When it came time to select a new email system, I didn’t desire “good enough.” I needed something much better– something developed for development, smarter monetization, and a smoother experience on the whole. After virtually a years aiding others with email marketing (and 2 years running my own newsletter), I had not been seeking simply a tool– I was hunting for a proper companion Beehiiv Make.com.
And that’s just how Beehiiv went into the picture.
Now, I understand what you’re believing: “Isn’t Beehiiv simply an additional Substack option?” I thought that too initially. However after 3 months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I have actually obtained a lot to claim– both the victories and the odd peculiarities. If you’re trying to choose whether Beehiiv is the ideal platform for you, clear up in. You will obtain the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Tool Behind
Let’s be sincere– most email provider (ESPs) are built like they’re still stuck in 2013. I needed a tool that can actually aid expand my list and make some money while I went to it. My old ESP simply had not been cutting it anymore.
So I started contrasting choices. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the normal suspects. Each had its advantages, however I was considering this via the lens of a person who takes e-mail seriously– and who wanted complete control over my audience and web content.
The Substack Issue: Looks Great Until You Look Closer
Substack was my very first quit. It’s polished. It’s straightforward. And yeah, it’s popular.
Yet dig a little deeper, and cracks start revealing. The biggest one? You don’t actually have your fans.
That “comply with” switch you see on Substack? It’s primarily smoke and mirrors. Those followers live behind a wall– inside the Substack application or on their website. You can not email them directly. Can not export them. You’re generally leasing a target market you can never completely get to.
It’s like performing on a stage where the lights just turn on if the place determines to allow the crowd see you. Doesn’t feel wonderful.
And after that there’s the cash side. Substack takes 10% off your paid registrations. Stripe takes one more 3%. That’s 13% of your earnings– gone. You ‘d assume they were running a bar, not an e-mail system.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, However Was It Also Good to Be True?
So what made Beehiiv stand apart?
Initially, it was the assurance of creator-first features– like better monetization, smarter checklist growth devices, and no platform costs (in addition to the typical Stripe cut). However guarantees are very easy. Implementation? That’s where it obtains real.
Still, the reviews were encouraging. The Reddit strings didn’t seem like bots 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– moving to a new system typically feels like pulling teeth. Yet Beehiiv? Remarkably painless.
Importing my list? Smooth. Setting up types? No crises. Attaching my personalized domain? A few small missteps, but absolutely nothing that needed swearing at the display.
Something I really valued was the “domain name warming” feature. Beehiiv progressively presents your domain to inbox service providers, piggybacking off their own sending out domain name. Translation? Fewer spam folder problems.
Likewise, their assistance web content– video clips, assistance docs, and walkthroughs– in fact really felt human. Like somebody took a seat and claimed, “Let’s not discourage the heck out of our users today.” Refreshing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Make.com
Currently here’s where things got a little … interesting.
Beehiiv’s automation system is good, yet don’t expect it to take on heavyweight platforms like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. For instance, each type can just be connected to a solitary automation. That makes it tricky to customize welcome series based upon just how somebody joined.
I wound up going full investigative setting– tinkering with sectors, utilizing separate landing pages, reviewing rare Reddit strings– simply to develop a couple of customized workflows.
Is it doable? Absolutely. However if you’re used to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional logic, this could seem like stepping back a little bit.
Email Builder: Primarily Excellent, However Not Perfect
I’ve got a bit of a love-hate relationship with Beehiiv’s e-mail builder.
Aesthetically? It’s glossy. Drag, drop, style, preview– it seems like it was developed by somebody who’s actually written an e-newsletter or 2.
Yet default templates took a couple of tweaks to get right. And below’s a curveball: Beehiiv e-mails can get big. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb huge.
That indicates your perfectly crafted message might obtain sliced in half if you’re not careful. I discovered this by hand– then decreased a rabbit hole of testing tools to optimize HTML size and avoid that dreaded clipping.
My go-to strategy?
- Downloading and install examination emails from Gmail and checking dimension
- Running the HTML through Parcel.io’s e-mail visitor
- Ascertaining with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Little a hand-operated process, however it works. I also reached out to Beehiiv regarding adding better size warnings. Fingers crossed.
Right Stuff That Really Actions the Needle
Alright, let’s enter into the meat of it– what’s made a concrete distinction because switching over to Beehiiv?
Target market Growth
In simply three months, I added over 160 new subscribers to a rather specific niche e-newsletter. That’s about 60% more than what I was seeing in the past– and I wasn’t also running paid advertisements.
A lot of that growth came from Beehiiv’s integrated devices: the referral program, Boosts (believe e-newsletter cross-promotions), and natural reach. You can actually track what’s working and where subscribers are coming from. Makes tweaking your approach a great deal much easier.
Monetization That Doesn’t Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s chat money since for a lot of developers, it matters.
Beehiiv doesn’t take a cut from your paid memberships. Just Stripe’s charge. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% far better than Substack (literally).
But there’s more: their ad network is intuitive and passive. Within 3 months, I was currently fielding passion from marketers. Beehiiv’s partner network attaches designers with brand names in a manner that does not really feel nasty or forced. It’s integrated income possibility, simple and basic Beehiiv Make.com.
And when I prepare to launch a premium membership? I understand precisely 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 have actually obtained customizable referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Multiple landing pages for tracking lead resources. You can turn your visitors right into advocates without dangling unpleasant swag or one-time gimmicks.
I’ll state this: Beehiiv feels like a platform that wants you to prosper. Not one that just wants an item of your pie.
Points I ‘d Still Like to See Improve
No system is best, and Beehiiv’s obtained its traits.
Support can be sluggish when you struck an unusual pest or need deep aid.
Some automations still really feel too fundamental.
Email dimension monitoring requires better in-app alerts (please and thanks).
No integrated countdown timers (sad face if you like FOMO e-mails).
Ecommerce integrations? Primarily missing.
So if you’re marketing physical products or desire deserted cart circulations, Beehiiv most likely isn’t your best choice.
Verdict
If you’re a developer who’s serious about newsletters– whether you’re generating income from, growing a list, or simply tired of obsolete systems– Beehiiv’s a strong selection.
You’ll like it if:
You desire full possession of your target market
You’re seeking to grow fast without paying platform tax obligation
You desire something that feels constructed by creators, for developers
Will it address every trouble? No. However in 3 months, it’s helped me expand much faster, make a lot more, and tension much less regarding the little points.
So, should you try Beehiiv?
If you prepare to quit settling and in fact scale your e-newsletter with genuine tools that respect your job and audience– yeah, I think it’s time.
Take place. Provide it a spin. You simply could fall in love like I did.