When it came time to choose a new e-mail system, I didn’t desire “sufficient.” I needed something much better– something built for development, smarter monetization, and a smoother experience on the whole. After virtually a decade helping others with e-mail marketing (and two years running my very own newsletter), I had not been searching for simply a tool– I was searching for a proper partner Banking Pulse Beehiiv.
And that’s exactly how Beehiiv went into the picture.
Currently, I recognize what you’re assuming: “Isn’t Beehiiv just one more Substack choice?” I assumed that also initially. However after three months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I have actually obtained a whole lot to claim– both the success and the weird peculiarities. If you’re attempting to decide whether Beehiiv is the right platform for you, work out in. You will obtain the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Tool Behind
Let’s be sincere– most email provider (ESPs) are developed like they’re still stuck in 2013. I required a device that can really aid grow my listing and make some money while I was at it. My old ESP just wasn’t sufficing anymore.
So I began contrasting options. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the usual suspects. Each had its advantages, yet I was considering this through the lens of somebody who takes e-mail seriously– and who desired complete control over my audience and content.
The Substack Issue: Looks Great Until You Look Closer
Substack was my very first quit. It’s brightened. It’s straightforward. And yeah, it’s preferred.
Yet dig a little much deeper, and fractures begin showing. The most significant one? You do not in fact have your fans.
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 an audience you can never ever completely get to.
It resembles performing on a stage where the lights only turn on if the location decides to allow the group see you. Doesn’t really feel terrific.
And after that there’s the money side. Substack takes 10% off your paid memberships. Stripe takes another 3%. That’s 13% of your earnings– gone. You ‘d assume they were running a nightclub, not an email system.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, However Was It As well Excellent to Be True?
So what made Beehiiv stick out?
Initially, it was the guarantee of creator-first features– like better monetization, smarter listing growth devices, and no system costs (apart from the common Stripe cut). But assurances are simple. Implementation? That’s where it gets real.
Still, the testimonials were motivating. The Reddit threads didn’t seem like bots or brand plants. And the onboarding? Surprisingly smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the jump.
Readying Up on Beehiiv
Let me inform you– moving to a brand-new system typically seems like pulling teeth. However Beehiiv? Surprisingly pain-free.
Importing my checklist? Smooth. Setting up kinds? No disasters. Attaching my customized domain? A couple of minor missteps, yet nothing that required swearing at the display.
Something I truly appreciated was the “domain warming” feature. Beehiiv progressively presents your domain to inbox carriers, piggybacking off their own sending out domain. Translation? Fewer spam folder problems.
Likewise, their assistance material– video clips, help docs, and walkthroughs– in fact really felt human. Like someone sat down and claimed, “Let’s not frustrate the heck out of our users today.” Refreshing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Banking Pulse Beehiiv
Now below’s where points obtained a little … fascinating.
Beehiiv’s automation system is decent, however do not expect it to take on heavyweight systems like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. As an example, each form can only be linked to a single automation. That makes it difficult to individualize welcome series based on just how somebody registered.
I wound up going full investigator setting– playing with segments, utilizing separate landing pages, checking out obscure Reddit threads– just to develop a few customized workflows.
Is it doable? Definitely. But if you’re made use of to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional logic, this may feel like stepping back a little bit.
Email Builder: Primarily Wonderful, Yet Not Perfect
I’ve obtained a little bit of a love-hate connection with Beehiiv’s email builder.
Visually? It’s slick. Drag, drop, format, preview– it seems like it was created by someone who’s actually written a newsletter or more.
Yet default templates took a few tweaks to solve. And below’s a curveball: Beehiiv emails can get huge. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb big.
That suggests your wonderfully crafted message could obtain cut in half if you’re not careful. I discovered this by hand– then decreased a rabbit hole of screening devices to maximize HTML dimension and prevent that dreadful clipping.
My go-to technique?
- Downloading and install test e-mails from Gmail and inspecting size
- Running the HTML with Parcel.io’s email audience
- Ascertaining with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and framework
Little bit of a hand-operated process, but it functions. I also reached out to Beehiiv about including better dimension warnings. Fingers went across.
The Stuff That Actually Relocations the Needle
Alright, let’s enter the meat of it– what’s made a concrete distinction since switching to Beehiiv?
Target market Development
In simply 3 months, I included over 160 brand-new customers to a rather particular niche newsletter. That’s about 60% greater than what I was seeing in the past– and I had not been also running paid advertisements.
A lot of that development came from Beehiiv’s built-in devices: the referral program, Boosts (assume newsletter cross-promotions), and natural reach. You can in fact track what’s working and where clients are coming from. Makes tweaking your method a lot much easier.
Monetization That Does Not Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s speak money due to the fact that for most developers, it matters.
Beehiiv doesn’t take a cut from your paid memberships. Simply Stripe’s fee. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% better than Substack (essentially).
Yet there’s even more: their ad network is intuitive and passive. Within 3 months, I was currently fielding interest from marketers. Beehiiv’s partner network connects developers with brand names in a manner that doesn’t really feel sickening or required. It’s integrated income capacity, ordinary and simple Banking Pulse Beehiiv.
And when I’m ready to release a premium registration? I know exactly what cut I’ll get: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Growth Devices
What truly establishes Beehiiv apart is that growth isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You have actually got customizable referral programs. Boosts for e-newsletter cross-promotion. Several landing pages for tracking lead sources. You can turn your viewers into advocates without dangling uncomfortable swag or one-time gimmicks.
I’ll claim this: Beehiiv seems like a system that desires you to succeed. Not one that just desires an item of your pie.
Things I would certainly Still Like to See Improve
No platform is excellent, and Beehiiv’s got its peculiarities.
Assistance can be slow-moving when you struck a weird insect or require deep help.
Some automations still really feel as well fundamental.
Email dimension tracking needs far better in-app alerts (please and thanks).
No built-in countdown timers (sad face if you like FOMO emails).
Ecommerce integrations? Essentially nonexistent.
So if you’re marketing physical products or desire abandoned cart flows, Beehiiv most likely isn’t your best option.
Final Thought
If you’re a creator who’s serious about newsletters– whether you’re monetizing, growing a list, or just tired of outdated systems– Beehiiv’s a solid choice.
You’ll like it if:
You desire complete possession of your target market
You’re wanting to expand fast without paying system tax obligation
You desire something that really feels developed by developers, for developers
Will it address every problem? No. Yet in three months, it’s helped me grow faster, earn extra, and anxiety much less concerning the little points.
So, should you try Beehiiv?
If you’re ready to stop clearing up and in fact scale your e-newsletter with actual tools that value your job and target market– yeah, I believe it’s time.
Take place. Give it a spin. You simply could fall in love like I did.