When it came time to choose a brand-new email platform, I didn’t desire “sufficient.” I needed something better– something constructed for growth, smarter monetization, and a smoother experience overall. After nearly a years aiding others with email marketing (and 2 years running my very own newsletter), I wasn’t trying to find simply a tool– I was searching for a correct partner Beehiiv Forum.
And that’s exactly how Beehiiv entered the picture.
Currently, I recognize what you’re thinking: “Isn’t Beehiiv simply an additional Substack choice?” I thought that also at first. However after three months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I’ve obtained a great deal to claim– both the victories and the odd peculiarities. If you’re trying to choose whether Beehiiv is the ideal system for you, clear up in. You will obtain the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Tool Behind
Let’s be straightforward– most email company (ESPs) are constructed like they’re still stuck in 2013. I needed a device that can actually help expand my list and make some money while I was at it. My old ESP just had not been sufficing anymore.
So I started comparing choices. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the usual suspects. Each had its advantages, but I was considering this with the lens of somebody who takes email seriously– and who wanted complete control over my audience and material.
The Substack Issue: Looks Excellent Until You Look Closer
Substack was my initial quit. It’s polished. It’s easy. And yeah, it’s preferred.
But dig a little deeper, and fractures start showing. The greatest one? You do not actually own your fans.
That “follow” switch you see on Substack? It’s mainly smoke and mirrors. Those fans live behind a wall– inside the Substack application or on their website. You can’t email them directly. Can’t export them. You’re primarily leasing a target market you can never fully get to.
It’s like doing on a phase where the lights only activate if the place determines to allow the crowd see you. Doesn’t really feel terrific.
And after that there’s the money side. Substack takes 10% off your paid memberships. Stripe takes another 3%. That’s 13% of your revenue– gone. You would certainly assume they were running a club, not an email platform.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, However Was It As well Great to Be True?
So what made Beehiiv stand out?
Initially, it was the promise of creator-first features– like better monetization, smarter list growth tools, and no platform fees (other than the normal Stripe cut). But promises are easy. Execution? That’s where it obtains real.
Still, the reviews were motivating. The Reddit threads didn’t sound like robots or brand plants. And the onboarding? Surprisingly smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the jump.
Getting Set Up on Beehiiv
Let me tell you– moving to a new system generally seems like pulling teeth. However Beehiiv? Surprisingly painless.
Importing my listing? Smooth. Establishing forms? No disasters. Connecting my customized domain name? A few minor hiccups, but absolutely nothing that called for swearing at the screen.
One point I actually appreciated was the “domain name warming” feature. Beehiiv gradually introduces your domain to inbox service providers, piggybacking off their own sending out domain name. Translation? Fewer spam folder headaches.
Additionally, their assistance material– video clips, assistance docs, and walkthroughs– in fact felt human. Like someone took a seat and stated, “Let’s not frustrate the heck out of our individuals today.” Rejuvenating.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Forum
Currently here’s where points obtained a little … interesting.
Beehiiv’s automation system is decent, yet do not anticipate it to compete with heavyweight systems like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. For example, each type can just be linked to a solitary automation. That makes it tricky to customize welcome sequences based on how someone subscribed.
I wound up going complete investigative mode– playing with sectors, utilizing separate landing pages, reading rare Reddit threads– simply to construct a couple of tailored workflows.
Is it achievable? Definitely. Yet if you’re made use of to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional reasoning, this may seem like going back a little bit.
Email Builder: Mainly Excellent, Yet Not Perfect
I have actually got a bit of a love-hate partnership with Beehiiv’s e-mail builder.
Visually? It’s slick. Drag, drop, style, sneak peek– it seems like it was created by somebody who’s in fact written a newsletter or more.
Yet default templates took a couple of tweaks to solve. And below’s a curveball: Beehiiv e-mails can get huge. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb large.
That suggests your wonderfully crafted message could get chopped in half if you’re not careful. I learned this by hand– after that decreased a bunny opening of testing tools to enhance HTML dimension and avoid that dreadful clipping.
My go-to approach?
- Downloading and install test e-mails from Gmail and inspecting dimension
- Running the HTML with Parcel.io’s e-mail visitor
- Double-checking with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Bit of a hands-on procedure, however it functions. I also reached out to Beehiiv concerning adding far better size warnings. Fingers crossed.
Right Stuff That In Fact Relocations the Needle
Alright, let’s get into the meat of it– what’s made a substantial distinction because changing to Beehiiv?
Target market Growth
In just 3 months, I included over 160 brand-new clients to a quite niche e-newsletter. That’s about 60% greater than what I was seeing before– and I wasn’t even running paid advertisements.
The majority of that development originated from Beehiiv’s integrated tools: the referral program, Boosts (think newsletter cross-promotions), and organic reach. You can in fact track what’s working and where clients are coming from. Makes tweaking your strategy a great deal easier.
Monetization That Does Not Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s speak money since for the majority of makers, it matters.
Beehiiv doesn’t take a cut from your paid subscriptions. Simply Stripe’s fee. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% much better than Substack (essentially).
However there’s even more: their ad network is instinctive and passive. Within 3 months, I was currently fielding interest from marketers. Beehiiv’s companion network connects makers with brands in a way that doesn’t feel icky or required. It’s built-in revenue capacity, simple and simple Beehiiv Forum.
And when I’m ready to launch a premium membership? I know exactly what reduced I’ll obtain: all of it (minus Stripe).
Integrated Growth Tools
What truly sets Beehiiv apart is that growth isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You’ve obtained customizable referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Numerous landing pages for tracking lead resources. You can turn your readers into advocates without hanging unpleasant boodle or one-time gimmicks.
I’ll state this: Beehiiv feels like a system that wants you to succeed. Not one that just desires an item of your pie.
Points I ‘d Still Like to See Improve
No platform is ideal, and Beehiiv’s obtained its traits.
Assistance can be slow when you struck an odd pest or require deep help.
Some automations still feel too fundamental.
Email dimension tracking requires better in-app alerts (please and thank you).
No built-in countdown timers (sad face if you love FOMO emails).
Ecommerce integrations? Generally nonexistent.
So if you’re selling physical items or desire abandoned cart circulations, Beehiiv probably isn’t your best bet.
Conclusion
If you’re a maker who’s serious about e-newsletters– whether you’re monetizing, expanding a listing, or simply tired of out-of-date platforms– Beehiiv’s a strong option.
You’ll like it if:
You desire complete ownership of your audience
You’re aiming to expand fast without paying system tax obligation
You want something that feels constructed by developers, for designers
Will it solve every problem? No. But in three months, it’s helped me expand faster, make extra, and tension less about the little things.
So, should you try Beehiiv?
If you prepare to stop settling and in fact range your newsletter with actual tools that value your work and target market– yeah, I think it’s time.
Take place. Give it a spin. You just could fall in love like I did.