When it came time to select a brand-new email system, I didn’t desire “good enough.” I needed something better– something constructed for growth, smarter money making, and a smoother experience on the whole. After nearly a years helping others with email marketing (and 2 years running my own newsletter), I wasn’t trying to find simply a device– I was searching for a correct companion Beehiiv Newsletter Examples.
And that’s how Beehiiv went into the picture.
Now, I understand what you’re thinking: “Isn’t Beehiiv just another Substack choice?” I believed that as well in the beginning. But after three months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I’ve obtained a great deal to say– both the victories and the strange peculiarities. If you’re attempting to decide whether Beehiiv is the ideal platform for you, settle in. You will obtain the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Tool Behind
Let’s be straightforward– most email service providers (ESPs) are built like they’re still embeded 2013. I required a device that might in fact help expand my list and make some cash while I went to it. My old ESP simply had not been sufficing any longer.
So I started comparing alternatives. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the normal suspects. Each had its perks, yet I was considering this via the lens of somebody who takes email seriously– and who wanted full control over my audience and material.
The Substack Trouble: Looks Good Till You Look Closer
Substack was my very first quit. It’s polished. It’s straightforward. And yeah, it’s prominent.
Yet dig a little deeper, and cracks start revealing. The greatest one? You do not really have your fans.
That “follow” button you see on Substack? It’s primarily smoke and mirrors. Those fans live behind a wall– inside the Substack app or on their website. You can not email them straight. Can’t export them. You’re essentially leasing a target market you can never fully get to.
It’s like carrying out on a phase where the lights just turn on if the location makes a decision to let the group see you. Doesn’t really feel wonderful.
And afterwards there’s the money side. Substack takes 10% off your paid subscriptions. Stripe takes one more 3%. That’s 13% of your income– gone. You would certainly assume they were running a bar, not an e-mail platform.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, However Was It As well Great to Be True?
So what made Beehiiv stand out?
Initially, it was the assurance of creator-first features– like better monetization, smarter listing development tools, and no system fees (other than the usual Stripe cut). However promises are very easy. Implementation? That’s where it gets real.
Still, the evaluations were encouraging. The Reddit strings really did not sound like crawlers or brand name plants. And the onboarding? Surprisingly smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the leap.
Getting Set Up on Beehiiv
Let me tell you– migrating to a new system generally seems like pulling teeth. But Beehiiv? Remarkably painless.
Importing my list? Smooth. Setting up kinds? No meltdowns. Linking my custom domain name? A couple of small hiccups, but absolutely nothing that called for swearing at the display.
One point I really valued was the “domain name warming” feature. Beehiiv slowly presents your domain name to inbox providers, piggybacking off their very own sending out domain name. Translation? Fewer spam folder problems.
Also, their assistance web content– videos, help docs, and walkthroughs– in fact really felt human. Like a person took a seat and said, “Let’s not discourage the heck out of our customers today.” Refreshing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Newsletter Examples
Now here’s where points obtained a little … fascinating.
Beehiiv’s automation system is good, yet don’t expect it to compete with heavyweight platforms like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. For example, each form can only be linked to a single automation. That makes it tricky to customize welcome sequences based upon just how somebody signed up.
I ended up going complete detective mode– dabbling with sectors, using different landing pages, checking out unknown Reddit threads– just to build a couple of tailored workflows.
Is it practical? Absolutely. Yet if you’re made use of to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional logic, this might seem like stepping back a bit.
Email Builder: Mainly Wonderful, Yet Not Perfect
I have actually obtained a bit of a love-hate connection with Beehiiv’s e-mail builder.
Visually? It’s glossy. Drag, go down, layout, sneak peek– it feels like it was developed by somebody who’s really composed a newsletter or two.
However default templates took a couple of tweaks to get right. And below’s a curveball: Beehiiv e-mails can obtain large. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb huge.
That implies your wonderfully crafted message could obtain sliced in half if you’re not careful. I learned this the hard way– then decreased a rabbit opening of testing tools to optimize HTML size and prevent that dreadful clipping.
My best method?
- Downloading examination e-mails from Gmail and examining dimension
- Running the HTML with Parcel.io’s email audience
- Double-checking with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Little bit of a hands-on process, but it works. I even reached out to Beehiiv concerning adding better dimension warnings. Fingers went across.
The Stuff That Really Actions the Needle
Alright, let’s get into the meat of it– what’s made a concrete difference because changing to Beehiiv?
Target market Growth
In simply 3 months, I included over 160 new subscribers to a quite niche e-newsletter. That has to do with 60% more than what I was seeing in the past– and I had not been even running paid ads.
The majority of that growth came from Beehiiv’s integrated devices: the referral program, Boosts (think newsletter cross-promotions), and natural reach. You can in fact track what’s working and where clients are originating from. Makes tweaking your technique a whole lot simpler.
Monetization That Doesn’t Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s speak money because for most makers, it matters.
Beehiiv doesn’t take a cut from your paid registrations. Just Stripe’s charge. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% better than Substack (literally).
But there’s more: their advertisement network is instinctive and passive. Within 3 months, I was already fielding rate of interest from advertisers. Beehiiv’s partner network links developers with brands in a manner that does not really feel disgusting or required. It’s integrated income possibility, simple and basic Beehiiv Newsletter Examples.
And when I prepare to release a premium registration? I know exactly what cut I’ll obtain: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Development Devices
What truly sets Beehiiv apart is that development isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You have actually got personalized referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Multiple landing pages for tracking lead sources. You can turn your visitors into advocates without dangling unpleasant swag or one-time gimmicks.
I’ll state this: Beehiiv feels like a system that wants you to prosper. Not one that just desires an item of your pie.
Things I would certainly Still Like to See Improve
No platform is ideal, and Beehiiv’s got its traits.
Support can be slow-moving when you struck an odd bug or need deep assistance.
Some automations still feel too fundamental.
Email size monitoring requires much better in-app alerts (please and thank you).
No integrated countdown timers (long face if you like FOMO emails).
Ecommerce integrations? Primarily missing.
So if you’re marketing physical products or desire deserted cart flows, Beehiiv possibly isn’t your best bet.
Conclusion
If you’re a designer who’s serious about newsletters– whether you’re generating income from, expanding a checklist, or just tired of out-of-date platforms– Beehiiv’s a solid option.
You’ll like it if:
You desire full possession of your target market
You’re looking to grow fast without paying system tax
You want something that really feels built by developers, for designers
Will it resolve every issue? No. But in 3 months, it’s helped me expand quicker, gain much more, and anxiety much less regarding the little things.
So, should you attempt Beehiiv?
If you’re ready to stop clearing up and in fact range your newsletter with actual tools that appreciate your work and audience– yeah, I think it’s time.
Go on. Provide it a spin. You simply could fall in love like I did.