When it came time to select a brand-new e-mail system, I didn’t desire “adequate.” I required something much better– something constructed for growth, smarter money making, and a smoother experience generally. After almost a decade assisting others with e-mail marketing (and two years running my very own newsletter), I had not been seeking just a tool– I was searching for an appropriate companion Beehiiv Vs GoHighLevel.
Which’s how Beehiiv went into the picture.
Currently, I recognize what you’re believing: “Isn’t Beehiiv just one more Substack alternative?” I believed that as well initially. Yet after 3 months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I have actually got a great deal to say– both the victories and the strange peculiarities. If you’re trying to decide whether Beehiiv is the ideal system for you, work out in. You will obtain the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Device Behind
Let’s be honest– most email company (ESPs) are developed like they’re still stuck in 2013. I required a tool that might in fact assist grow my list and make some money while I went to it. My old ESP simply wasn’t cutting it any longer.
So I started contrasting alternatives. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the usual suspects. Each had its advantages, however I was checking out this via the lens of someone who takes email seriously– and who desired complete control over my target market and material.
The Substack Issue: Looks Great Until You Look Closer
Substack was my first stop. It’s brightened. It’s easy. And yeah, it’s popular.
Yet dig a little deeper, and fractures start showing. The largest one? You don’t actually possess your fans.
That “follow” switch you see on Substack? It’s primarily smoke and mirrors. Those fans live behind a wall– inside the Substack application or on their website. You can not email them straight. Can not export them. You’re essentially renting a target market you can never ever totally get to.
It resembles doing on a phase where the lights just switch on if the location chooses to let the crowd see you. Does not feel wonderful.
And after that there’s the cash side. Substack takes 10% off your paid subscriptions. Stripe takes an additional 3%. That’s 13% of your earnings– gone. You ‘d believe they were running a bar, not an email platform.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, But Was It Too Good to Be Real?
So what made Beehiiv attract attention?
At first, it was the assurance of creator-first features– like better monetization, smarter listing growth devices, and no system costs (in addition to the typical Stripe cut). Yet promises are easy. Implementation? That’s where it obtains real.
Still, the reviews were motivating. The Reddit threads really did not seem like bots or brand 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 typically seems like drawing teeth. But Beehiiv? Surprisingly pain-free.
Importing my list? Smooth. Establishing kinds? No disasters. Linking my customized domain? A couple of small hiccups, however absolutely nothing that called for swearing at the screen.
One point I truly valued was the “domain name warming” feature. Beehiiv slowly introduces your domain name to inbox service providers, piggybacking off their very own sending out domain. Translation? Fewer spam folder problems.
Also, their assistance content– video clips, assistance docs, and walkthroughs– in fact really felt human. Like somebody took a seat and said, “Let’s not irritate the hell out of our individuals today.” Revitalizing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Vs GoHighLevel
Now right here’s where things obtained a little … intriguing.
Beehiiv’s automation system is suitable, yet don’t expect it to compete with heavyweight platforms like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. As an example, each kind can just be attached to a solitary automation. That makes it challenging to customize welcome series based on just how a person signed up.
I wound up going complete investigator mode– playing with sections, utilizing separate landing pages, checking out rare Reddit strings– simply to build a few tailored workflows.
Is it achievable? Absolutely. Yet if you’re made use of to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional reasoning, this could seem like stepping back a little bit.
Email Builder: Primarily Excellent, But Not Perfect
I have actually got a little a love-hate partnership with Beehiiv’s email builder.
Visually? It’s glossy. Drag, drop, layout, sneak peek– it seems like it was made by somebody who’s in fact written an e-newsletter or two.
Yet default templates took a few tweaks to get right. And below’s a curveball: Beehiiv emails can get huge. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb huge.
That suggests your perfectly crafted message may obtain chopped in half if you’re not careful. I learned this by hand– then decreased a bunny hole of testing tools to enhance HTML dimension and avoid that dreadful clipping.
My best method?
- Downloading test emails from Gmail and inspecting dimension
- Running the HTML through Parcel.io’s e-mail visitor
- Ascertaining with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and framework
Little a hands-on process, however it works. I even reached out to Beehiiv regarding adding much better dimension cautions. Fingers crossed.
The Stuff That In Fact Moves the Needle
Alright, let’s get involved in the meat of it– what’s made a concrete difference because changing to Beehiiv?
Audience Development
In just 3 months, I added over 160 brand-new customers to a pretty specific niche newsletter. That has to do with 60% greater than what I was seeing previously– and I wasn’t even running paid advertisements.
The majority of that development came from Beehiiv’s integrated devices: the referral program, Boosts (believe e-newsletter cross-promotions), and natural reach. You can in fact track what’s working and where subscribers are coming from. Makes tweaking your technique a whole lot simpler.
Money Making That Does Not Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s speak money due to the fact that for most designers, it matters.
Beehiiv doesn’t take a cut from your paid memberships. Just Stripe’s fee. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% far better than Substack (essentially).
But there’s even more: their ad network is intuitive and passive. Within three months, I was currently fielding passion from marketers. Beehiiv’s partner network links creators with brands in a manner that doesn’t really feel nasty or forced. It’s integrated earnings capacity, ordinary and basic Beehiiv Vs GoHighLevel.
And when I prepare to introduce a costs registration? I know specifically what reduced 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’ve obtained customizable referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Numerous landing pages for tracking lead sources. You can turn your visitors into advocates without hanging uncomfortable swag or one-time tricks.
I’ll state this: Beehiiv seems like a platform that desires you to do well. Not one that just desires an item of your pie.
Points I would certainly Still Like to See Improve
No platform is excellent, and Beehiiv’s obtained its traits.
Support can be sluggish when you hit an odd pest or need deep help.
Some automations still really feel as well basic.
Email size tracking requires better in-app signals (please and thanks).
No built-in countdown timers (long face if you enjoy FOMO emails).
Ecommerce integrations? Primarily missing.
So if you’re offering physical products or desire abandoned cart flows, Beehiiv most likely isn’t your best choice.
Verdict
If you’re a maker who’s serious about newsletters– whether you’re monetizing, expanding a listing, or just tired of outdated systems– Beehiiv’s a solid option.
You’ll like it if:
You desire complete ownership of your target market
You’re seeking to grow quick without paying platform tax
You desire something that really feels built by makers, for developers
Will it address every trouble? No. However in 3 months, it’s assisted me expand faster, make a lot more, and stress and anxiety much less regarding the little points.
So, should you try Beehiiv?
If you’re ready to quit resolving and in fact range your e-newsletter with real tools that respect your job and target market– yeah, I assume it’s time.
Take place. Provide it a spin. You simply may fall in love like I did.