When it came time to pick a brand-new email system, I didn’t want “good enough.” I required something better– something built for development, smarter monetization, and a smoother experience on the whole. After nearly a decade aiding others with e-mail marketing (and 2 years running my own newsletter), I had not been trying to find simply a tool– I was hunting for a proper companion Beehiiv Affiliate Program.
And that’s exactly how Beehiiv got in the picture.
Now, I understand what you’re assuming: “Isn’t Beehiiv just an additional Substack option?” I thought that as well initially. Yet after three months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I’ve got a great deal to say– both the wins and the odd quirks. If you’re trying to choose whether Beehiiv is the right system for you, work out in. You’re about to obtain the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Tool Behind
Let’s be sincere– most email provider (ESPs) are constructed like they’re still stuck in 2013. I required a tool that might actually aid grow my list and make some money while I was at it. My old ESP simply wasn’t sufficing anymore.
So I started contrasting options. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the common suspects. Each had its benefits, but I was considering this via the lens of somebody who takes e-mail seriously– and who wanted full control over my audience and web content.
The Substack Trouble: Looks Excellent Till You Look Closer
Substack was my initial stop. It’s polished. It’s simple. And yeah, it’s prominent.
However dig a little much deeper, and cracks begin revealing. The greatest one? You don’t actually own your followers.
That “comply with” button you see on Substack? It’s primarily smoke and mirrors. Those fans live behind a wall surface– inside the Substack app or on their site. You can’t email them directly. Can’t export them. You’re primarily renting out a target market you can never ever totally get to.
It’s like performing on a phase where the lights just switch on if the location determines to let the crowd see you. Doesn’t feel fantastic.
And then there’s the cash side. Substack takes 10% off your paid memberships. Stripe takes one more 3%. That’s 13% of your revenue– gone. You would certainly assume they were running a bar, not an e-mail system.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, However Was It As well Excellent to Be Real?
So what made Beehiiv stick out?
Initially, it was the promise of creator-first features– like better monetization, smarter list growth tools, and no system costs (in addition to the typical Stripe cut). However guarantees are simple. Execution? That’s where it gets real.
Still, the reviews were encouraging. The Reddit strings didn’t sound like robots or brand plants. And the onboarding? Surprisingly smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the jump.
Getting Set Up on Beehiiv
Let me tell you– migrating to a brand-new system usually seems like pulling teeth. Yet Beehiiv? Surprisingly pain-free.
Importing my listing? Smooth. Establishing kinds? No disasters. Connecting my custom domain? A few small missteps, yet nothing that needed swearing at the screen.
One thing I really valued was the “domain name warming” feature. Beehiiv slowly presents your domain to inbox carriers, piggybacking off their own sending out domain name. Translation? Less spam folder headaches.
Likewise, their assistance web content– video clips, help docs, and walkthroughs– really really felt human. Like a person sat down and stated, “Let’s not annoy the hell out of our users today.” Rejuvenating.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Affiliate Program
Currently below’s where points got a little … interesting.
Beehiiv’s automation system is decent, however do not expect it to take on heavyweight platforms like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. As an example, each form can just be attached to a single automation. That makes it difficult to customize welcome sequences based upon how someone joined.
I ended up going complete detective mode– playing with sections, using separate landing pages, checking out rare Reddit threads– just to develop a couple of customized workflows.
Is it workable? Absolutely. But if you’re used to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional logic, this might seem like going back a little bit.
Email Builder: Mostly Fantastic, But Not Perfect
I have actually obtained a bit of a love-hate relationship with Beehiiv’s e-mail builder.
Visually? It’s glossy. Drag, drop, layout, sneak peek– it feels like it was developed by somebody who’s really composed a newsletter or more.
But default templates took a couple of tweaks to solve. And below’s a curveball: Beehiiv emails can obtain big. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb large.
That indicates your magnificently crafted message might obtain chopped in half if you’re not careful. I learned this by hand– after that went down a bunny hole of screening devices to enhance HTML dimension and prevent that dreadful clipping.
My best strategy?
- Downloading test e-mails from Gmail and examining dimension
- Running the HTML via Parcel.io’s e-mail audience
- Verifying with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Little bit of a hands-on process, but it works. I even connected to Beehiiv regarding adding far better size warnings. Fingers crossed.
Right Stuff That In Fact Moves the Needle
Alright, let’s get involved in the meat of it– what’s made a concrete difference given that switching over to Beehiiv?
Target market Growth
In just three months, I included over 160 brand-new clients to a pretty niche e-newsletter. That has to do with 60% more than what I was seeing previously– and I wasn’t also running paid ads.
The majority of that growth originated from Beehiiv’s integrated devices: the referral program, Boosts (think newsletter cross-promotions), and natural reach. You can actually track what’s working and where clients are originating from. Makes tweaking your method a whole lot easier.
Money Making That Doesn’t Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s chat cash since for a lot of developers, it matters.
Beehiiv doesn’t take a cut from your paid subscriptions. Simply Stripe’s fee. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% much better than Substack (actually).
Yet there’s more: their advertisement network is user-friendly and passive. Within 3 months, I was currently fielding interest from marketers. Beehiiv’s companion network connects makers with brand names in a manner that does not really feel disgusting or required. It’s integrated income possibility, simple and easy Beehiiv Affiliate Program.
And when I’m ready to launch a costs membership? I know precisely what cut I’ll get: all of it (minus Stripe).
Integrated Development Devices
What really establishes Beehiiv apart is that development isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You have actually obtained personalized referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Numerous landing pages for tracking lead resources. You can transform your readers right into supporters without dangling uncomfortable boodle or single tricks.
I’ll claim this: Beehiiv seems like a platform that wants you to succeed. Not one that simply wants a piece of your pie.
Points I ‘d Still Like to See Improve
No platform is perfect, and Beehiiv’s got its peculiarities.
Support can be slow-moving when you hit an odd insect or require deep assistance.
Some automations still feel as well fundamental.
Email size surveillance needs much better in-app alerts (please and thanks).
No built-in countdown timers (sad face if you love FOMO e-mails).
Ecommerce integrations? Basically nonexistent.
So if you’re marketing physical products or desire abandoned cart flows, Beehiiv possibly isn’t your best option.
Conclusion
If you’re a developer who’s serious about newsletters– whether you’re monetizing, expanding a listing, or just tired of obsolete systems– Beehiiv’s a solid selection.
You’ll like it if:
You desire full ownership of your audience
You’re aiming to grow fast without paying platform tax obligation
You want something that really feels built by designers, for creators
Will it solve every issue? No. But in 3 months, it’s helped me grow faster, gain much more, and stress much less about the little things.
So, should you try Beehiiv?
If you prepare to stop settling and really scale your e-newsletter with actual devices that value your work and target market– yeah, I think it’s time.
Go on. Give it a spin. You simply might fall in love like I did.