When it came time to pick a new e-mail 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 virtually a decade assisting others with e-mail marketing (and two years running my very own newsletter), I had not been looking for just a device– I was searching for an appropriate companion EJ White Beehiiv.
And that’s exactly how Beehiiv entered the picture.
Now, I know what you’re believing: “Isn’t Beehiiv simply another Substack choice?” I thought that also in the beginning. But after 3 months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I have actually obtained a lot to say– both the wins and the weird peculiarities. If you’re trying to choose whether Beehiiv is the best system for you, clear up in. You’re about to obtain the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Tool Behind
Let’s be straightforward– most email service providers (ESPs) are developed like they’re still embeded 2013. I required a tool that can in fact help expand my listing and make some money while I went to it. My old ESP simply wasn’t sufficing anymore.
So I began comparing options. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the normal suspects. Each had its rewards, yet I was looking at this through the lens of someone who takes email seriously– and who wanted complete control over my audience and material.
The Substack Problem: Looks Great Until You Look Closer
Substack was my first quit. It’s brightened. It’s straightforward. And yeah, it’s prominent.
Yet dig a little deeper, and cracks begin showing. The biggest one? You do not actually own your followers.
That “comply with” switch you see on Substack? It’s mostly smoke and mirrors. Those fans live behind a wall– inside the Substack app or on their site. You can’t email them directly. Can’t export them. You’re generally leasing a target market you can never fully reach.
It resembles executing on a phase where the lights only switch on if the venue determines to let the crowd see you. Does not feel wonderful.
And afterwards there’s the money side. Substack takes 10% off your paid registrations. Stripe takes one more 3%. That’s 13% of your income– gone. You would certainly believe they were running a club, not an email system.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, However Was It Too Great to Be Real?
So what made Beehiiv attract attention?
Initially, it was the pledge of creator-first features– like better monetization, smarter listing development devices, and zero platform fees (apart from the usual Stripe cut). But pledges are very easy. Execution? That’s where it obtains real.
Still, the reviews were motivating. The Reddit strings really did not seem 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 feels like drawing teeth. Yet Beehiiv? Remarkably pain-free.
Importing my list? Smooth. Establishing kinds? No disasters. Linking my custom-made domain? A few minor hiccups, but absolutely nothing that required swearing at the display.
Something I actually appreciated was the “domain name warming” feature. Beehiiv progressively introduces your domain name to inbox companies, piggybacking off their very own sending domain. Translation? Fewer spam folder nightmares.
Likewise, their support material– video clips, aid docs, and walkthroughs– actually really felt human. Like a person took a seat and claimed, “Let’s not frustrate the hell out of our users today.” Refreshing.
Automation on Beehiiv: EJ White Beehiiv
Currently below’s where things got a little … interesting.
Beehiiv’s automation system is decent, but don’t anticipate it to take on heavyweight platforms like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. For example, each form can only be attached to a single automation. That makes it tricky to personalize welcome sequences based on exactly how someone signed up.
I wound up going full investigator setting– playing with segments, using separate landing pages, checking out obscure Reddit threads– simply to develop a few tailored workflows.
Is it manageable? Definitely. However if you’re utilized to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional logic, this could feel like stepping back a bit.
Email Builder: Mostly Great, However Not Perfect
I have actually got a bit of a love-hate relationship with Beehiiv’s email builder.
Aesthetically? It’s slick. Drag, drop, layout, sneak peek– it seems like it was made by a person who’s in fact created a newsletter or 2.
Yet default templates took a couple of tweaks to get right. And below’s a curveball: Beehiiv e-mails can obtain huge. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb large.
That means your perfectly crafted message might get cut in half if you’re not mindful. I learned this by hand– then went down a rabbit hole of testing tools to maximize HTML size and prevent that dreaded clipping.
My best approach?
- Downloading and install test emails from Gmail and inspecting dimension
- Running the HTML via Parcel.io’s e-mail customer
- Confirming with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Little bit of a manual process, however it works. I even connected to Beehiiv regarding including much better dimension cautions. Fingers crossed.
The Stuff That Really Relocations the Needle
Alright, let’s get into the meat of it– what’s made a substantial distinction considering that switching over to Beehiiv?
Audience Growth
In just 3 months, I included over 160 new customers to a rather niche newsletter. That’s about 60% greater than what I was seeing previously– and I had not been even running paid advertisements.
A lot of that development originated from Beehiiv’s integrated devices: the referral program, Boosts (assume newsletter cross-promotions), and organic reach. You can really track what’s functioning and where customers are originating from. Makes tweaking your strategy a whole lot easier.
Money Making That Does Not Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s speak money since for the majority of creators, it matters.
Beehiiv does not take a cut from your paid registrations. Just Stripe’s charge. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% far better than Substack (actually).
However there’s even more: their ad network is user-friendly and passive. Within three months, I was already fielding interest from advertisers. Beehiiv’s companion network attaches developers with brands in a manner that does not really feel nasty or compelled. It’s integrated revenue capacity, ordinary and easy EJ White Beehiiv.
And when I’m ready to introduce a costs subscription? I understand exactly what cut I’ll get: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Growth Devices
What truly establishes Beehiiv apart is that development isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You’ve obtained personalized referral programs. Boosts for e-newsletter cross-promotion. Numerous landing pages for tracking lead resources. You can transform your viewers right into advocates without dangling uncomfortable swag or single gimmicks.
I’ll state this: Beehiiv feels like a system that wants you to succeed. Not one that just desires a piece of your pie.
Things I would certainly Still Like to See Improve
No platform is ideal, and Beehiiv’s got its quirks.
Assistance can be slow when you struck a weird pest or require deep help.
Some automations still feel as well fundamental.
Email size tracking requires far better in-app alerts (please and thank you).
No integrated countdown timers (sad face if you love FOMO e-mails).
Ecommerce integrations? Basically nonexistent.
So if you’re offering physical products or want deserted cart circulations, Beehiiv probably isn’t your best bet.
Conclusion
If you’re a maker who’s serious about e-newsletters– whether you’re generating income from, growing a list, or simply tired of out-of-date systems– Beehiiv’s a strong option.
You’ll like it if:
You want full ownership of your audience
You’re seeking to expand quick without paying system tax obligation
You desire something that really feels developed by makers, for developers
Will it fix every issue? No. But in three months, it’s helped me expand quicker, gain extra, and stress and anxiety less regarding the little things.
So, should you attempt Beehiiv?
If you’re ready to quit clearing up and in fact scale your newsletter with real devices that respect your job and target market– yeah, I believe it’s time.
Go on. Offer it a spin. You just may fall in love like I did.