When it came time to choose a brand-new e-mail platform, I didn’t desire “sufficient.” I required something much better– something built for growth, smarter monetization, and a smoother experience in general. After virtually a decade assisting others with e-mail marketing (and 2 years running my very own newsletter), I had not been searching for just a tool– I was searching for a correct partner Beehiiv API Documentation.
Which’s just how Beehiiv got in the picture.
Currently, I understand what you’re assuming: “Isn’t Beehiiv just one more Substack choice?” I thought that too in the beginning. Yet after 3 months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I’ve obtained a lot to state– both the success and the odd traits. If you’re attempting to decide whether Beehiiv is the ideal system for you, resolve in. You will obtain the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Tool Behind
Let’s be truthful– most email company (ESPs) are built like they’re still embeded 2013. I required a tool that can actually aid grow my listing and make some money while I went to it. My old ESP simply wasn’t sufficing any longer.
So I started contrasting choices. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the typical suspects. Each had its benefits, yet I was taking a look at this via the lens of somebody who takes email seriously– and who desired full control over my audience and web content.
The Substack Problem: Looks Excellent Till You Look Closer
Substack was my very first quit. It’s polished. It’s straightforward. And yeah, it’s preferred.
However dig a little much deeper, and fractures begin showing. The biggest one? You do not in fact have your fans.
That “follow” switch you see on Substack? It’s primarily smoke and mirrors. Those followers live behind a wall– inside the Substack application or on their website. You can not email them directly. Can’t export them. You’re basically leasing a target market you can never fully get to.
It resembles executing on a stage where the lights only switch on if the location chooses to let the crowd see you. Does not feel fantastic.
And then there’s the money side. Substack takes 10% off your paid subscriptions. Stripe takes another 3%. That’s 13% of your earnings– gone. You would certainly believe they were running a club, not an email platform.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, Yet Was It Also Good to Be True?
So what made Beehiiv stick out?
Initially, it was the pledge of creator-first features– like better money making, smarter checklist growth devices, and no system charges (besides the typical Stripe cut). However promises are very easy. Implementation? That’s where it obtains real.
Still, the evaluations were encouraging. The Reddit strings really did not seem like robots or brand name plants. And the onboarding? Surprisingly smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the jump.
Getting Set Up on Beehiiv
Let me tell you– moving to a new system generally seems like drawing teeth. However Beehiiv? Surprisingly painless.
Importing my list? Smooth. Establishing forms? No disasters. Attaching my customized domain? A couple of small hiccups, however absolutely nothing that required swearing at the display.
Something I really appreciated was the “domain name warming” feature. Beehiiv progressively presents your domain name to inbox companies, piggybacking off their own sending out domain name. Translation? Less spam folder problems.
Additionally, their assistance web content– video clips, help docs, and walkthroughs– really felt human. Like a person took a seat and said, “Let’s not discourage the hell out of our users today.” Revitalizing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv API Documentation
Now here’s where things got a little … interesting.
Beehiiv’s automation system is good, yet don’t anticipate it to take on heavyweight systems like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. For example, each type can just be attached to a solitary automation. That makes it difficult to individualize welcome series based on how a person subscribed.
I ended up going complete detective mode– dabbling with segments, making use of different landing pages, reviewing obscure Reddit strings– just to build a few tailored workflows.
Is it manageable? Definitely. However if you’re used to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional reasoning, this may feel like stepping back a little bit.
Email Builder: Mainly Excellent, However Not Perfect
I’ve got a little a love-hate relationship with Beehiiv’s email builder.
Aesthetically? It’s glossy. Drag, drop, style, sneak peek– it seems like it was designed by someone who’s in fact written an e-newsletter or two.
However default templates took a couple of tweaks to solve. And below’s a curveball: Beehiiv emails can obtain huge. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb huge.
That indicates your perfectly crafted message might get cut in half if you’re not cautious. I discovered this the hard way– after that dropped a rabbit hole of testing tools to optimize HTML size and stay clear of that feared clipping.
My best method?
- Downloading and install examination e-mails from Gmail and examining size
- Running the HTML with Parcel.io’s e-mail visitor
- Confirming with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Little bit of a hand-operated procedure, but it functions. I also connected to Beehiiv concerning adding much better size cautions. Fingers went across.
Right Stuff That Actually Steps the Needle
Alright, let’s get into the meat of it– what’s made a tangible difference since switching over to Beehiiv?
Audience Growth
In simply 3 months, I included over 160 brand-new subscribers to a quite niche e-newsletter. That’s about 60% greater than what I was seeing before– and I wasn’t also running paid advertisements.
The majority of that development originated from Beehiiv’s integrated tools: the referral program, Boosts (think e-newsletter cross-promotions), and organic reach. You can really track what’s functioning and where subscribers are originating from. Makes tweaking your method a great deal less complicated.
Monetization That Does Not Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s chat money since for most creators, it matters.
Beehiiv does not take a cut from your paid memberships. Just Stripe’s charge. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% better than Substack (literally).
But there’s more: their advertisement network is user-friendly and passive. Within 3 months, I was currently fielding rate of interest from advertisers. Beehiiv’s partner network links makers with brands in a way that does not feel disgusting or required. It’s integrated revenue possibility, ordinary and straightforward Beehiiv API Documentation.
And when I prepare to introduce a premium registration? I understand specifically what cut I’ll get: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Growth Tools
What truly sets Beehiiv apart is that growth isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You have actually got adjustable referral programs. Boosts for e-newsletter cross-promotion. Multiple landing pages for tracking lead sources. You can turn your viewers right into supporters without dangling awkward boodle or one-time gimmicks.
I’ll state this: Beehiiv seems like a platform that desires you to succeed. Not one that just wants an item of your pie.
Points I would certainly Still Like to See Improve
No system is ideal, and Beehiiv’s obtained its peculiarities.
Support can be slow-moving when you struck an unusual bug or need deep assistance.
Some automations still really feel also standard.
Email dimension surveillance needs far better in-app signals (please and thanks).
No integrated countdown timers (long face if you like FOMO e-mails).
Ecommerce integrations? Primarily missing.
So if you’re marketing physical products or want abandoned cart flows, Beehiiv possibly isn’t your best bet.
Final Thought
If you’re a designer who’s serious about e-newsletters– whether you’re generating income from, growing a listing, or simply tired of obsolete systems– Beehiiv’s a solid option.
You’ll like it if:
You want complete ownership of your target market
You’re seeking to expand quickly without paying platform tax obligation
You want something that feels constructed by creators, for creators
Will it fix every issue? No. However in three months, it’s helped me expand quicker, earn much more, and stress less about the little points.
So, should you try Beehiiv?
If you’re ready to stop settling and actually scale your newsletter with real tools that value your job and target market– yeah, I think it’s time.
Take place. Provide it a spin. You simply may fall in love like I did.