When it came time to choose a new e-mail system, I didn’t desire “sufficient.” I required something much better– something built for growth, smarter money making, and a smoother experience generally. After virtually a years helping others with email marketing (and 2 years running my own e-newsletter), I wasn’t seeking just a tool– I was hunting for an appropriate partner Beehiiv Earnings.
And that’s exactly how Beehiiv went into the picture.
Now, I know what you’re believing: “Isn’t Beehiiv just an additional Substack choice?” I thought that too initially. But after three months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I have actually got a lot to say– both the wins and the strange quirks. If you’re attempting to choose whether Beehiiv is the best system for you, work out in. You’re about to obtain the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Device Behind
Let’s be sincere– most email provider (ESPs) are developed like they’re still stuck in 2013. I required a device that might really aid expand my listing and make some cash while I was at it. My old ESP just had not been sufficing any longer.
So I started contrasting alternatives. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the usual suspects. Each had its perks, but I was checking out this through the lens of somebody who takes email seriously– and who desired complete control over my target market and web content.
The Substack Trouble: Looks Excellent Up Until You Look Closer
Substack was my first stop. It’s brightened. It’s straightforward. And yeah, it’s prominent.
Yet dig a little deeper, and cracks begin showing. The most significant one? You don’t in fact possess your fans.
That “comply with” button you see on Substack? It’s mainly smoke and mirrors. Those fans live behind a wall surface– inside the Substack application or on their site. You can not email them straight. Can’t export them. You’re essentially leasing a target market you can never completely reach.
It’s like executing on a stage where the lights just switch on if the place chooses to allow the group see you. Doesn’t feel great.
And after that there’s the money side. Substack takes 10% off your paid registrations. Stripe takes another 3%. That’s 13% of your revenue– gone. You would certainly assume they were running a nightclub, not an e-mail system.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, Yet Was It Too Good to Be True?
So what made Beehiiv attract attention?
At first, it was the pledge of creator-first features– like better money making, smarter checklist development tools, and absolutely no platform costs (besides the normal Stripe cut). However pledges are simple. Execution? That’s where it gets real.
Still, the reviews were encouraging. The Reddit threads didn’t seem like robots or brand plants. And the onboarding? Remarkably smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the leap.
Readying Up on Beehiiv
Let me tell you– moving to a new system generally feels like drawing teeth. Yet Beehiiv? Remarkably pain-free.
Importing my listing? Smooth. Setting up types? No meltdowns. Linking my custom-made domain? A couple of minor missteps, but nothing that called for swearing at the display.
One thing I actually valued was the “domain name warming” feature. Beehiiv progressively presents your domain name to inbox carriers, piggybacking off their own sending out domain name. Translation? Less spam folder problems.
Additionally, their assistance content– video clips, aid docs, and walkthroughs– really really felt human. Like a person took a seat and said, “Let’s not irritate the hell out of our users today.” Revitalizing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Earnings
Now here’s where things got a little … interesting.
Beehiiv’s automation system is decent, but do not expect it to take on heavyweight systems like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. For instance, each form can just be attached to a single automation. That makes it difficult to individualize welcome sequences based on how someone registered.
I wound up going full detective mode– dabbling with sectors, utilizing different landing pages, checking out unknown Reddit strings– just to develop a few tailored workflows.
Is it manageable? Absolutely. Yet if you’re used to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional reasoning, this might seem like going back a bit.
Email Builder: Mainly Fantastic, However Not Perfect
I have actually got a little bit of a love-hate partnership with Beehiiv’s e-mail builder.
Aesthetically? It’s slick. Drag, drop, format, preview– it feels like it was made by a person who’s in fact composed a newsletter or more.
However default templates took a couple of tweaks to get right. And here’s a curveball: Beehiiv e-mails can obtain huge. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb huge.
That means your magnificently crafted message may obtain chopped in half if you’re not cautious. I discovered this by hand– then dropped a rabbit hole of screening devices to maximize HTML size and avoid that dreadful clipping.
My best strategy?
- Downloading test e-mails from Gmail and examining size
- Running the HTML with Parcel.io’s email customer
- Double-checking with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Little bit of a manual process, but it functions. I also reached out to Beehiiv about including better size cautions. Fingers went across.
Right Stuff That Actually Relocations the Needle
Alright, let’s get into the meat of it– what’s made a tangible difference because switching to Beehiiv?
Target market Growth
In just three months, I included over 160 brand-new customers to a rather particular niche e-newsletter. That’s about 60% greater than what I was seeing in the past– and I wasn’t also running paid advertisements.
A lot of that growth originated from Beehiiv’s built-in devices: the referral program, Boosts (believe newsletter cross-promotions), and organic reach. You can really track what’s working and where customers are coming from. Makes tweaking your strategy a whole lot much easier.
Monetization That Doesn’t Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s speak cash since for most developers, it matters.
Beehiiv does not take a cut from your paid subscriptions. Simply Stripe’s fee. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% far better than Substack (actually).
But there’s even more: their advertisement network is user-friendly and passive. Within three months, I was currently fielding passion from advertisers. Beehiiv’s partner network connects developers with brands in a way that does not really feel disgusting or forced. It’s built-in earnings potential, simple and basic Beehiiv Earnings.
And when I’m ready to introduce a costs subscription? I know exactly what reduced I’ll obtain: all of it (minus Stripe).
Integrated Growth 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 e-newsletter cross-promotion. Numerous landing pages for tracking lead resources. You can turn your viewers right into supporters without hanging awkward swag or single tricks.
I’ll state this: Beehiiv seems like a system that wants you to prosper. Not one that simply wants a piece of your pie.
Points I ‘d Still Like to See Improve
No platform is ideal, and Beehiiv’s got its traits.
Support can be slow when you struck an unusual pest or need deep aid.
Some automations still feel as well basic.
Email dimension tracking requires better in-app alerts (please and thank you).
No built-in countdown timers (sad face if you enjoy FOMO emails).
Ecommerce integrations? Essentially nonexistent.
So if you’re offering physical products or desire abandoned cart circulations, Beehiiv possibly isn’t your best bet.
Conclusion
If you’re a developer who’s serious about newsletters– whether you’re generating income from, growing a list, or simply tired of outdated platforms– Beehiiv’s a strong choice.
You’ll like it if:
You want complete possession of your audience
You’re looking to expand quickly without paying platform tax obligation
You want something that really feels built by makers, for developers
Will it solve every trouble? No. Yet in 3 months, it’s helped me expand much faster, make extra, and tension less about the little things.
So, should you try Beehiiv?
If you prepare to stop working out and actually range your newsletter with real devices that appreciate your work and target market– yeah, I think it’s time.
Go on. Give it a spin. You simply may fall in love like I did.