When it came time to pick a new e-mail platform, I really did not desire “sufficient.” I needed something much better– something constructed for growth, smarter monetization, and a smoother experience generally. After nearly a years helping others with email marketing (and two years running my own newsletter), I wasn’t looking for simply a tool– I was hunting for an appropriate companion Beehiiv Delivery Rate.
Which’s exactly how Beehiiv entered the picture.
Currently, I know what you’re thinking: “Isn’t Beehiiv just another Substack choice?” I believed that also 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 unusual quirks. If you’re attempting to decide whether Beehiiv is the appropriate platform for you, resolve in. You’re about to obtain 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 could actually assist grow my listing and make some cash while I was at it. My old ESP just had not been sufficing any longer.
So I began contrasting alternatives. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the normal suspects. Each had its rewards, but I was checking out this via the lens of somebody who takes e-mail seriously– and who wanted full control over my target market and content.
The Substack Trouble: Looks Excellent Until You Look Closer
Substack was my very first quit. It’s polished. It’s easy. And yeah, it’s prominent.
Yet dig a little much deeper, and cracks begin showing. The most significant one? You don’t in fact own your followers.
That “follow” button you see on Substack? It’s primarily smoke and mirrors. Those fans live behind a wall– inside the Substack app or on their website. You can’t email them directly. Can’t export them. You’re generally leasing an audience you can never ever totally reach.
It resembles performing on a stage where the lights only turn on if the place makes a decision to allow the group see you. Doesn’t really feel wonderful.
And then there’s the money side. Substack takes 10% off your paid registrations. Stripe takes one more 3%. That’s 13% of your earnings– gone. You would certainly think they were running a bar, not an email system.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, Yet Was It As well Great to Be Real?
So what made Beehiiv stand apart?
At first, it was the pledge of creator-first features– like better money making, smarter list growth devices, and zero platform charges (in addition to the common Stripe cut). Yet guarantees are simple. Execution? That’s where it obtains real.
Still, the evaluations were encouraging. The Reddit strings didn’t sound like bots or brand plants. And the onboarding? Remarkably smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the leap.
Getting Set Up on Beehiiv
Let me tell you– moving to a brand-new system normally seems like drawing teeth. Yet Beehiiv? Remarkably pain-free.
Importing my listing? Smooth. Setting up kinds? No disasters. Attaching my custom domain? A few small missteps, however nothing that needed swearing at the display.
One point I truly appreciated was the “domain name warming” feature. Beehiiv progressively introduces your domain to inbox carriers, piggybacking off their very own sending domain. Translation? Less spam folder headaches.
Also, their assistance web content– videos, help docs, and walkthroughs– actually really felt human. Like someone sat down and claimed, “Let’s not frustrate the hell out of our customers today.” Revitalizing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Delivery Rate
Now here’s where things obtained a little … intriguing.
Beehiiv’s automation system is suitable, yet don’t expect it to take on heavyweight systems like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. As an example, each kind can only be linked to a solitary automation. That makes it complicated to customize welcome sequences based on exactly how someone signed up.
I wound up going complete detective mode– tinkering with segments, using separate landing pages, reading obscure Reddit strings– just to build a few tailored workflows.
Is it doable? 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 Fantastic, Yet Not Perfect
I have actually obtained a little bit of a love-hate partnership with Beehiiv’s email builder.
Visually? It’s slick. Drag, drop, style, preview– it feels like it was developed by somebody who’s actually created a newsletter or two.
But default templates took a couple of tweaks to solve. And here’s a curveball: Beehiiv e-mails can obtain huge. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb huge.
That suggests your wonderfully crafted message may obtain sliced in half if you’re not careful. I learned this by hand– then dropped a rabbit hole of screening tools to enhance HTML dimension and stay clear of that dreaded clipping.
My best technique?
- Downloading examination e-mails from Gmail and inspecting size
- Running the HTML via Parcel.io’s email visitor
- Verifying with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Little bit of a manual process, but it works. I even connected to Beehiiv concerning adding far better dimension warnings. Fingers went across.
The Stuff That Actually Relocations the Needle
Alright, let’s get involved in the meat of it– what’s made a concrete difference because switching to Beehiiv?
Target market Growth
In simply 3 months, I included over 160 brand-new subscribers to a pretty niche newsletter. That’s about 60% more than what I was seeing previously– and I had not been even running paid ads.
The majority of that growth originated from Beehiiv’s integrated 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 strategy a lot easier.
Monetization That Does Not Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s talk money since for the majority 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 (literally).
However there’s more: their advertisement network is instinctive and passive. Within 3 months, I was already fielding passion from marketers. Beehiiv’s partner network links developers with brand names in such a way that doesn’t feel nasty or forced. It’s built-in earnings possibility, ordinary and easy Beehiiv Delivery Rate.
And when I’m ready to launch a premium membership? I recognize precisely what cut I’ll get: all of it (minus Stripe).
Integrated Development Tools
What truly establishes Beehiiv apart is that growth isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You’ve obtained adjustable referral programs. Boosts for e-newsletter cross-promotion. Several landing pages for tracking lead resources. You can turn your viewers right into advocates without hanging awkward boodle or one-time gimmicks.
I’ll claim this: Beehiiv seems like a platform that desires you to be successful. Not one that simply desires an item of your pie.
Points I would certainly Still Like to See Improve
No platform is excellent, and Beehiiv’s obtained its quirks.
Support can be slow when you struck an odd bug or need deep assistance.
Some automations still really feel as well basic.
Email dimension monitoring requires much better in-app notifies (please and thank you).
No built-in countdown timers (long face if you enjoy FOMO e-mails).
Ecommerce integrations? Generally nonexistent.
So if you’re offering physical products or desire deserted cart flows, Beehiiv most likely isn’t your best choice.
Conclusion
If you’re a designer who’s serious about e-newsletters– whether you’re generating income from, growing a checklist, or just tired of outdated platforms– Beehiiv’s a solid choice.
You’ll like it if:
You desire full possession of your target market
You’re aiming to grow fast without paying system tax obligation
You desire something that really feels built by makers, for developers
Will it resolve every trouble? No. Yet in three months, it’s assisted me expand quicker, make more, and stress and anxiety less about the little things.
So, should you attempt Beehiiv?
If you prepare to stop working out and in fact scale your newsletter with real tools that respect your job and audience– yeah, I think it’s time.
Go on. Give it a spin. You just might fall in love like I did.