When it came time to select a brand-new e-mail platform, I didn’t want “sufficient.” I needed something much better– something built for development, smarter monetization, and a smoother experience generally. After nearly a decade assisting others with e-mail marketing (and 2 years running my very own e-newsletter), I had not been looking for simply a tool– I was hunting for a proper companion Beehiiv Multiple Newsletters.
Which’s exactly how Beehiiv entered the picture.
Now, I recognize what you’re believing: “Isn’t Beehiiv just an additional Substack alternative?” I thought that as well in the beginning. However after three months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I’ve obtained a whole lot to state– both the success and the odd traits. If you’re trying to choose whether Beehiiv is the appropriate system for you, settle in. You’re about to 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 needed a tool that can actually help expand my listing and make some money while I was at it. My old ESP just had not been cutting it anymore.
So I began comparing alternatives. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the typical suspects. Each had its rewards, yet I was considering this with the lens of a person who takes e-mail seriously– and who wanted complete control over my audience and content.
The Substack Problem: Looks Excellent Up Until You Look Closer
Substack was my very first stop. It’s polished. It’s simple. And yeah, it’s popular.
But dig a little much deeper, and fractures begin revealing. The greatest one? You do not actually possess your followers.
That “follow” button you see on Substack? It’s mainly 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 a target market you can never completely get to.
It resembles performing on a phase where the lights just activate if the place chooses to let the crowd see you. Doesn’t really feel terrific.
And afterwards there’s the cash side. Substack takes 10% off your paid subscriptions. Stripe takes one more 3%. That’s 13% of your earnings– gone. You would certainly think they were running a club, not an email system.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, Yet Was It As well Great to Be Real?
So what made Beehiiv stand apart?
At first, it was the promise of creator-first features– like better monetization, smarter checklist development devices, and absolutely no platform costs (besides the normal Stripe cut). However promises are simple. Execution? That’s where it obtains real.
Still, the evaluations 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.
Getting Set Up on Beehiiv
Let me tell you– moving to a new platform normally seems like pulling teeth. But Beehiiv? Remarkably pain-free.
Importing my checklist? Smooth. Establishing kinds? No meltdowns. Attaching my custom-made domain? A couple of minor missteps, however nothing that called for swearing at the screen.
Something I really valued was the “domain warming” feature. Beehiiv gradually introduces your domain to inbox providers, piggybacking off their own sending domain. Translation? Fewer spam folder headaches.
Additionally, their assistance web content– video clips, aid docs, and walkthroughs– really really felt human. Like somebody sat down and said, “Let’s not irritate the heck out of our users today.” Revitalizing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Multiple Newsletters
Currently here’s where things got a little … intriguing.
Beehiiv’s automation system is good, yet do not expect it to take on heavyweight systems like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. As an example, each type can just be linked to a single automation. That makes it challenging to individualize welcome series based upon just how someone registered.
I ended up going complete detective setting– playing with sectors, making use of separate landing pages, checking out odd Reddit strings– just to construct a few customized workflows.
Is it workable? Definitely. However if you’re made use of to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional logic, this might seem like stepping back a little bit.
Email Builder: Primarily Great, However Not Perfect
I have actually obtained a little bit of a love-hate relationship with Beehiiv’s email builder.
Visually? It’s slick. Drag, drop, style, sneak peek– it feels like it was designed by somebody who’s in fact composed an e-newsletter or two.
Yet default templates took a couple of tweaks to solve. And below’s a curveball: Beehiiv emails can obtain huge. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb huge.
That implies your beautifully crafted message might get sliced in half if you’re not careful. I learned this the hard way– after that dropped a rabbit hole of testing devices to optimize HTML dimension and avoid that dreaded clipping.
My go-to method?
- Downloading and install examination e-mails from Gmail and inspecting dimension
- Running the HTML via Parcel.io’s e-mail customer
- Verifying with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and framework
Bit of a hands-on process, however it works. I even connected to Beehiiv concerning adding far better size warnings. Fingers crossed.
The Stuff That In Fact Steps the Needle
Alright, let’s enter the meat of it– what’s made a tangible distinction given that switching to Beehiiv?
Audience Development
In simply three months, I included over 160 new subscribers to a pretty niche newsletter. That’s about 60% more than what I was seeing before– and I had not been even running paid ads.
A lot of that growth came from Beehiiv’s built-in devices: the referral program, Boosts (think e-newsletter cross-promotions), and natural reach. You can really track what’s working and where subscribers are originating from. Makes tweaking your technique a lot less complicated.
Monetization That Does Not Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s talk cash since for most creators, it matters.
Beehiiv does not take a cut from your paid registrations. Simply Stripe’s cost. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% much better than Substack (literally).
But there’s even more: their advertisement network is instinctive and passive. Within three months, I was currently fielding interest from advertisers. Beehiiv’s companion network attaches makers with brands in a manner that doesn’t feel nasty or forced. It’s built-in earnings possibility, plain and simple Beehiiv Multiple Newsletters.
And when I prepare to introduce a costs membership? I understand specifically what cut I’ll get: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Growth Devices
What truly sets Beehiiv apart is that development isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You have actually obtained personalized referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Several landing pages for tracking lead sources. You can turn your visitors right into supporters without hanging unpleasant boodle or one-time gimmicks.
I’ll say this: Beehiiv feels like a platform that desires you to prosper. Not one that simply wants an item of your pie.
Things I ‘d Still Like to See Improve
No system is ideal, and Beehiiv’s obtained its traits.
Assistance can be slow-moving when you hit a weird pest or need deep assistance.
Some automations still feel also basic.
Email size monitoring requires much better in-app notifies (please and thank you).
No integrated countdown timers (long face if you love FOMO emails).
Ecommerce integrations? Primarily nonexistent.
So if you’re offering physical products or desire deserted cart flows, Beehiiv possibly isn’t your best bet.
Final Thought
If you’re a developer who’s serious about newsletters– whether you’re generating income from, growing a list, or simply tired of outdated systems– Beehiiv’s a strong selection.
You’ll like it if:
You want full possession of your audience
You’re wanting to grow fast without paying platform tax
You want something that really feels built by creators, for designers
Will it resolve every problem? No. But in three months, it’s helped me expand much faster, make extra, and stress less regarding the little things.
So, should you try Beehiiv?
If you prepare to stop clearing up and actually scale your newsletter with real tools that respect your job and target market– yeah, I think it’s time.
Go on. Give it a spin. You simply might fall in love like I did.