When it came time to select a brand-new e-mail system, I really did not want “adequate.” I required something better– something built for growth, smarter monetization, and a smoother experience in general. After almost a years aiding others with e-mail marketing (and two years running my very own newsletter), I had not been searching for just a device– I was hunting for a correct partner Beehiiv Landing Page.
And that’s how Beehiiv entered the picture.
Now, I understand what you’re believing: “Isn’t Beehiiv just another Substack alternative?” I thought that as well initially. However after 3 months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I’ve obtained a lot to claim– both the wins and the unusual peculiarities. If you’re trying to decide whether Beehiiv is the right system for you, work out in. You will obtain the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Tool Behind
Let’s be truthful– most email company (ESPs) are built like they’re still embeded 2013. I required a device that can actually aid expand my checklist and make some money while I went to it. My old ESP simply had not been sufficing any longer.
So I began comparing alternatives. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the normal suspects. Each had its rewards, however I was considering this with the lens of somebody who takes e-mail seriously– and who wanted complete control over my audience and web content.
The Substack Problem: Looks Great Up Until You Look Closer
Substack was my very first quit. It’s polished. It’s straightforward. And yeah, it’s preferred.
However dig a little much deeper, and cracks begin revealing. The largest one? You do not actually have your followers.
That “comply with” button you see on Substack? It’s mostly smoke and mirrors. Those followers live behind a wall surface– inside the Substack app or on their site. You can not email them directly. Can not export them. You’re generally renting out an audience you can never ever totally reach.
It’s like performing on a phase where the lights only activate if the place chooses to let the crowd see you. Doesn’t really feel terrific.
And after that there’s the money side. Substack takes 10% off your paid memberships. Stripe takes one more 3%. That’s 13% of your revenue– gone. You ‘d think they were running a club, not an email system.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, But Was It Also Excellent to Be Real?
So what made Beehiiv stick out?
At first, it was the guarantee of creator-first features– like better monetization, smarter listing development devices, and zero system costs (besides the usual Stripe cut). However guarantees are easy. Implementation? That’s where it obtains real.
Still, the reviews were motivating. The Reddit threads 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– moving to a brand-new system usually feels like pulling teeth. However Beehiiv? Surprisingly painless.
Importing my checklist? Smooth. Setting up kinds? No meltdowns. Linking my custom-made domain? A couple of small missteps, but nothing that needed swearing at the display.
Something I truly valued was the “domain warming” feature. Beehiiv slowly presents your domain to inbox carriers, piggybacking off their own sending domain name. Translation? Less spam folder nightmares.
Likewise, their assistance content– videos, aid docs, and walkthroughs– actually really felt human. Like somebody took a seat and claimed, “Let’s not discourage the heck out of our users today.” Rejuvenating.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Landing Page
Currently right here’s where things got a little … interesting.
Beehiiv’s automation system is respectable, yet don’t expect it to take on heavyweight platforms like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. For example, each type can just be connected to a solitary automation. That makes it tricky to individualize welcome sequences based upon exactly how a person subscribed.
I wound up going full investigative setting– tinkering with segments, utilizing separate landing pages, checking out obscure Reddit threads– just to build a couple of customized workflows.
Is it achievable? Absolutely. Yet if you’re made use of to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional reasoning, this may seem like going back a bit.
Email Builder: Mostly Excellent, Yet Not Perfect
I’ve obtained a little bit of a love-hate partnership with Beehiiv’s email builder.
Aesthetically? It’s slick. Drag, go down, style, sneak peek– it seems like it was created by someone who’s really composed a newsletter or more.
However default templates took a few tweaks to solve. And right here’s a curveball: Beehiiv e-mails can get big. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb huge.
That means your magnificently crafted message might get chopped in half if you’re not mindful. I discovered this by hand– after that dropped a rabbit hole of testing tools to maximize HTML size and avoid that dreadful clipping.
My go-to strategy?
- Downloading and install test emails from Gmail and inspecting dimension
- Running the HTML with Parcel.io’s e-mail customer
- Verifying with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Little bit of a manual process, however it functions. I even connected to Beehiiv about adding much better dimension cautions. Fingers crossed.
Right Stuff That In Fact Steps the Needle
Alright, let’s get into the meat of it– what’s made a tangible distinction given that switching to Beehiiv?
Audience Development
In simply three months, I added over 160 brand-new clients to a quite specific niche e-newsletter. That has to do with 60% more than what I was seeing before– and I had not been also running paid ads.
The majority of that growth originated from Beehiiv’s built-in devices: the referral program, Boosts (think newsletter cross-promotions), and organic reach. You can in fact track what’s functioning and where subscribers are coming from. Makes tweaking your technique a whole lot easier.
Monetization That Doesn’t Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s chat money due to the fact that for the majority of developers, it matters.
Beehiiv doesn’t take a cut from your paid memberships. Simply Stripe’s charge. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% far better than Substack (literally).
Yet there’s more: their ad network is instinctive and passive. Within three months, I was already fielding rate of interest from marketers. Beehiiv’s partner network attaches makers with brand names in a way that doesn’t really feel nasty or forced. It’s built-in earnings possibility, plain and easy Beehiiv Landing Page.
And when I’m ready to release a premium subscription? I understand exactly what cut I’ll get: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Development Tools
What actually establishes Beehiiv apart is that development isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You’ve got customizable referral programs. Boosts for e-newsletter cross-promotion. Several landing pages for tracking lead sources. You can turn your visitors into supporters without hanging unpleasant swag or one-time tricks.
I’ll say this: Beehiiv seems like a system that desires you to do well. Not one that just wants an item of your pie.
Points I ‘d Still Like to See Improve
No platform is excellent, and Beehiiv’s got its peculiarities.
Assistance can be slow-moving when you hit a strange bug or require deep aid.
Some automations still really feel as well fundamental.
Email dimension surveillance requires much better in-app informs (please and thanks).
No integrated countdown timers (long face if you enjoy FOMO e-mails).
Ecommerce integrations? Primarily nonexistent.
So if you’re marketing physical items or desire abandoned cart flows, Beehiiv possibly isn’t your best choice.
Verdict
If you’re a designer who’s serious about e-newsletters– whether you’re monetizing, growing a checklist, or just tired of obsolete systems– Beehiiv’s a strong option.
You’ll like it if:
You want complete ownership of your target market
You’re aiming to grow fast without paying platform tax obligation
You want something that feels developed by designers, for designers
Will it resolve every problem? No. Yet in three months, it’s aided me grow faster, earn more, and tension less regarding the little things.
So, should you attempt Beehiiv?
If you prepare to quit working out and actually range your e-newsletter with real devices that appreciate your job and audience– yeah, I assume it’s time.
Take place. Give it a spin. You just may fall in love like I did.