When it came time to choose a brand-new email system, I didn’t want “good enough.” I required something much better– something developed for development, smarter monetization, and a smoother experience on the whole. After nearly a years aiding others with e-mail marketing (and 2 years running my own e-newsletter), I wasn’t trying to find simply a device– I was searching for an appropriate companion Beehiiv Dedicated IP Addresses.
And that’s how Beehiiv went into the picture.
Currently, I know what you’re thinking: “Isn’t Beehiiv just another Substack choice?” I believed that also at first. However after three months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I’ve got a lot to say– both the victories and the odd peculiarities. If you’re trying to decide whether Beehiiv is the appropriate system for you, settle in. You will obtain the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Tool Behind
Let’s be truthful– most email service providers (ESPs) are constructed like they’re still stuck in 2013. I required a tool that could actually help grow my list and make some money while I went to it. My old ESP just had not been sufficing any longer.
So I began comparing options. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the common suspects. Each had its benefits, however I was taking a look at this through the lens of somebody who takes e-mail seriously– and who wanted full control over my target market and material.
The Substack Trouble: Looks Great Until You Look Closer
Substack was my very first quit. It’s polished. It’s simple. And yeah, it’s prominent.
Yet dig a little much deeper, and fractures start revealing. The greatest one? You do not in fact possess your fans.
That “adhere to” switch you see on Substack? It’s mostly smoke and mirrors. Those fans live behind a wall surface– inside the Substack application or on their website. You can not email them directly. Can not export them. You’re essentially renting out a target market you can never fully reach.
It resembles doing on a phase where the lights only turn on if the place decides to allow the crowd see you. Does not feel great.
And afterwards there’s the money 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 club, not an email platform.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, Yet Was It As well Great to Be Real?
So what made Beehiiv stick out?
At first, it was the pledge of creator-first features– like better money making, smarter list development tools, and zero system fees (besides the typical Stripe cut). But pledges are simple. Implementation? That’s where it obtains real.
Still, the reviews were encouraging. The Reddit strings didn’t seem like crawlers or brand plants. And the onboarding? Surprisingly smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the jump.
Getting Set Up on Beehiiv
Let me inform you– moving to a new system usually feels like drawing teeth. Yet Beehiiv? Surprisingly pain-free.
Importing my checklist? Smooth. Establishing kinds? No crises. Connecting my custom domain? A few minor hiccups, however absolutely nothing that required swearing at the display.
One thing I really appreciated was the “domain warming” feature. Beehiiv gradually introduces your domain to inbox suppliers, piggybacking off their very own sending out domain. Translation? Less spam folder problems.
Likewise, their assistance web content– videos, aid docs, and walkthroughs– in fact felt human. Like someone took a seat and said, “Let’s not annoy the heck out of our customers today.” Refreshing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Dedicated IP Addresses
Currently right here’s where points got a little … interesting.
Beehiiv’s automation system is respectable, but don’t anticipate it to compete with heavyweight platforms like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. As an example, each type can only be connected to a single automation. That makes it challenging to individualize welcome series based upon exactly how somebody signed up.
I wound up going full detective setting– tinkering with segments, using different landing pages, reading odd Reddit threads– simply to develop a few customized workflows.
Is it achievable? Absolutely. However if you’re made use of to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional logic, this may seem like going back a bit.
Email Builder: Primarily Excellent, But Not Perfect
I’ve got a bit of a love-hate partnership with Beehiiv’s e-mail builder.
Aesthetically? It’s slick. Drag, drop, layout, sneak peek– it seems like it was made by someone who’s actually created a newsletter or more.
But default templates took a couple of tweaks to get right. And below’s a curveball: Beehiiv emails can obtain huge. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb large.
That implies your beautifully crafted message might obtain chopped in half if you’re not mindful. I learned this the hard way– then decreased a rabbit hole of screening devices to optimize HTML size and prevent that feared clipping.
My best technique?
- Downloading test emails from Gmail and checking dimension
- Running the HTML with Parcel.io’s e-mail visitor
- Double-checking with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Bit of a hand-operated process, but it functions. I also connected to Beehiiv about including far better size cautions. Fingers crossed.
Right Stuff That Actually Steps the Needle
Alright, let’s get into the meat of it– what’s made a tangible distinction because switching to Beehiiv?
Audience Development
In simply three months, I included over 160 new subscribers to a pretty particular niche newsletter. That has to do with 60% more than what I was seeing before– and I wasn’t even running paid ads.
A lot of that growth came from Beehiiv’s built-in tools: the referral program, Boosts (believe e-newsletter cross-promotions), and organic reach. You can actually track what’s working and where subscribers are coming from. Makes tweaking your technique a whole lot much easier.
Money Making That Does Not Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s talk cash since for a lot of makers, it matters.
Beehiiv does not take a cut from your paid memberships. Just Stripe’s cost. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% much better than Substack (actually).
But there’s even more: their advertisement network is intuitive and passive. Within 3 months, I was already fielding passion from marketers. Beehiiv’s companion network links developers with brand names in such a way that doesn’t feel nasty or compelled. It’s built-in income possibility, ordinary and simple Beehiiv Dedicated IP Addresses.
And when I prepare to launch a costs subscription? I understand exactly what cut I’ll obtain: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Development Tools
What truly sets Beehiiv apart is that development isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You have actually got personalized referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Multiple landing pages for tracking lead resources. You can turn your readers into advocates without dangling awkward boodle or single tricks.
I’ll state this: Beehiiv feels like a platform that wants you to succeed. Not one that just wants an item of your pie.
Things I would certainly Still Like to See Improve
No platform is excellent, and Beehiiv’s got its quirks.
Assistance can be slow-moving when you struck an odd pest or need deep help.
Some automations still really feel too fundamental.
Email size monitoring requires far better in-app notifies (please and thank you).
No built-in countdown timers (sad face if you like FOMO e-mails).
Ecommerce integrations? Generally missing.
So if you’re marketing physical items or desire deserted cart flows, Beehiiv probably isn’t your best option.
Verdict
If you’re a designer who’s serious about e-newsletters– whether you’re generating income from, expanding a checklist, or simply tired of out-of-date systems– Beehiiv’s a strong option.
You’ll like it if:
You desire complete possession of your target market
You’re seeking to expand fast without paying system tax
You want something that really feels developed by designers, for makers
Will it address every trouble? No. Yet in 3 months, it’s assisted me grow quicker, earn more, and stress and anxiety much less concerning the little points.
So, should you attempt Beehiiv?
If you prepare to quit settling and in fact range your newsletter with actual tools that appreciate your job and audience– yeah, I assume it’s time.
Go on. Provide it a spin. You simply could fall in love like I did.