When it came time to pick a brand-new e-mail system, I didn’t desire “good enough.” I required something much better– something built for development, smarter money making, and a smoother experience on the whole. After almost a decade assisting others with e-mail marketing (and two years running my very own newsletter), I wasn’t trying to find just a tool– I was hunting for a proper partner Beehiiv For Independent Journalist.
Which’s how Beehiiv got in the picture.
Now, I understand what you’re thinking: “Isn’t Beehiiv simply another Substack choice?” I assumed that as well initially. However after three months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I have actually got a whole lot to claim– both the victories and the odd traits. If you’re attempting to make a decision whether Beehiiv is the appropriate 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 service providers (ESPs) are built like they’re still embeded 2013. I needed a device that could in fact aid grow my listing and make some money while I was at it. My old ESP simply had not been cutting it anymore.
So I started contrasting alternatives. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the common suspects. Each had its perks, but I was looking at this via the lens of somebody who takes e-mail seriously– and who wanted full control over my target market and web content.
The Substack Trouble: Looks Excellent Till You Look Closer
Substack was my initial quit. It’s brightened. It’s easy. And yeah, it’s preferred.
Yet dig a little deeper, and cracks begin revealing. The greatest one? You don’t really own your followers.
That “adhere to” switch you see on Substack? It’s mainly smoke and mirrors. Those fans live behind a wall surface– inside the Substack app or on their website. You can not email them directly. Can’t export them. You’re basically leasing a target market you can never ever completely reach.
It’s like carrying out on a phase where the lights only activate if the place makes a decision to let the crowd see you. Doesn’t feel terrific.
And then there’s the money side. Substack takes 10% off your paid registrations. Stripe takes one more 3%. That’s 13% of your income– gone. You ‘d think they were running a nightclub, not an email system.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, Yet Was It Also 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 checklist development tools, and no platform charges (other than the normal Stripe cut). However pledges are simple. Execution? That’s where it obtains real.
Still, the evaluations were motivating. The Reddit strings didn’t seem like crawlers or brand name plants. And the onboarding? Remarkably smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the leap.
Readying Up on Beehiiv
Let me inform you– migrating to a brand-new platform typically feels like drawing teeth. Yet Beehiiv? Remarkably painless.
Importing my listing? Smooth. Setting up types? No meltdowns. Linking my custom domain? A few minor missteps, however absolutely nothing that needed swearing at the screen.
One point I actually appreciated was the “domain warming” feature. Beehiiv slowly introduces your domain name to inbox carriers, piggybacking off their very own sending out domain name. Translation? Fewer spam folder problems.
Additionally, their assistance web content– videos, assistance docs, and walkthroughs– actually really felt human. Like somebody took a seat and stated, “Let’s not frustrate the heck out of our users today.” Rejuvenating.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv For Independent Journalist
Currently below’s where things got a little … intriguing.
Beehiiv’s automation system is decent, however don’t anticipate it to take on heavyweight systems like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. As an example, each type can only be connected to a single automation. That makes it tricky to individualize welcome sequences based on how a person registered.
I ended up going full investigative mode– tinkering with sectors, using separate landing pages, reading obscure Reddit threads– just to construct a couple of tailored workflows.
Is it doable? Definitely. However if you’re made use of to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional reasoning, this might seem like stepping back a bit.
Email Builder: Mainly Wonderful, Yet Not Perfect
I’ve obtained a little bit of a love-hate connection with Beehiiv’s e-mail builder.
Aesthetically? It’s glossy. Drag, go down, format, preview– it seems like it was made by a person who’s actually written a newsletter or two.
But default templates took a couple of tweaks to get right. And right here’s a curveball: Beehiiv e-mails can obtain huge. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb big.
That suggests your wonderfully crafted message may get sliced in half if you’re not cautious. I learned this the hard way– then went down a rabbit opening of testing tools to enhance HTML size and prevent that dreadful clipping.
My go-to method?
- Downloading examination e-mails from Gmail and checking dimension
- Running the HTML with Parcel.io’s email visitor
- Ascertaining with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and framework
Little bit of a manual procedure, yet it functions. I also connected to Beehiiv concerning adding better size warnings. Fingers crossed.
Right Stuff That Actually Moves the Needle
Alright, let’s enter the meat of it– what’s made a tangible distinction given that switching over to Beehiiv?
Audience Growth
In just three months, I included over 160 new customers to a pretty particular niche e-newsletter. That’s about 60% greater than what I was seeing previously– and I wasn’t even running paid advertisements.
Most of that growth came from Beehiiv’s integrated tools: the referral program, Boosts (think newsletter cross-promotions), and organic reach. You can really track what’s functioning and where customers are coming from. Makes tweaking your strategy a lot simpler.
Monetization That Does Not Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s speak cash because for the majority of makers, it matters.
Beehiiv does not take a cut from your paid subscriptions. Simply Stripe’s charge. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% far better than Substack (actually).
However there’s more: their advertisement network is instinctive and passive. Within three months, I was currently fielding interest from marketers. Beehiiv’s companion network attaches developers with brand names in a manner that does not really feel icky or required. It’s integrated income possibility, simple and straightforward Beehiiv For Independent Journalist.
And when I prepare to release a costs subscription? I know specifically what reduced I’ll get: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Growth Tools
What actually establishes Beehiiv apart is that development isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You have actually obtained personalized referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Multiple landing pages for tracking lead resources. You can transform your readers into supporters without hanging unpleasant boodle or one-time gimmicks.
I’ll claim this: Beehiiv feels like a system that wants you to be successful. Not one that simply desires an item of your pie.
Things I would certainly Still Like to See Improve
No platform is best, and Beehiiv’s got its traits.
Assistance can be slow-moving when you hit an odd pest or need deep assistance.
Some automations still feel also fundamental.
Email dimension tracking needs much better in-app notifies (please and thank you).
No integrated countdown timers (long face if you like FOMO e-mails).
Ecommerce integrations? Basically nonexistent.
So if you’re marketing physical products or desire abandoned cart flows, Beehiiv probably isn’t your best choice.
Conclusion
If you’re a developer who’s serious about e-newsletters– whether you’re monetizing, growing a checklist, or simply tired of out-of-date systems– Beehiiv’s a strong selection.
You’ll like it if:
You want full possession of your target market
You’re looking to expand quickly without paying platform tax obligation
You desire something that really feels developed by creators, for designers
Will it fix every trouble? No. But in three months, it’s assisted me grow quicker, earn more, and stress and anxiety less about the little things.
So, should you try Beehiiv?
If you’re ready to quit settling and in fact scale your e-newsletter with real tools that value your work and audience– yeah, I assume it’s time.
Take place. Offer it a spin. You simply could fall in love like I did.