When it came time to choose a brand-new email platform, I didn’t want “adequate.” I required something better– something constructed for growth, smarter monetization, and a smoother experience generally. After virtually a years assisting others with e-mail marketing (and 2 years running my own newsletter), I had not been looking for simply a tool– I was hunting for a correct companion Beehiiv Lifetime Deal.
Which’s just how Beehiiv got in the picture.
Currently, I understand what you’re thinking: “Isn’t Beehiiv simply an additional Substack choice?” I thought that also initially. However after 3 months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I’ve got a lot to state– both the wins and the unusual peculiarities. If you’re trying to determine whether Beehiiv is the right system for you, work out in. You’re about to obtain the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Tool Behind
Let’s be straightforward– most email company (ESPs) are built like they’re still stuck in 2013. I needed a device that could really help grow my listing and make some money while I went to it. My old ESP simply had not been cutting it anymore.
So I started comparing choices. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the usual suspects. Each had its benefits, yet I was taking a look at this via the lens of someone who takes email seriously– and who desired full control over my audience and material.
The Substack Issue: Looks Good Until You Look Closer
Substack was my first quit. It’s brightened. It’s straightforward. And yeah, it’s popular.
Yet dig a little deeper, and fractures begin showing. The largest one? You do not in fact possess your fans.
That “follow” button you see on Substack? It’s mainly smoke and mirrors. Those fans live behind a wall– inside the Substack application or on their website. You can’t email them directly. Can’t export them. You’re essentially renting out an audience you can never completely get to.
It resembles carrying out on a phase where the lights just activate if the location chooses to allow the group see you. Does not feel great.
And after that there’s the cash side. Substack takes 10% off your paid registrations. Stripe takes an additional 3%. That’s 13% of your earnings– gone. You would certainly think they were running a nightclub, not an e-mail platform.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, However Was It Also Good to Be True?
So what made Beehiiv stand apart?
In the beginning, it was the pledge of creator-first features– like better money making, smarter checklist growth tools, and zero system fees (aside from the typical Stripe cut). But assurances are simple. Execution? That’s where it gets real.
Still, the evaluations were motivating. The Reddit strings didn’t seem like bots or brand name plants. And the onboarding? Surprisingly smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the jump.
Getting Set Up on Beehiiv
Let me tell you– migrating to a new system normally feels like drawing teeth. However Beehiiv? Surprisingly painless.
Importing my list? Smooth. Setting up types? No disasters. Connecting my custom-made domain? A couple of small missteps, yet absolutely nothing that called for swearing at the display.
One thing I actually valued was the “domain name warming” feature. Beehiiv slowly presents your domain name to inbox carriers, piggybacking off their own sending domain name. Translation? Less spam folder nightmares.
Additionally, their assistance material– videos, help docs, and walkthroughs– actually felt human. Like a person sat down and claimed, “Let’s not annoy the heck out of our customers today.” Revitalizing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Lifetime Deal
Now right here’s where things got a little … intriguing.
Beehiiv’s automation system is suitable, but do not expect it to take on heavyweight systems like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. For example, each form can just be linked to a solitary automation. That makes it tricky to personalize welcome sequences based upon how somebody registered.
I ended up going complete detective setting– tinkering with segments, using different landing pages, reading rare Reddit strings– just to construct a few tailored workflows.
Is it practical? Definitely. However if you’re made use of to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional logic, this might seem like stepping back a bit.
Email Builder: Mostly Great, However Not Perfect
I’ve obtained a little bit of a love-hate relationship with Beehiiv’s e-mail builder.
Aesthetically? It’s slick. Drag, drop, format, sneak peek– it seems like it was designed by someone who’s actually created a newsletter or 2.
However default templates took a few tweaks to solve. And right here’s a curveball: Beehiiv e-mails can obtain big. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb big.
That implies your wonderfully crafted message might get cut in half if you’re not mindful. I discovered this by hand– after that decreased a bunny opening of testing devices to maximize HTML dimension and avoid that dreadful clipping.
My best strategy?
- Downloading and install examination emails from Gmail and examining dimension
- Running the HTML with Parcel.io’s e-mail viewer
- Confirming with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Little a hand-operated procedure, however it works. I even reached out to Beehiiv regarding adding better dimension cautions. Fingers went across.
The Stuff That Actually Actions the Needle
Alright, let’s get involved in the meat of it– what’s made a substantial difference given that switching over to Beehiiv?
Audience Growth
In just 3 months, I added over 160 brand-new clients to a pretty niche e-newsletter. That’s about 60% greater than what I was seeing in the past– and I wasn’t even running paid ads.
A lot of that growth originated from Beehiiv’s built-in devices: the referral program, Boosts (believe e-newsletter cross-promotions), and natural reach. You can actually track what’s working and where customers are originating from. Makes tweaking your method a lot much easier.
Money Making That Does Not Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s chat money since for many creators, it matters.
Beehiiv doesn’t take a cut from your paid subscriptions. Just Stripe’s cost. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% better than Substack (essentially).
However there’s even more: their ad network is instinctive and passive. Within three months, I was already fielding passion from marketers. Beehiiv’s companion network connects designers with brands in a manner that does not really feel icky or required. It’s built-in revenue possibility, ordinary and straightforward Beehiiv Lifetime Deal.
And when I prepare to release a costs subscription? I recognize precisely what reduced I’ll obtain: all of it (minus Stripe).
Integrated Development Tools
What truly sets Beehiiv apart is that development isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You have actually obtained adjustable referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Multiple landing pages for tracking lead sources. You can transform your visitors into advocates without dangling awkward swag or single gimmicks.
I’ll claim this: Beehiiv feels like a platform that wants you to be successful. Not one that simply wants an item of your pie.
Points I ‘d Still Like to See Improve
No system is best, and Beehiiv’s got its quirks.
Assistance can be slow-moving when you struck a weird bug or require deep assistance.
Some automations still really feel as well basic.
Email size surveillance needs much better in-app signals (please and thank you).
No integrated countdown timers (sad face if you love FOMO e-mails).
Ecommerce integrations? Essentially nonexistent.
So if you’re offering physical products or want deserted cart circulations, Beehiiv probably isn’t your best bet.
Final Thought
If you’re a maker who’s serious about e-newsletters– whether you’re generating income from, growing a checklist, or simply tired of out-of-date systems– Beehiiv’s a strong option.
You’ll like it if:
You desire complete possession of your audience
You’re wanting to grow fast without paying platform tax obligation
You desire something that feels constructed by designers, for creators
Will it fix every problem? No. But in 3 months, it’s helped me expand faster, make more, and tension much less about the little things.
So, should you attempt Beehiiv?
If you’re ready to stop clearing up and in fact scale your newsletter with actual tools that respect your work and target market– yeah, I assume it’s time.
Take place. Offer it a spin. You simply could fall in love like I did.