When it came time to pick a brand-new email platform, I didn’t want “sufficient.” I required something better– something constructed for development, smarter money making, and a smoother experience generally. After virtually a decade aiding others with email marketing (and 2 years running my very own e-newsletter), I had not been trying to find simply a tool– I was hunting for an appropriate partner Beehiiv Monetization.
Which’s exactly how Beehiiv went into the picture.
Currently, I recognize what you’re believing: “Isn’t Beehiiv simply an additional Substack alternative?” I assumed that also in the beginning. Yet after 3 months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I’ve obtained a whole lot to claim– both the wins and the weird traits. If you’re attempting to determine whether Beehiiv is the ideal platform for you, settle in. You will get the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Device Behind
Let’s be honest– most email company (ESPs) are constructed like they’re still embeded 2013. I needed a device that might really assist expand my listing and make some cash while I was at it. My old ESP simply had not been sufficing any longer.
So I began comparing choices. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the common suspects. Each had its rewards, however I was taking a look at this through the lens of a person who takes email seriously– and who wanted full control over my target market and web content.
The Substack Issue: Looks Great Till You Look Closer
Substack was my first stop. It’s polished. It’s basic. And yeah, it’s preferred.
But dig a little deeper, and fractures begin revealing. The greatest one? You don’t actually own your fans.
That “comply with” button you see on Substack? It’s primarily smoke and mirrors. Those followers live behind a wall surface– inside the Substack application or on their site. You can not email them straight. Can’t export them. You’re primarily renting an audience you can never completely reach.
It resembles carrying out on a stage where the lights only activate if the place makes a decision to allow the crowd see you. Does not feel excellent.
And afterwards there’s the money side. Substack takes 10% off your paid memberships. 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 system.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, However Was It Also Excellent to Be Real?
So what made Beehiiv stick out?
In the beginning, it was the assurance of creator-first features– like better monetization, smarter list growth devices, and zero platform costs (aside from the usual Stripe cut). Yet pledges are very easy. Implementation? That’s where it gets real.
Still, the reviews were encouraging. The Reddit strings didn’t seem like bots or brand plants. And the onboarding? Remarkably smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the leap.
Getting Set Up on Beehiiv
Let me tell you– moving to a brand-new system generally feels like pulling teeth. But Beehiiv? Remarkably pain-free.
Importing my list? Smooth. Establishing types? No crises. Linking my custom domain name? A few minor missteps, however nothing that required swearing at the display.
One point I truly valued was the “domain warming” feature. Beehiiv slowly presents your domain name to inbox carriers, piggybacking off their own sending out domain name. Translation? Less spam folder problems.
Likewise, their assistance material– video clips, help docs, and walkthroughs– in fact really felt human. Like somebody sat down and stated, “Let’s not irritate the hell out of our customers today.” Refreshing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Monetization
Now right here’s where things got a little … intriguing.
Beehiiv’s automation system is suitable, but do not expect it to compete with heavyweight platforms like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. For instance, each type can only be linked to a single automation. That makes it challenging to individualize welcome series based upon just how a person subscribed.
I wound up going full investigator setting– dabbling with sections, making use of separate landing pages, reading odd Reddit threads– just to construct a few customized workflows.
Is it practical? Absolutely. However if you’re made use of to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional reasoning, this could seem like going back a bit.
Email Builder: Primarily Wonderful, Yet Not Perfect
I’ve obtained a little bit of a love-hate relationship with Beehiiv’s email builder.
Visually? It’s slick. Drag, drop, layout, preview– it seems like it was made by a person who’s really composed a newsletter or more.
However default templates took a few tweaks to solve. And here’s a curveball: Beehiiv e-mails can get big. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb huge.
That indicates your perfectly crafted message might get chopped in half if you’re not mindful. I learned this by hand– after that dropped a rabbit hole of testing tools to enhance HTML dimension and avoid that dreaded clipping.
My best approach?
- Downloading test emails from Gmail and checking size
- Running the HTML through Parcel.io’s e-mail customer
- Confirming with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and framework
Little a manual process, however it works. I also connected to Beehiiv about adding much better size warnings. Fingers went across.
The Stuff That In Fact Moves the Needle
Alright, let’s enter the meat of it– what’s made a substantial difference considering that switching to Beehiiv?
Target market Development
In simply three months, I added over 160 new subscribers to a rather specific niche newsletter. That has to do with 60% more than what I was seeing in the past– and I wasn’t also running paid advertisements.
A lot of that development originated from Beehiiv’s integrated devices: the referral program, Boosts (believe e-newsletter cross-promotions), and organic reach. You can in fact track what’s functioning and where customers are originating from. Makes tweaking your method a lot simpler.
Money Making That Doesn’t Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s talk cash due to the fact that for most developers, it matters.
Beehiiv doesn’t take a cut from your paid memberships. Simply Stripe’s cost. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% much better than Substack (literally).
But there’s even more: their ad network is intuitive and passive. Within 3 months, I was currently fielding interest from marketers. Beehiiv’s partner network links developers with brand names in such a way that does not really feel icky or forced. It’s integrated income potential, plain and easy Beehiiv Monetization.
And when I’m ready to launch a premium membership? I recognize specifically what cut I’ll obtain: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Growth Tools
What truly sets Beehiiv apart is that growth isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You’ve obtained personalized referral programs. Boosts for e-newsletter cross-promotion. Several landing pages for tracking lead sources. You can transform your readers right into advocates without dangling uncomfortable boodle or one-time tricks.
I’ll state this: Beehiiv seems like a system that desires you to prosper. Not one that simply desires a piece of your pie.
Points I ‘d Still Like to See Improve
No platform is perfect, and Beehiiv’s got its traits.
Assistance can be sluggish when you struck a weird insect or require deep assistance.
Some automations still really feel also fundamental.
Email dimension surveillance requires far better in-app informs (please and thank you).
No integrated countdown timers (sad face if you love FOMO e-mails).
Ecommerce integrations? Generally nonexistent.
So if you’re offering physical products or want abandoned cart flows, Beehiiv possibly isn’t your best bet.
Final Thought
If you’re a creator who’s serious about newsletters– whether you’re generating income from, expanding a listing, or just tired of out-of-date platforms– Beehiiv’s a solid selection.
You’ll like it if:
You want full ownership of your audience
You’re aiming to grow fast without paying system tax
You want something that feels developed by developers, for creators
Will it fix every issue? No. However in 3 months, it’s assisted me grow much faster, gain extra, and tension less regarding the little points.
So, should you try Beehiiv?
If you prepare to quit settling and actually range your e-newsletter with real devices that respect your work and target market– yeah, I assume it’s time.
Go on. Offer it a spin. You simply may fall in love like I did.