers. Beehiiv’s companion network attaches creators with brand names in such a way that does not really feel nasty or compelled. It’s built-in income possibility, simple and basic Beehiiv Growth.
And when I prepare to introduce a premium membership? I recognize precisely what reduced I’ll obtain: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Development Devices
What really establishes Beehiiv apart is that development isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You have actually got customizable referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Numerous landing pages for tracking lead sources. You can transform your readers into supporters without dangling uncomfortable boodle or single gimmicks.
I’ll claim this: Beehiiv seems like a system that desires you to succeed. Not one that simply desires a piece of your pie.
Points I would certainly Still Like to See Improve
No platform is excellent, and Beehiiv’s got its traits.
Assistance can be slow when you hit an odd bug or require deep help.
Some automations still feel also standard.
Email dimension monitoring needs better in-app signals (please and thanks).
No integrated countdown timers (long face if you love FOMO e-mails).
Ecommerce integrations? Basically missing.
So if you’re selling physical items or desire abandoned cart circulations, Beehiiv probably isn’t your best bet.
Conclusion
If you’re a creator who’s serious about newsletters– whether you’re generating income from, expanding a listing, or simply tired of outdated platforms– Beehiiv’s a solid selection.
You’ll like it if:
You want full ownership of your target market
You’re aiming to grow quickly without paying platform tax obligation
You want something that feels developed by creators, for designers
Will it fix every problem? No. Yet in three months, it’s helped me grow quicker, make much more, and anxiety much less concerning the little points.
So, should you attempt Beehiiv?
If you’re ready to stop working out and actually range your e-newsletter with real devices that respect your job and audience– yeah, I assume it’s time.
Go on. Give it a spin. You simply could fall in love like I did.