When it came time to select a brand-new e-mail platform, I didn’t desire “adequate.” I required something much better– something constructed for growth, smarter money making, and a smoother experience in general. After almost a decade helping others with email marketing (and two years running my very own newsletter), I wasn’t searching for just a device– I was hunting for an appropriate partner Beehiiv Infinite Subscribers.
And that’s how Beehiiv got in the picture.
Now, I know what you’re assuming: “Isn’t Beehiiv simply an additional Substack alternative?” I believed that too in the beginning. But after three months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I’ve obtained a whole lot to state– both the wins and the weird traits. If you’re attempting to choose whether Beehiiv is the appropriate system for you, settle in. You will get the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Tool Behind
Let’s be honest– most email company (ESPs) are developed like they’re still embeded 2013. I needed a tool that can really help expand my listing and make some money while I was at it. My old ESP just wasn’t sufficing any longer.
So I began contrasting options. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the normal suspects. Each had its advantages, but I was taking a look at this through the lens of somebody who takes email 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 stop. It’s polished. It’s simple. And yeah, it’s prominent.
But dig a little deeper, and splits begin revealing. The most significant one? You don’t actually possess your followers.
That “follow” button you see on Substack? It’s primarily 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 renting out an audience you can never totally get to.
It’s like carrying out on a phase where the lights only switch on if the location decides to let the group see you. Does not really feel fantastic.
And after that there’s the cash side. Substack takes 10% off your paid subscriptions. Stripe takes another 3%. That’s 13% of your income– gone. You would certainly believe they were running a bar, not an email platform.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, But Was It Also Excellent to Be True?
So what made Beehiiv stand out?
At first, it was the promise of creator-first features– like better monetization, smarter listing development devices, and zero platform costs (apart from the typical Stripe cut). However promises are simple. Execution? That’s where it obtains real.
Still, the reviews were encouraging. The Reddit strings didn’t sound like crawlers or brand plants. And the onboarding? Remarkably smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the leap.
Getting Set Up on Beehiiv
Let me inform you– moving to a new system generally feels like drawing teeth. Yet Beehiiv? Surprisingly painless.
Importing my list? Smooth. Establishing forms? No meltdowns. Attaching my customized domain? A few minor missteps, but nothing that called for swearing at the screen.
Something I really valued was the “domain warming” feature. Beehiiv progressively introduces your domain name to inbox suppliers, piggybacking off their own sending domain name. Translation? Less spam folder problems.
Likewise, their support material– videos, help docs, and walkthroughs– in fact felt human. Like a person sat down and claimed, “Let’s not annoy the hell out of our customers today.” Revitalizing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Infinite Subscribers
Now here’s where things got a little … intriguing.
Beehiiv’s automation system is good, but don’t expect it to compete with heavyweight systems like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. For example, each kind can only be connected to a single automation. That makes it challenging to customize welcome sequences based upon exactly how somebody signed up.
I wound up going complete investigator setting– dabbling with segments, using different landing pages, reading rare Reddit strings– simply to build a few tailored workflows.
Is it manageable? Absolutely. Yet if you’re made use of to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional reasoning, this could feel like stepping back a bit.
Email Builder: Mostly Terrific, Yet Not Perfect
I have actually obtained a little a love-hate relationship with Beehiiv’s email builder.
Visually? It’s glossy. Drag, drop, layout, preview– it feels like it was developed by someone who’s in fact created an e-newsletter or 2.
Yet default templates took a couple of tweaks to solve. And here’s a curveball: Beehiiv e-mails can get big. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb big.
That means your perfectly crafted message could get cut in half if you’re not mindful. I discovered this the hard way– then went down a bunny hole of screening devices to enhance HTML size and stay clear of that dreadful clipping.
My best technique?
- Downloading test e-mails from Gmail and examining size
- Running the HTML with Parcel.io’s e-mail customer
- Confirming with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Bit of a manual procedure, however it functions. I even reached out to Beehiiv about including far better size cautions. Fingers crossed.
The Stuff That Really Relocations the Needle
Alright, let’s enter the meat of it– what’s made a tangible distinction because switching to Beehiiv?
Target market Growth
In just 3 months, I included over 160 new clients to a rather specific niche e-newsletter. That has to do with 60% greater than what I was seeing in the past– and I had not been even running paid ads.
The majority of that development originated from Beehiiv’s built-in tools: the referral program, Boosts (assume e-newsletter cross-promotions), and organic reach. You can really track what’s working and where clients are originating from. Makes tweaking your technique a great deal simpler.
Monetization That Does Not Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s chat money since for a lot of designers, it matters.
Beehiiv does not take a cut from your paid memberships. Simply Stripe’s cost. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% far better than Substack (actually).
But there’s more: their ad network is user-friendly and passive. Within 3 months, I was already fielding passion from advertisers. Beehiiv’s partner network attaches creators with brands in such a way that doesn’t really feel disgusting or forced. It’s built-in revenue possibility, ordinary and simple Beehiiv Infinite Subscribers.
And when I’m ready to launch a premium membership? I recognize specifically what reduced I’ll obtain: all of it (minus Stripe).
Integrated Development Devices
What truly sets Beehiiv apart is that development isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You’ve got personalized referral programs. Boosts for e-newsletter cross-promotion. Multiple landing pages for tracking lead resources. You can turn your readers right into advocates without dangling awkward swag or single gimmicks.
I’ll say this: Beehiiv feels like a system 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 quirks.
Support can be slow-moving when you hit an odd pest or need deep help.
Some automations still really feel as well basic.
Email dimension tracking needs far better in-app alerts (please and thank you).
No integrated countdown timers (sad face if you enjoy FOMO emails).
Ecommerce integrations? Basically missing.
So if you’re selling physical products or want abandoned cart circulations, Beehiiv possibly isn’t your best bet.
Verdict
If you’re a creator who’s serious about newsletters– whether you’re monetizing, expanding a listing, or just tired of obsolete platforms– Beehiiv’s a strong option.
You’ll like it if:
You want complete possession of your audience
You’re wanting to grow quickly without paying platform tax obligation
You desire something that really feels constructed by designers, for makers
Will it fix every issue? No. However in three months, it’s assisted me grow much faster, gain a lot more, and stress and anxiety less regarding the little points.
So, should you try Beehiiv?
If you’re ready to stop working out and in fact range your newsletter with genuine devices that value your job and audience– yeah, I assume it’s time.
Take place. Give it a spin. You just may fall in love like I did.