When it came time to choose a brand-new e-mail system, I really did not desire “good enough.” I required something much better– something developed for development, smarter money making, and a smoother experience on the whole. After nearly a decade assisting others with email marketing (and two years running my own e-newsletter), I wasn’t looking for just a device– I was searching for a correct companion Beehiiv Embed Form.
Which’s just how Beehiiv got in the picture.
Now, I know what you’re assuming: “Isn’t Beehiiv just an additional Substack choice?” I assumed that also at first. But after 3 months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I’ve obtained a great deal to claim– both the victories and the strange quirks. If you’re trying to make a decision whether Beehiiv is the right system for you, settle in. You’re about to obtain the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Tool Behind
Let’s be sincere– most email company (ESPs) are developed like they’re still stuck in 2013. I required a device that can actually aid expand my checklist and make some money while I was at it. My old ESP just had not been sufficing any longer.
So I started comparing choices. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the normal suspects. Each had its advantages, yet I was checking out this through the lens of a person who takes e-mail seriously– and who desired complete control over my audience and content.
The Substack Trouble: Looks Good Up Until You Look Closer
Substack was my first stop. It’s polished. It’s straightforward. And yeah, it’s prominent.
Yet dig a little much deeper, and fractures begin showing. The most significant one? You do not actually possess your fans.
That “comply with” switch you see on Substack? It’s primarily smoke and mirrors. Those fans live behind a wall– inside the Substack application or on their website. You can’t email them straight. Can not export them. You’re primarily leasing a target market you can never fully get to.
It resembles doing on a phase where the lights only turn on if the place decides to let the group see you. Doesn’t 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 revenue– gone. You ‘d think they were running a club, not an e-mail platform.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, But Was It Also Good to Be True?
So what made Beehiiv stand apart?
Initially, it was the promise of creator-first features– like better monetization, smarter listing growth devices, and absolutely no platform charges (aside from the typical Stripe cut). Yet assurances are very easy. Execution? That’s where it gets real.
Still, the testimonials were encouraging. The Reddit strings really did not seem like bots or brand plants. And the onboarding? Remarkably smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the leap.
Readying Up on Beehiiv
Let me tell you– migrating to a new platform generally feels like drawing teeth. However Beehiiv? Remarkably pain-free.
Importing my checklist? Smooth. Setting up forms? No disasters. Linking my personalized domain? A couple of minor missteps, however absolutely nothing that required swearing at the screen.
One point I really valued was the “domain warming” feature. Beehiiv progressively presents your domain to inbox suppliers, piggybacking off their own sending out domain. Translation? Less spam folder headaches.
Also, their assistance web content– videos, aid docs, and walkthroughs– actually felt human. Like somebody took a seat and claimed, “Let’s not discourage the hell out of our customers today.” Refreshing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Embed Form
Now right here’s where points got a little … fascinating.
Beehiiv’s automation system is good, but do not anticipate it to take on heavyweight systems like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. For example, each form can only be attached to a solitary automation. That makes it tricky to personalize welcome sequences based upon just how somebody joined.
I ended up going complete investigative setting– dabbling with sectors, utilizing different landing pages, reading rare Reddit threads– simply to construct a few customized workflows.
Is it workable? Definitely. However if you’re utilized to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional logic, this could seem like stepping back a bit.
Email Builder: Primarily Fantastic, But Not Perfect
I’ve obtained a little bit of a love-hate partnership with Beehiiv’s email builder.
Aesthetically? It’s slick. Drag, drop, format, sneak peek– it seems like it was created by someone who’s actually written a newsletter or 2.
However default templates took a couple of tweaks to get right. And right here’s a curveball: Beehiiv e-mails can get large. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb huge.
That indicates your perfectly crafted message could obtain chopped in half if you’re not mindful. I discovered this the hard way– after that dropped a rabbit hole of screening devices to enhance HTML dimension and stay clear of that feared clipping.
My go-to technique?
- Downloading examination emails from Gmail and inspecting size
- Running the HTML via Parcel.io’s email visitor
- Double-checking with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and framework
Bit of a hand-operated process, yet it works. I even connected to Beehiiv regarding adding much better size cautions. Fingers crossed.
Right Stuff That Actually Relocations the Needle
Alright, let’s enter into the meat of it– what’s made a tangible distinction because switching to Beehiiv?
Audience Growth
In simply 3 months, I added over 160 new customers to a pretty specific niche e-newsletter. That has to do with 60% more than what I was seeing previously– and I had not been even running paid advertisements.
A lot of that growth came from Beehiiv’s built-in tools: the referral program, Boosts (believe newsletter cross-promotions), and natural reach. You can really track what’s working and where subscribers are coming from. Makes tweaking your technique a whole lot simpler.
Money Making That Does Not Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s talk cash due to the fact that for the majority of designers, it matters.
Beehiiv doesn’t take a cut from your paid registrations. Simply Stripe’s fee. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% far better than Substack (literally).
However there’s even more: their ad network is user-friendly and passive. Within 3 months, I was already fielding interest from advertisers. Beehiiv’s partner network attaches creators with brand names in a way that doesn’t really feel icky or compelled. It’s integrated revenue potential, simple and simple Beehiiv Embed Form.
And when I’m ready to release a premium registration? I understand specifically what cut I’ll get: all of it (minus Stripe).
Integrated Growth Devices
What actually establishes Beehiiv apart is that growth isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You’ve obtained personalized referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Several landing pages for tracking lead resources. You can transform your readers right into advocates without dangling uncomfortable swag or single tricks.
I’ll say this: Beehiiv seems like a platform that desires you to prosper. Not one that just desires 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 sluggish when you hit a weird pest or need deep assistance.
Some automations still really feel too fundamental.
Email size monitoring requires much better in-app alerts (please and thanks).
No integrated countdown timers (long face if you enjoy FOMO e-mails).
Ecommerce integrations? Essentially missing.
So if you’re offering physical products or want deserted cart flows, Beehiiv possibly isn’t your best option.
Final Thought
If you’re a maker who’s serious about e-newsletters– whether you’re monetizing, expanding a list, or simply tired of obsolete systems– Beehiiv’s a strong choice.
You’ll like it if:
You desire complete ownership of your target market
You’re aiming to expand quickly without paying platform tax obligation
You desire something that feels built by developers, for creators
Will it solve every issue? No. But in 3 months, it’s helped me grow much faster, earn extra, and stress and anxiety less about the little points.
So, should you attempt Beehiiv?
If you’re ready to quit resolving and really scale your newsletter with genuine tools that respect your job and audience– yeah, I assume it’s time.
Go on. Give it a spin. You simply could fall in love like I did.