When it came time to choose a new email system, I really did not desire “good enough.” I required something much better– something developed for development, smarter money making, and a smoother experience on the whole. After virtually a decade assisting others with email marketing (and 2 years running my own e-newsletter), I wasn’t trying to find just a tool– I was hunting for a proper partner Beehiiv 14 Day Free Trial.
Which’s how Beehiiv went into the picture.
Now, I understand what you’re assuming: “Isn’t Beehiiv just one more Substack option?” I believed that too initially. Yet after 3 months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I have actually obtained a lot to say– both the success and the unusual peculiarities. If you’re trying to determine whether Beehiiv is the right system for you, settle in. You’re about to get the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Device Behind
Let’s be straightforward– most email provider (ESPs) are constructed like they’re still stuck in 2013. I needed a device that can really help grow my list and make some cash while I was at it. My old ESP just wasn’t sufficing any longer.
So I started contrasting alternatives. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the common suspects. Each had its rewards, but I was considering this with the lens of somebody who takes email seriously– and who wanted full control over my audience and content.
The Substack Trouble: Looks Great Till You Look Closer
Substack was my initial stop. It’s polished. It’s easy. And yeah, it’s preferred.
Yet dig a little deeper, and splits begin revealing. The largest one? You do not really have your followers.
That “comply with” button you see on Substack? It’s mostly smoke and mirrors. Those followers live behind a wall surface– inside the Substack app or on their website. You can’t email them straight. Can’t export them. You’re basically renting an audience you can never ever totally reach.
It’s like carrying out on a phase where the lights only switch on if the venue determines to let the group see you. Does not really feel excellent.
And after that there’s the cash side. Substack takes 10% off your paid memberships. Stripe takes an additional 3%. That’s 13% of your revenue– gone. You would certainly believe they were running a nightclub, not an email platform.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, Yet Was It Also Great to Be Real?
So what made Beehiiv stand out?
In the beginning, it was the pledge of creator-first features– like better money making, smarter listing development devices, and absolutely no system costs (in addition to the normal Stripe cut). However assurances are easy. Execution? That’s where it gets real.
Still, the evaluations 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 inform you– migrating to a new system generally feels like drawing teeth. But Beehiiv? Remarkably pain-free.
Importing my checklist? Smooth. Establishing types? No disasters. Attaching my customized domain? A few minor missteps, however nothing that called for swearing at the screen.
One thing I actually valued was the “domain warming” feature. Beehiiv slowly presents your domain name to inbox companies, piggybacking off their own sending out domain. Translation? Less spam folder problems.
Additionally, their assistance web content– video clips, aid docs, and walkthroughs– in fact felt human. Like a person sat down and claimed, “Let’s not discourage the hell out of our users today.” Rejuvenating.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv 14 Day Free Trial
Currently here’s where points got a little … interesting.
Beehiiv’s automation system is good, yet do not expect it to take on heavyweight platforms like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. For instance, each kind can just be linked to a solitary automation. That makes it difficult to personalize welcome sequences based on exactly how somebody subscribed.
I ended up going full detective setting– playing with segments, making use of separate landing pages, reading unknown Reddit strings– simply to build a couple of customized workflows.
Is it achievable? Absolutely. But if you’re utilized to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional logic, this might feel like stepping back a little bit.
Email Builder: Mostly Excellent, Yet Not Perfect
I’ve obtained a little bit of a love-hate relationship with Beehiiv’s e-mail builder.
Aesthetically? It’s slick. Drag, drop, style, preview– it feels like it was created by a person who’s actually written an e-newsletter or two.
However default templates took a few tweaks to get right. And right here’s a curveball: Beehiiv emails can get big. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb huge.
That indicates your wonderfully crafted message might obtain cut in half if you’re not mindful. I discovered this the hard way– after that went down a bunny opening of screening tools to maximize HTML size and avoid that feared clipping.
My go-to technique?
- Downloading examination e-mails from Gmail and inspecting dimension
- Running the HTML through Parcel.io’s email visitor
- Verifying with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Little bit of a manual process, but it works. I also reached out to Beehiiv about adding much better dimension warnings. Fingers crossed.
Right Stuff That In Fact Steps the Needle
Alright, let’s enter into the meat of it– what’s made a tangible distinction since switching to Beehiiv?
Target market Growth
In simply 3 months, I added over 160 brand-new customers to a quite particular niche newsletter. That has to do with 60% more than what I was seeing in the past– and I wasn’t even running paid advertisements.
The majority of that growth came from Beehiiv’s integrated tools: the referral program, Boosts (believe newsletter cross-promotions), and natural reach. You can really track what’s functioning and where customers are originating from. Makes tweaking your technique a great deal much easier.
Money Making That Does Not Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s talk cash since for many designers, 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 (essentially).
However there’s more: their ad network is user-friendly and passive. Within three months, I was currently fielding interest from marketers. Beehiiv’s partner network connects developers with brand names in such a way that doesn’t feel disgusting or required. It’s built-in revenue capacity, simple and simple Beehiiv 14 Day Free Trial.
And when I’m ready to introduce a premium subscription? I understand specifically what cut I’ll get: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Development Tools
What really sets Beehiiv apart is that growth isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You’ve got personalized referral programs. Boosts for e-newsletter cross-promotion. Numerous landing pages for tracking lead resources. You can turn your viewers right into advocates without dangling awkward boodle or one-time gimmicks.
I’ll say this: Beehiiv feels like a platform that desires you to be successful. Not one that just desires a piece of your pie.
Things I ‘d Still Like to See Improve
No platform is best, and Beehiiv’s obtained its traits.
Assistance can be sluggish when you hit a strange pest or need deep aid.
Some automations still feel also standard.
Email size monitoring needs far better in-app notifies (please and thank you).
No built-in countdown timers (long face if you enjoy FOMO emails).
Ecommerce integrations? Essentially nonexistent.
So if you’re selling physical items or desire abandoned cart circulations, Beehiiv possibly isn’t your best bet.
Conclusion
If you’re a maker who’s serious about e-newsletters– whether you’re generating income from, expanding a listing, or just tired of outdated systems– Beehiiv’s a solid selection.
You’ll like it if:
You desire full possession of your audience
You’re looking to grow quickly without paying platform tax
You desire something that feels built by designers, for makers
Will it solve every issue? No. Yet in three months, it’s aided me expand much faster, earn a lot more, and stress and anxiety less regarding the little points.
So, should you try Beehiiv?
If you’re ready to stop working out and in fact scale your e-newsletter with real devices that value your work and target market– yeah, I think it’s time.
Take place. Provide it a spin. You just could fall in love like I did.