When it came time to choose a new email system, I really did not want “good enough.” I needed something better– something built for development, smarter money making, and a smoother experience generally. After nearly a years helping others with email marketing (and two years running my own newsletter), I had not been looking for simply a tool– I was searching for a correct companion Beehiiv Engage My Audience.
And that’s exactly how Beehiiv got in the picture.
Now, I know what you’re believing: “Isn’t Beehiiv simply another Substack option?” I thought that as well initially. But after three months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I’ve obtained a great deal to say– both the success and the odd traits. If you’re attempting to make a decision whether Beehiiv is the ideal platform for you, work out in. You will 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 embeded 2013. I required a tool that might really help expand my listing and make some money while I was at it. My old ESP simply had not been sufficing anymore.
So I began contrasting options. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the common suspects. Each had its rewards, however I was considering this via the lens of someone who takes email seriously– and who desired full control over my audience and web content.
The Substack Problem: Looks Great Until You Look Closer
Substack was my initial stop. It’s polished. It’s easy. And yeah, it’s prominent.
However dig a little much deeper, and splits start showing. The biggest one? You don’t in fact own your fans.
That “adhere to” button you see on Substack? It’s mainly smoke and mirrors. Those fans live behind a wall– inside the Substack application or on their site. You can not email them straight. Can not export them. You’re basically renting out an audience you can never ever totally reach.
It resembles executing on a phase where the lights only turn on if the place determines to allow the group see you. Does not feel fantastic.
And then there’s the cash side. Substack takes 10% off your paid memberships. Stripe takes one more 3%. That’s 13% of your revenue– gone. You ‘d believe they were running a nightclub, not an e-mail platform.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, However Was It As well Great to Be Real?
So what made Beehiiv stand out?
Initially, it was the guarantee of creator-first features– like better monetization, smarter checklist growth tools, and no platform fees (apart from the normal Stripe cut). Yet pledges are very easy. Implementation? That’s where it obtains real.
Still, the evaluations were encouraging. The Reddit threads really did not seem like robots or brand plants. And the onboarding? Surprisingly smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the leap.
Getting Set Up on Beehiiv
Let me tell you– moving to a new platform generally feels like pulling teeth. But Beehiiv? Remarkably pain-free.
Importing my listing? Smooth. Setting up kinds? No disasters. Connecting my personalized domain? A few small hiccups, but nothing that needed swearing at the display.
One thing I truly valued was the “domain warming” feature. Beehiiv gradually presents your domain to inbox carriers, piggybacking off their very own sending out domain name. Translation? Less spam folder problems.
Also, their support content– videos, aid docs, and walkthroughs– actually felt human. Like someone sat down and claimed, “Let’s not irritate the heck out of our customers today.” Rejuvenating.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Engage My Audience
Currently below’s where points got a little … interesting.
Beehiiv’s automation system is decent, however do not expect 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 difficult to individualize welcome series based upon just how someone subscribed.
I ended up going complete investigator setting– tinkering with sectors, making use of separate landing pages, checking out odd Reddit strings– just to construct a couple of tailored workflows.
Is it workable? Absolutely. Yet if you’re made use of to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional reasoning, this may feel like going back a bit.
Email Builder: Primarily Terrific, However Not Perfect
I’ve obtained a little a love-hate connection with Beehiiv’s email builder.
Aesthetically? It’s slick. Drag, drop, style, sneak peek– it feels like it was created by somebody who’s in fact written a newsletter or 2.
Yet default templates took a couple of tweaks to solve. And below’s a curveball: Beehiiv e-mails can obtain big. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb big.
That means your beautifully crafted message could get sliced in half if you’re not careful. I discovered this the hard way– after that decreased a bunny hole of screening devices to enhance HTML dimension and prevent that dreadful clipping.
My best technique?
- Downloading test emails from Gmail and inspecting dimension
- Running the HTML through Parcel.io’s email visitor
- Confirming with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Little a hands-on procedure, but it works. I also reached out to Beehiiv regarding adding much better size warnings. Fingers went across.
Right Stuff That Actually Actions the Needle
Alright, let’s enter the meat of it– what’s made a tangible difference given that switching to Beehiiv?
Target market Growth
In just 3 months, I added over 160 brand-new subscribers to a quite specific niche newsletter. That has to do with 60% greater than what I was seeing in the past– and I had not been also running paid advertisements.
A lot of that growth originated from Beehiiv’s built-in tools: the referral program, Boosts (believe e-newsletter cross-promotions), and organic reach. You can in fact track what’s functioning and where clients are originating from. Makes tweaking your strategy a lot easier.
Monetization That Doesn’t Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s speak cash due to the fact that for most creators, it matters.
Beehiiv does not take a cut from your paid subscriptions. Simply Stripe’s cost. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% much better than Substack (essentially).
But there’s more: their advertisement network is user-friendly and passive. Within 3 months, I was already fielding passion from advertisers. Beehiiv’s companion network attaches creators with brands in a way that does not feel disgusting or compelled. It’s integrated income potential, plain and easy Beehiiv Engage My Audience.
And when I’m ready to launch a premium registration? I understand specifically what reduced I’ll obtain: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Growth Tools
What really sets Beehiiv apart is that development isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You’ve got customizable referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Numerous landing pages for tracking lead resources. You can transform your viewers into advocates without dangling awkward boodle or one-time gimmicks.
I’ll claim this: Beehiiv seems like a platform that desires you to do well. Not one that just wants an item of your pie.
Things I ‘d Still Like to See Improve
No platform is ideal, and Beehiiv’s obtained its peculiarities.
Assistance can be slow when you struck a strange insect or require deep assistance.
Some automations still feel as well standard.
Email size tracking requires much better in-app informs (please and thank you).
No built-in countdown timers (sad face if you love FOMO e-mails).
Ecommerce integrations? Generally nonexistent.
So if you’re offering physical products or want abandoned cart circulations, Beehiiv most likely isn’t your best choice.
Conclusion
If you’re a maker who’s serious about e-newsletters– whether you’re generating income from, growing a checklist, or just tired of outdated systems– Beehiiv’s a strong choice.
You’ll like it if:
You want full ownership of your audience
You’re looking to grow fast without paying platform tax obligation
You desire something that really feels built by developers, for developers
Will it address every problem? No. Yet in three months, it’s aided me expand quicker, earn a lot more, and stress and anxiety much less about the little things.
So, should you try Beehiiv?
If you’re ready to stop working out and actually scale your newsletter with actual devices that respect your work and audience– yeah, I assume it’s time.
Go on. Give it a spin. You just may fall in love like I did.