When it came time to pick a brand-new email platform, I didn’t desire “sufficient.” I needed something much better– something developed for growth, smarter money making, and a smoother experience overall. After nearly a decade assisting others with email marketing (and 2 years running my very own e-newsletter), I wasn’t seeking simply a tool– I was hunting for a proper companion Beehiiv For Pop Culture.
Which’s just how Beehiiv entered the picture.
Now, I recognize what you’re thinking: “Isn’t Beehiiv simply an additional Substack choice?” I assumed that too at first. However after three months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I’ve got a whole lot to state– both the success and the weird quirks. If you’re trying to choose whether Beehiiv is the ideal system for you, resolve in. You’re about to obtain the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Tool Behind
Let’s be truthful– most email provider (ESPs) are built like they’re still stuck in 2013. I required a tool that can actually help expand my listing and make some cash while I went to it. My old ESP just wasn’t cutting it anymore.
So I started comparing choices. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the typical suspects. Each had its rewards, but I was taking a look at this with the lens of somebody who takes email seriously– and who desired full control over my audience and web content.
The Substack Problem: Looks Excellent Until You Look Closer
Substack was my initial quit. It’s polished. It’s simple. And yeah, it’s popular.
Yet dig a little much deeper, and splits begin revealing. The most significant one? You do not really have your fans.
That “follow” button you see on Substack? It’s primarily smoke and mirrors. Those followers live behind a wall surface– inside the Substack app or on their website. You can’t email them directly. Can’t export them. You’re basically renting a target market you can never ever completely reach.
It’s like executing on a stage where the lights just activate if the place determines to let the crowd see you. Doesn’t feel terrific.
And after that there’s the cash side. Substack takes 10% off your paid registrations. Stripe takes one more 3%. That’s 13% of your income– gone. You ‘d believe they were running a nightclub, not an email system.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, However Was It Also Excellent to Be Real?
So what made Beehiiv stand out?
In the beginning, it was the pledge of creator-first features– like better money making, smarter list growth devices, and no system costs (other than the typical Stripe cut). Yet pledges are easy. 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 jump.
Getting Set Up on Beehiiv
Let me inform you– migrating to a new system normally feels like drawing teeth. Yet Beehiiv? Remarkably painless.
Importing my listing? Smooth. Setting up forms? No crises. Attaching my personalized domain? A few small missteps, however nothing that called for swearing at the display.
Something I really appreciated was the “domain name warming” feature. Beehiiv gradually presents your domain name to inbox carriers, piggybacking off their very own sending domain. Translation? Fewer spam folder nightmares.
Additionally, their assistance content– videos, help docs, and walkthroughs– really really felt human. Like somebody took a seat and said, “Let’s not irritate the hell out of our customers today.” Revitalizing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv For Pop Culture
Now below’s where points obtained a little … fascinating.
Beehiiv’s automation system is suitable, yet do not expect it to compete with heavyweight systems like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. For instance, each kind can only be connected to a single automation. That makes it tricky to personalize welcome sequences based on just how someone subscribed.
I wound up going complete investigative setting– playing with segments, making use of different landing pages, checking out unknown Reddit threads– just to build a couple of customized workflows.
Is it doable? Absolutely. But if you’re used to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional reasoning, this could seem like going back a little bit.
Email Builder: Primarily Excellent, Yet Not Perfect
I’ve got a bit of a love-hate connection with Beehiiv’s e-mail builder.
Visually? It’s slick. Drag, drop, style, sneak peek– it seems like it was developed by someone who’s in fact created an e-newsletter or 2.
However default templates took a couple of tweaks to get right. And right here’s a curveball: Beehiiv e-mails can obtain big. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb large.
That indicates your beautifully crafted message might obtain cut in half if you’re not mindful. I discovered this by hand– after that dropped a bunny opening of testing tools to optimize HTML dimension and stay clear of that feared clipping.
My best approach?
- Downloading and install test emails from Gmail and inspecting size
- Running the HTML via Parcel.io’s email visitor
- Confirming with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Little bit of a hands-on procedure, but it functions. I also connected to Beehiiv regarding adding better dimension cautions. Fingers went across.
Right Stuff That In Fact Relocations the Needle
Alright, let’s get into the meat of it– what’s made a substantial difference given that switching to Beehiiv?
Target market Development
In simply 3 months, I included over 160 brand-new subscribers to a quite particular niche e-newsletter. That’s about 60% greater than what I was seeing before– and I wasn’t even running paid ads.
The majority of that growth came from Beehiiv’s integrated devices: the referral program, Boosts (believe newsletter cross-promotions), and organic reach. You can actually track what’s functioning and where subscribers are coming from. Makes tweaking your approach a whole lot less complicated.
Monetization That Does Not Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s speak money since for the majority of creators, it matters.
Beehiiv does not take a cut from your paid memberships. Simply Stripe’s charge. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% much better than Substack (literally).
But there’s more: their advertisement network is instinctive and passive. Within three months, I was already fielding rate of interest from marketers. Beehiiv’s partner network links makers with brands in a manner that doesn’t really feel nasty or forced. It’s integrated income possibility, ordinary and easy Beehiiv For Pop Culture.
And when I’m ready to introduce a costs subscription? I understand exactly what cut I’ll obtain: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Development Tools
What truly establishes Beehiiv apart is that development isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You have actually obtained adjustable referral programs. Boosts for e-newsletter cross-promotion. Multiple landing pages for tracking lead resources. You can transform your visitors into supporters without dangling unpleasant boodle or single gimmicks.
I’ll say this: Beehiiv feels like a system that wants you to prosper. Not one that just desires a piece of your pie.
Points I ‘d Still Like to See Improve
No platform is best, and Beehiiv’s got its peculiarities.
Assistance can be slow when you hit an unusual pest or require deep aid.
Some automations still really feel as well fundamental.
Email size monitoring needs better in-app alerts (please and thanks).
No built-in countdown timers (long face if you love FOMO emails).
Ecommerce integrations? Basically missing.
So if you’re marketing physical products or desire abandoned cart circulations, Beehiiv most likely isn’t your best option.
Conclusion
If you’re a maker who’s serious about e-newsletters– whether you’re monetizing, growing a list, or just tired of out-of-date platforms– Beehiiv’s a strong choice.
You’ll like it if:
You desire complete possession of your audience
You’re wanting to grow quick without paying platform tax
You want something that feels built by makers, for creators
Will it fix every trouble? No. Yet in 3 months, it’s helped me grow much faster, earn more, and anxiety less regarding the little points.
So, should you try Beehiiv?
If you’re ready to stop clearing up and actually range your newsletter with actual devices that value your job and target market– yeah, I think it’s time.
Go on. Offer it a spin. You just could fall in love like I did.