When it came time to choose a brand-new email system, I didn’t want “good enough.” I needed something better– something constructed for growth, smarter monetization, and a smoother experience overall. After nearly a years assisting others with e-mail marketing (and 2 years running my very own e-newsletter), I wasn’t seeking just a tool– I was hunting for an appropriate partner Brian Schneider Beehiiv.
Which’s exactly how Beehiiv went into the picture.
Currently, I understand what you’re believing: “Isn’t Beehiiv just one more Substack choice?” I believed that too initially. However after three months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I’ve got a whole lot to say– both the wins and the weird traits. If you’re trying to choose whether Beehiiv is the best system for you, settle in. You will get the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Tool Behind
Let’s be truthful– most email service providers (ESPs) are built like they’re still embeded 2013. I required a device that can in fact aid grow my list and make some cash while I went to it. My old ESP simply had not been sufficing anymore.
So I started contrasting options. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the usual suspects. Each had its benefits, yet I was considering this through the lens of a person who takes e-mail seriously– and who wanted complete control over my audience and content.
The Substack Issue: Looks Great Till You Look Closer
Substack was my very first quit. It’s brightened. It’s simple. And yeah, it’s popular.
But dig a little deeper, and splits begin revealing. The biggest one? You don’t actually possess your followers.
That “comply with” button you see on Substack? It’s primarily smoke and mirrors. Those followers live behind a wall– inside the Substack application or on their site. You can’t email them straight. Can’t export them. You’re primarily leasing a target market you can never fully get to.
It’s like carrying out on a stage where the lights only activate if the venue determines 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 another 3%. That’s 13% of your earnings– gone. You would certainly assume they were running a nightclub, not an e-mail system.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, Yet Was It Too Good to Be Real?
So what made Beehiiv stand out?
In the beginning, it was the guarantee of creator-first features– like better money making, smarter checklist growth tools, and no platform charges (apart from the common Stripe cut). However assurances are very easy. Implementation? That’s where it gets real.
Still, the evaluations were encouraging. The Reddit strings really did not seem like crawlers or brand plants. And the onboarding? Surprisingly smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the leap.
Readying Up on Beehiiv
Let me inform you– moving to a brand-new platform typically feels like drawing teeth. Yet Beehiiv? Remarkably pain-free.
Importing my listing? Smooth. Setting up kinds? No meltdowns. Linking my personalized domain name? A couple of minor missteps, yet absolutely nothing that needed swearing at the screen.
Something I really appreciated was the “domain name warming” feature. Beehiiv gradually presents your domain to inbox carriers, piggybacking off their very own sending out domain name. Translation? Fewer spam folder problems.
Additionally, their support material– video clips, assistance docs, and walkthroughs– actually felt human. Like someone took a seat and said, “Let’s not irritate the hell out of our customers today.” Revitalizing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Brian Schneider Beehiiv
Currently here’s where points got a little … interesting.
Beehiiv’s automation system is good, but don’t anticipate it to compete with heavyweight platforms like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. As an example, each form can only be linked to a solitary automation. That makes it tricky to individualize welcome sequences based on just how a person registered.
I wound up going complete detective setting– dabbling with sections, making use of different landing pages, reviewing odd Reddit strings– simply to build a few customized workflows.
Is it doable? Absolutely. Yet if you’re made use of to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional reasoning, this might seem like going back a bit.
Email Builder: Mostly Great, But Not Perfect
I’ve obtained a little bit of a love-hate relationship with Beehiiv’s email builder.
Aesthetically? It’s slick. Drag, drop, format, preview– it seems like it was made by someone who’s actually written an e-newsletter or two.
However default templates took a couple of tweaks to get right. And below’s a curveball: Beehiiv emails can obtain huge. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb huge.
That implies your perfectly crafted message may get sliced in half if you’re not careful. I discovered this the hard way– after that dropped a bunny opening of screening tools to maximize HTML size and stay clear of that dreaded clipping.
My best approach?
- Downloading and install examination e-mails from Gmail and checking size
- Running the HTML through Parcel.io’s e-mail audience
- Confirming with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Little bit of a hands-on process, yet it functions. I also connected to Beehiiv about including much better size cautions. Fingers crossed.
The Stuff That Really Actions the Needle
Alright, let’s get into the meat of it– what’s made a concrete distinction because changing to Beehiiv?
Target market Growth
In just 3 months, I added over 160 new clients to a pretty niche e-newsletter. That’s about 60% more than what I was seeing before– and I had not been also running paid ads.
A lot of that development came from Beehiiv’s integrated devices: the referral program, Boosts (believe e-newsletter cross-promotions), and organic reach. You can actually track what’s functioning and where clients are coming from. Makes tweaking your strategy a great deal less complicated.
Money Making That Doesn’t Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s chat money because for a lot of makers, 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).
However there’s more: their advertisement network is intuitive and passive. Within 3 months, I was currently fielding interest from marketers. Beehiiv’s companion network attaches makers with brands in such a way that doesn’t feel sickening or compelled. It’s built-in earnings potential, ordinary and basic Brian Schneider Beehiiv.
And when I’m ready to launch a premium registration? I know precisely what cut I’ll obtain: all of it (minus Stripe).
Integrated Growth Tools
What actually establishes Beehiiv apart is that development isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You have actually got adjustable referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Multiple landing pages for tracking lead sources. You can turn your readers right into advocates without dangling unpleasant boodle or one-time tricks.
I’ll state this: Beehiiv feels like a system that wants you to be successful. Not one that simply desires an item of your pie.
Points I ‘d Still Like to See Improve
No system is best, and Beehiiv’s got its peculiarities.
Support can be slow when you hit a strange bug or require deep aid.
Some automations still feel also basic.
Email dimension surveillance requires much better in-app alerts (please and thanks).
No integrated countdown timers (sad face if you enjoy FOMO e-mails).
Ecommerce integrations? Essentially nonexistent.
So if you’re offering physical items or want abandoned cart flows, Beehiiv possibly isn’t your best option.
Final Thought
If you’re a maker who’s serious about e-newsletters– whether you’re generating income from, growing a listing, or just tired of outdated platforms– Beehiiv’s a solid option.
You’ll like it if:
You desire complete ownership of your target market
You’re wanting to expand quick without paying platform tax
You desire something that really feels built by developers, for designers
Will it solve every problem? No. Yet in 3 months, it’s assisted me expand quicker, make a lot more, and stress and anxiety less about the little points.
So, should you try Beehiiv?
If you prepare to stop working out and really scale your newsletter with actual devices that value your work and audience– yeah, I believe it’s time.
Take place. Give it a spin. You simply could fall in love like I did.