When it came time to select a brand-new e-mail platform, I didn’t desire “adequate.” I needed something better– something developed for development, smarter monetization, and a smoother experience overall. After virtually a decade assisting others with e-mail marketing (and two years running my own e-newsletter), I had not been trying to find simply a tool– I was hunting for a correct partner Beehiiv Launch Tier.
And that’s exactly how Beehiiv went into the picture.
Now, I recognize what you’re believing: “Isn’t Beehiiv just an additional Substack choice?” I believed that too in the beginning. However after 3 months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I’ve got a lot to say– both the victories and the odd peculiarities. If you’re attempting to determine whether Beehiiv is the right platform for you, clear up in. You will obtain 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 stuck in 2013. I needed a device that might in fact help expand my listing and make some money while I went to it. My old ESP just wasn’t sufficing anymore.
So I began contrasting choices. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the common suspects. Each had its rewards, but I was checking out this with the lens of a person who takes email seriously– and who wanted complete control over my audience and web content.
The Substack Issue: Looks Good Till You Look Closer
Substack was my first stop. It’s polished. It’s easy. And yeah, it’s prominent.
But dig a little much deeper, and cracks start showing. The biggest one? You do not actually have your fans.
That “follow” switch you see on Substack? It’s primarily smoke and mirrors. Those followers live behind a wall surface– inside the Substack application or on their site. You can not email them directly. Can’t export them. You’re basically renting a target market you can never completely get to.
It’s like carrying out on a stage where the lights only switch on if the location chooses to allow the crowd see you. Does not feel great.
And then there’s the cash side. Substack takes 10% off your paid memberships. 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, However Was It Too Good to Be Real?
So what made Beehiiv attract attention?
At first, it was the pledge of creator-first features– like better money making, smarter checklist development tools, and no platform charges (aside from the usual Stripe cut). However promises are easy. Execution? That’s where it gets real.
Still, the testimonials were motivating. The Reddit threads really did not sound like bots or brand plants. And the onboarding? Remarkably smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the jump.
Readying Up on Beehiiv
Let me tell you– moving to a brand-new platform typically feels like pulling teeth. But Beehiiv? Surprisingly pain-free.
Importing my checklist? Smooth. Setting up forms? No disasters. Connecting my personalized domain? A couple of minor hiccups, however absolutely nothing that called for swearing at the screen.
One thing I truly appreciated was the “domain name warming” feature. Beehiiv slowly introduces your domain to inbox service providers, piggybacking off their very own sending domain. Translation? Less spam folder problems.
Additionally, their support material– videos, help docs, and walkthroughs– really felt human. Like somebody sat down and stated, “Let’s not irritate the hell out of our users today.” Revitalizing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Launch Tier
Currently below’s where points obtained a little … intriguing.
Beehiiv’s automation system is suitable, but don’t anticipate it to compete with heavyweight platforms like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. For example, each type can just be attached to a solitary automation. That makes it tricky to personalize welcome sequences based on exactly how someone joined.
I wound up going complete investigator mode– playing with segments, making use of different landing pages, reading unknown Reddit threads– simply to build a couple of tailored workflows.
Is it doable? Absolutely. However if you’re used to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional logic, this could seem like stepping back a little bit.
Email Builder: Mainly Wonderful, However Not Perfect
I’ve got a little bit of a love-hate connection with Beehiiv’s email builder.
Visually? It’s glossy. Drag, go down, format, sneak peek– it feels like it was developed by somebody who’s in fact composed an e-newsletter or more.
Yet default templates took a few tweaks to get right. And here’s a curveball: Beehiiv emails can obtain huge. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb large.
That suggests your magnificently crafted message might get chopped in half if you’re not mindful. I discovered this the hard way– then went down a rabbit opening of testing devices to optimize HTML dimension and prevent that feared clipping.
My best strategy?
- Downloading and install examination e-mails from Gmail and checking dimension
- Running the HTML via Parcel.io’s email customer
- Confirming with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and framework
Little a hand-operated procedure, but it functions. I even connected to Beehiiv about including better dimension warnings. Fingers crossed.
Right Stuff That In Fact Moves the Needle
Alright, let’s get into the meat of it– what’s made a concrete distinction considering that switching to Beehiiv?
Target market Development
In just 3 months, I included over 160 brand-new customers to a quite niche newsletter. That’s about 60% more than what I was seeing before– and I wasn’t even running paid ads.
A lot of that development originated from Beehiiv’s built-in tools: the referral program, Boosts (assume newsletter cross-promotions), and organic reach. You can actually track what’s working and where customers are coming from. Makes tweaking your method a whole lot much easier.
Monetization That Doesn’t Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s chat cash due to the fact that for the majority of makers, it matters.
Beehiiv doesn’t take a cut from your paid subscriptions. Just Stripe’s cost. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% better than Substack (literally).
However there’s more: their advertisement network is user-friendly and passive. Within three months, I was already fielding rate of interest from advertisers. Beehiiv’s companion network links makers with brand names in a manner that doesn’t feel nasty or forced. It’s integrated earnings capacity, simple and straightforward Beehiiv Launch Tier.
And when I’m ready to launch a premium membership? I understand exactly what reduced I’ll obtain: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Development Tools
What actually sets Beehiiv apart is that growth isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You have actually got adjustable referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Numerous landing pages for tracking lead sources. You can transform your viewers into supporters without hanging uncomfortable swag or one-time tricks.
I’ll claim this: Beehiiv seems like a system that desires you to succeed. Not one that just wants an item of your pie.
Things I would certainly Still Like to See Improve
No system is ideal, and Beehiiv’s got its traits.
Support can be slow when you hit a weird insect or require deep assistance.
Some automations still feel as well standard.
Email size monitoring requires much better in-app informs (please and thank you).
No built-in countdown timers (long face if you love FOMO emails).
Ecommerce integrations? Generally missing.
So if you’re selling physical items or desire deserted cart circulations, Beehiiv probably isn’t your best bet.
Conclusion
If you’re a maker who’s serious about newsletters– whether you’re generating income from, growing a checklist, or just tired of out-of-date systems– Beehiiv’s a strong option.
You’ll like it if:
You want complete possession of your target market
You’re looking to expand fast without paying platform tax obligation
You want something that feels built by designers, for creators
Will it fix every trouble? No. But in 3 months, it’s aided me expand quicker, gain more, and tension less regarding the little points.
So, should you try Beehiiv?
If you prepare to stop resolving and in fact scale your e-newsletter with real devices that value your job and audience– yeah, I believe it’s time.
Go on. Offer it a spin. You simply may fall in love like I did.